International Charity Day 2021

To honour the important work that these many charities do, in 2012 the United Nations decided to nominate an annual International Day of Charity as an official day of recognition and celebration. The reason the date was chosen is because it is the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

This choice commemorates the tireless work that Mother Teresa did by devoting her whole life to charity work. To celebrate this special day every year, the work of different charities all over the word is publicised and celebrated, and people are encouraged to donate money and time, to carry out charitable works, and also to educate people and raise awareness about the many charitable issues worldwide. Education and giving are the essence of this special day.

As the day commemorates the work of Mother Teresa, it is important that we tell you a bit more about her. Mother Teresa was born on the 26th of August 1910 as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. She is honored as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in the Catholic Church. She founded a Roman Catholic religious congregation, the Missionaries of Charity, in 1950. The Missionaries of Charity is active all over the world, with thousands of nuns all around the world. The congregation manages homes for those who are dying of tuberculosis, leprosy, and HIV/AIDs. It also runs schools, orphanages, family counselling programmes, children’s counselling programmes, mobile clinics, dispensaries, and soup kitchens. Members take vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. They also profess a fourth vow, which is to give a “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.” Over the years, Mother Teresa has been awarded with many different honors. This includes being given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, as well as the Tamon Magsaysay Peace Prize in 1962. 

How to celebrate International Day of Charity 

There are various ways that you can get involved with the International Day of Charity. It does not matter how much money you have to spare or how much time you are available; charitable donations are welcomed in any form, big or small. It is all about doing what is manageable for you. After all, there is no point in getting yourself in financial trouble. If you cannot afford to donate any money, why not donate a bit of your time instead?

On International Day of Charity, it is worth taking a look at the different charities in your local area, as well as your preferred worldwide charities to see if they have any events that are going on. If they don’t, you could take it upon yourself to organize a charity event. Fundraising events are always welcomed. All you need is an idea that everyone can get involved in. It does not need to be complicated. This is why bake sales and fun runs work so well. Of course, you don’t need to organize an event to fundraise; there are plenty of other ways to do this. For example, you could decide to take on a challenge, such as a skydive, and raise donations for this, or you may decide to sell a certain craft or product and donate some of the proceeds to charity. The options are endless, so we are sure you will be able to find something that works for you.