Insight: Giving Back Isn’t Just About Charity

By Lorraine Glowczak

As our managing editor, Ed Pierce, has been called away to tend to a family emergency, I’ve been asked to fill in for this week’s Insight. I must admit, stepping into Ed’s shoes is a bit intimidating. His weekly reflections are rich with experience, journalistic grace, and heartfelt wisdom. I can only hope he’ll be gentle with his critique when he returns. (Ed, if you’re reading this…please, no red pen marks!)

It’s that time of year again, the season when we hear phrases like “giving back,” “helping those in need,” and “the spirit of the holidays.” They’re lovely words, and they’re true. But as I grow older and have gained more life experience, I’ve come to realize something deeper: giving back isn’t just about charity. It’s about building a supportive, thriving community where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and feel valued.

And if there’s any place that embodies that idea, it’s right here in Windham and Raymond.

When we hear the word charity, we often think of donations such as food drives, clothing bins, or fundraising campaigns. All of these are essential and make a difference. But charity, in the traditional sense, tends to be one-directional: someone gives, and someone receives. It’s often a quick, compassionate response to an immediate need, a short-term fix for a problem that might resurface again and again.

Giving back, however, is more than that. It’s about connection. It’s about seeing yourself as part of a larger whole and recognizing that what strengthens one person strengthens us all. It’s about relationships, understanding, and the belief that we each play a role in shaping the kind of community we want to live in.

When we give back, we’re not doing it out of pity or obligation. We do it because we understand that everyone’s well-being is intertwined. Helping others helps us, too. It reminds us of our shared humanity and restores our faith that good still exists in the world.

In my work in education, I wear many hats, and one of them includes coordinating Capstone Projects for high school seniors. Part of that work requires students to engage in meaningful community service, projects that require them to give of themselves.

At first, some students approach the requirement like it’s just another box to check before graduation. But then something happens. They volunteer at an animal shelter, mentor at the other schools in the district, provide volunteer efforts with the community per community requests, or find a volunteer request that is meaningful in their lives. Slowly, they begin to understand as they write their second reflection paper what giving back really means. More often than not, some are surprised to find that they gain something too, a sense of purpose, connection, and belonging.

Recently, one student wrote in one of his ELO reflections about giving back. “When you help others, your brain can give out chemicals that can boost your mood and emotional well-being. Small acts can make a difference. This means that no matter how big or small the act can be, the impact can still be a huge difference. While helping others, you can connect to yourself in plenty ways, like finding something new about yourself through your actions.” (Liam Moxey, Sophomore.)

I see examples of Windham and Raymond residents lifting each other up, while also lifting themselves. There are the volunteers who organize the Christmas Angels program, helping ensure local children have gifts and warm clothing during the holidays. There are those who quietly drop off groceries for a struggling neighbor or shovel an elderly friend’s driveway after a storm. There are teachers who spend extra hours helping students succeed and business owners who sponsor youth sports or donate to local causes. And sometimes, those who were once in need come back to give, when their lives begin to shine brighter.

As we head into the holiday season, we’ll hear many calls to give, to donate food, coats, toys, or money. And while all of that is important, I hope we also think about why we give. Do we continue that inspiration throughout the year?

Or, do we check a box, or to make ourselves feel good for a moment? Or do we give because we truly believe in the power of community, that each act of kindness, each hour of service, each dollar shared contributes to something larger than ourselves?

Giving back, at its heart, is not about charity, it’s about being connected and community bonds. It’s a way of saying, “We’re in this together.”

That’s what makes this community so special. Windham and Raymond is a network of people who show up, for neighbors, for families, for students, for one another.

So while I may never match Ed Pierce’s eloquence as his Insights, I think he would agree with this: the real heart of our community beats strongest when we give, not just out of charity, but out of genuine care.