“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi.

Someone once asked his pastor, “Give, Give, Give! Is That’s all you ever preach?”

The pastor replied with a smile and said, “Thank you for the best three-word description of the Christian life!”

You don’t have to be a christian to enjoy and experience the joys that comes with giving

Scientific Research from numerous studies suggests that giving does more for the giver. – Scientists also found that those who spent money on others even though they had the option to spend the money on themselves were happier.

Our mission at SIRF is to keep GIVING to those who need it most because we know and enjoy the multiple joys that are associated with this beautiful act.

We’ve seen the smiles, The gratitude, the testimonials and the hope that’s planted in a life when we come through for someone in need. But we enjoy the benefits even more. We’d like to share these benefits with you.

That said, Here’s 5 Powerful reason why we keep giving that might inspire you to join us

1. Giving Helps Others: This is kind of obvious. The world is a harsh place for those who have little or nothing to depend on. Even harder for the very old and handicapped ones amongst us with no one to take care of them. This is due to no fault of theirs, The generosity and loving-kindness of people with a giving spirit like you is what they depend on to survive daily. When you give to the less fortunate, you add to their lives – and by adding to theirs, you add to yours too. What else could be more inspiring to give?The more you give the more you have.

2. Giving has a domino effect: Almost everyone has a plan to change the world on a huge scale but those who actually make any change in the world do it by helping one person at a time. Anyone who has been on the receiving end of kindness is inspired to pay it forward and give to others even when they hardly have anything to give. Also, seeing people give inspires onlookers who also try to do the same perpetuating this domino effect of giving makes the world a better more humane place to live in, don’t you think so too? Be a good role-model for people around you or those watching – you never know who you’re inspiring

3. Giving makes you happier: A study conducted in harvard in 2008 revealed something we at SIRF know now to be true. Professor Michael Norton et al. found out that giving money to someone else lifted one’s own happiness more than spending it on themselves (even though participants’ thought otherwise that spending on themselves would make them happier). Another scientist Sonja Lyubomirsky – a professor of psychology also saw similar results when she asked people to perform five acts of kindness each week for six weeks.

4. You get to eperience Helpers High : Nope.. we’re not talking about drugs. Because this “high” is much better and lasts much longer with no “bad effects” A 2006 study by Jorge Moll and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health found that when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect. Scientists also believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the “helper’s high.”

5. Improved Health and Long Life : A 1999 study led by Doug Oman of the University of California, Berkeley, found that elderly people who volunteered for two or more organizations were 44% less likely to die over a five-year period than non-volunteers, even after controlling for their age, exercise habits, general health, and negative health habits like smoking.Stephanie Brown of the University of Michigan saw similar results in a 2003 study on elderly couples. She and her colleagues found that those individuals who provided practical help to friends, relatives, or neighbors, or gave emotional support to their spouses, had a lower risk of dying over a five-year period than those who didn’t. Interestingly, receiving help wasn’t linked to a reduced death risk.

How is this possible you ask?

Well, Researchers think that one key reason giving may improve physical health and longevity is that it helps decrease stress, which is associated with a variety of health problems.

In a 2006 study by Rachel Piferi of Johns Hopkins University and Kathleen Lawler of the University of Tennessee, people who provided social support to others had lower blood pressure than participants who didn’t. This means that there is a direct physiological benefit to those who give of themselves.

What else can you give?

There’s so much that you can give other than money

• You can give your time by volunteering for a worthy cause
• You can give your warmth and friendship genuinely
• You can give a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on to someone who needs it

Whatever you decide to give, know that a pure spirit and a generous heart can be your own path to real happiness.

We live in a world where all fingers are not equal but everything is balanced. What you have in abundance, someone else lacks. By giving, we bridge this gap.

So whenever you have the chance to give to others, know that you’re

• Contributing to making the world a better place.
• You’re making the lives of the less fortunate better.
• And you’re bringing light and warmth to your own soul too.

Feeeling inspired… Support how we GIVE here