Last winter, Burnaby resident Augustine Wong was driving to work and listening to the radio, when he heard a story of a family in need that had only $100 for Christmas.
How do you have Christmas with $100, the radio host asked. Wong took that rhetorical question as a challenge and came up with a charity drive to encourage people to spend less money on themselves and donate to charity instead.
“The point is to get people to think about what they are spending, and, if it’s necessary, to get donors to better identify with those in need,” he told the NOW.
A couple of weeks ago, Wong launched a new website called Spend Less, Give More, where people can upload a photo of an item they are giving up, while donating its value to charity. Wong also uses Facebook and Instagram to publish the photos of forgone items to create an online gallery of generosity.
Wong put the word out to various organizations, because he needed a cause to donate to, and the Burnaby Christmas Bureau was the first to respond.
“Also, I live in Burnaby, so it makes sense to try to support my local community,” he said.
Burnaby Community Services facilitates the Christmas Bureau, which provides toys for children from low-income families and hampers for seniors during the holidays.
So far, there hasn’t been a lot of people signing up to donate on Wong’s website – mostly his friends – but that’s not dampening his enthusiasm. He’s focusing on getting the word out through social media.
Behind the idea of sacrifice is a deeper ethos of empathy. Wong wants people to go with less to better understand what it’s like for families that don’t have a choice.
“That’s why I don’t just want a charity drive where people give money. I want them to think about the people they are trying to help and their situation and ask them to give something up for themselves. I hope they are mentally putting themselves in the position of what families in need have to go through,” he said.
But what does Wong get out of it?
“I get the satisfaction of helping other people I suppose. I am not doing it for any kind of gain obviously. The reason why I do it is because I saw no reason not to do it,” he said.
Stephen D’Souza, executive director of Burnaby Community Connections, welcomed Wong’s project.
“I think it’s great to see new ways to engage people around issues that matter and how we can support people in our community,” D’Souza said. “Augustine has been incredibly creative and is using ways to reach out that we’ve never thought of, and it’s great to see that kind of engagement.”
Wong also likes how Burnaby Community Services helps people year round, and he’d like to make his website an ongoing project.
“I’ve never personally subscribed to the need that you need a season to give,” Wong said. “You should basically think of ways to give at any opportunity you get, not just in the Christmas season. I hope to continue this charity drive throughout the year.”
How to get involved:
Go to www.spendlessgivemore.ca, click on the donation link, and follow the steps.
Specify the amount you want to donate, and upload a picture of the thing you are giving up. That picture will be posted to the Spend Less Give More Instagram account and on Facebook.
For more info, go to www.spendlessgivemore.ca or search for Spend Less Give More on Facebook.
