Every year, Giving Tuesday is celebrated on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.  Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities.

In years past, Adventure Credit Union employees have pooled their own money to complete some impressive projects.  In 2021, our Guides raised $1,000 to buy cleaning supplies for 43 families transitioning from homeless shelters into permanent housing.  In 2020, our Guides raised $950 to have lunches delivered from local restaurants to COVID testers in Grand Rapids and Lansing.

This year for Giving Tuesday, the credit union is doing something a little different.  In 2022, the credit union gave each employee and board member $25 in cash so that they can complete their own micro-project for Giving Tuesday.

We intentionally left the project open-ended so that each of Guides could get creative with how they wanted to use the money to benefit an individual or an organization this holiday season.  You can read their stories below. We’ll be adding new stories every Tuesday in December.

On Giving Tuesday, I opted to pay for the person behind me in line at McDonald’s.  I then used the remaining money to pre-pay for gasoline at a nearby gas station.  The next person to pull up to this pump would be surprised to find $20 in free gas!  It’s fun to think that my random acts of kindness likely made somebody’s day.

I love animals, so I used my Giving Tuesday money to purchase dog food off of the Humane Society of West MI amazon wish list.  The dog food will be delivered right to their door, making this an easy way to do some good!

 

I wanted to support my local community, so I used took my Giving Tuesday to a local business- Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery.  I purchased some amazing donuts and delivered them to the Plainfield Fire Department.  Along with the sweet treat, I used this opportunity to express my gratitude for the fire fighter’ service.



I donated my Giving Tuesday money to Eight Days of Hope- they’re a national organization that responds to disasters across the country, helping rebuild homes, communities, and lives.



I donated my Giving Tuesday money, along with some personal funds to The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW).  THAW helps elderly, disabled, and unemployed individuals pay their energy bills.  This fund is especially important during the winter months!



For me, the Salvation Army Bell Ringers are synonymous with the holiday shopping season.  In recent years, I haven’t donated simply because I no longer carry cash.  Giving Tuesday was the catalyst I needed to break this cycle.  This year when I saw the Bell Ringer outside my grocery store, I stopped and put $50 in the bucket!



I used Giving Tuesday as an opportunity to teach my 13-year-old daughter about the importance of giving.  After we talked, I let my daughter decide how the Giving Tuesday money should be used.  While at Meijer together, she decided to give the money to a young couple shopping the newborn section.  The couple was ecstatic, and my daughter and I felt good too.



I choose a random act of kindness for my Giving Tuesday project.  After paying for coffee at Biggby, I handed the cashier $25 and ask her to apply $5 towards the next five orders.  Sometimes small surprises like this can have a big impact on a person.  It never hurts to be kind!



I donated my funds to Catholic Charities; an organization that has been close to my heart ever since they walked beside us through our adoptions.  They were a blessing to my family and I’m proud of ACU for allowing me to donate back to them.



On 12/13 I attended the holiday Market and Adoption party for the Humane Society of West MI. The entry fee for the event was a donation of one of the shelter's most needed items. I used my Giving Tuesday funds to purchase toys, beds, and food for animals without homes this holiday season.



I kept my Giving Tuesday money on hand for a few weeks, waiting for an opportunity to present itself.  Finally, my spouse and I received a donation request from a family friend in Uganda.  I donated my Giving Tuesday money, along with some personal funds, to a speech therapy charity called Hope Speaks.  Our donation will provide one day of free therapy for a person who otherwise go without it. 



I wanted to help locally, so I mailed my Giving Tuesday to the nearest school- Goodwin Heights.  In the envelop, I included a note asking them to please put the money on the lunch account of a student who needed it. 



In addition to the gifts I'd normally buy for Angel Tree, this year I used my Giving Tuesday money to buy gift cards for teenagers.  After discussing Giving Tuesday with my husband, it inspired him to complete his own act of generosity.  While making his regular trip to the car wash, he gave two of his favorite employees $10 each to buy lunch.  It's cool to see the ripple effect that kindness can have!



My wife and I enjoy shopping for toys to support the Toys for Tots program.  This year was extra special because of the additional toys we could purchase with my Giving Tuesday money.



While I was at McDonalds for breakfast, I paid for the person behind me. They only had a coffee so I added a breakfast sandwich to their order. They gave a honk of appreciation as I was getting my meal at the 2nd window. With the remainder of my money, I bought snacks for the staff at the Muskegon Humane Society. People need treats too!



I added my Giving Tuesday funds to some donations I was already planning to make.  This allowed me to have a bigger impact on the Grand Rapids' Civic Theater, the Ebony Road Players, and Degage Ministries.



I decided to pay it forward with my Giving Tuesday money.  I asked the cashier at McDonald's to apply my $25 to the next orders taken through their drive-thru.  



For my project, I wanted to my help as many people as possible.  So, I started by matching my Giving Tuesday money with another $25 of personal funds.  I then donated that $50 to North Kent Connect through Meijer's "Simply Give" program.  Meijer will match my donation 2 to 1, making it a total of $150 for North Kent Connect!



I donated my Giving Tuesday money to a newly formed foundation with Big Brothers and Big Sisters that will provide educational grants to children from low-income families.



While in line at the grocery store, I observed a cashier tell a young mother she could not purchase three cans of baby formula due to a limit imposed by the store.  As soon as the young mother paid for her groceries and left, I told the cashier I wanted to buy that third can of formula.  I quickly paid for the formula and ran after the women.  I caught her in the parking lot and gave her the formula.  She was so touched that she hugged me right there on the spot!



As a military veteran myself, I chose to donate my Giving Tuesday money to the Wounded Warrior Project.  The WWP offers life-saving programs and services to struggling veterans, their families, and caregivers.  Our veterans deserve our thanks and support!



I decided to donate my Giving Tuesday money to Humane Society of West MI when I heard about their donation match with Chow Hound.  My rescue dog, Miss Marie, and I chipped in an extra $25 donation as well.  Once matched by Chow Hound, the Humane Society will receive $100 total.



My church has a Christmas Giving Tree with paper ornaments identifying the needs of church members, organizations, and families in the community.  I used my Giving Tuesday money to purchase some of these much-needed items, and my spouse helped with the gift wrapping!



I love cats so naturally I used my Giving Tuesday money to sponsor a cat the Humane Society of West MI.  The cat that I sponsored will receive a stocking full of goodies and treats.  Plus, my donation will help the Humane Society continue to provide for all of their animals.



I used my Giving Tuesday money to purchase gifts for Angel Tree.  While I won't get to see the impact, I know these gifts will bring some children joy on Christmas morning.



I chose to donate my Giving Tuesday money to the Grand Rapids Civic Theater.  My donation will help keep the magic of theater alive in our community.  It will also help keep the Civic School of Theater Arts running.  More than 1,600 students participate in the program annually! 



I put my Giving Tuesday money towards the purchase of 100 comic books from my local comic book store.  I then donated the comics to the Helen Devos Children's Hospital.  As a parent, I know that having something fun to read with your child, especially in a tense moment, can be a welcome distraction.  I hope these comics will bring many smiles.



I used my giving Tuesday funds to purchase some items for Kent County Shelter and sponsor an adoption. Since we adopted our dogs from there, we wanted to bring in some of their favorite items, Milkbones and large Jolly Balls, for the other dogs to enjoy. We even took one of our dogs in with the donations and she was so excited to see her old friends at the shelter!