As editor of The Connecticut Spotlight, the publication of Connecticut Professional Photographers, PPA Charities Trustee Harvey Goldstein can be counted on for lively editorials. This month, he shared his wisdom (and holiday photograph) on the subject of holiday gift-giving, with a nice shoutout for PPA Charities. It is reprinted here with Santa Goldstein’s permission:
The Chanukah candles have burned out, the latkes (fried potato pancakes) have been enjoyed, the dreidels have stopped spinning and the 8 days of gifts has ended. ARE YA READY FOR SOME CHRISTMAS? We do it all in our house so December is just one long holiday and food-fest. In the Goldstein house, we easily slide from latkes and sufganiyot (soof-gah-nee-YOT), which are jelly doughnuts that are eaten on Chanukah to Christmas ham and anginettes (Italian cookies).
Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Have you started your Christmas shopping?
My suggestion for gift-giving is to honor someone with a donation to a charity in their name. We all have “stuff”. As a matter of fact, we all have too much “stuff”. Why continue to clutter everyone’s home with “stuff”? You can give to the Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the Diabetes Foundation, St. Jude… and the list goes on. My favorite is PPA Charities (melanie.marathonwp.com). PPA Charities is the philanthropic arm of the Professional Photographers of America. In 2005, PPA Charities named Operation Smile as its charitable partner. A perfect fit for photographers, whose daily business is creating smiles for their clients, Operation Smile’s mission is repairing childhood facial deformities including cleft lips and cleft palates.
At the 2010 PPA Convention, PPA Charities presented a $100,000 check to Operation Smile, surpassing their goal by $30,000. The goal for the 2011 PPA Convention is $120,000, but we need your help. If you purchase a smile ($240) before December 25, your donation will be matched and you will be purchasing two smiles for the price of one. Can you think of a better way for a photographer to spend his/her gift money?
There are many worthwhile charities but only one that combines what you do every day (make children smile) and giving hundreds of children the opportunity to smile. Our mantra is normally, “$240 will change a life”; from now until Christmas, our mantra
is, “$240 will change TWO LIVES.” It will actually change three lives, because it will
certainly change yours as well.
Wishing my fellow MOT a belated Happy Chanukah and to most everyone else, a very
Merry Christmas! Whatever holiday you celebrate, celebrate with zest and gusto, but also
safely. And to all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Charitiesingly,
Harv