Real Estate Round-Up: Gratitude and generosity, take 2

Last week, I reminded you how critical it is for all of us to show our gratitude by being generous to Fallbrook’s local merchants and restaurants. Since my writing of that article, I heard the sad news that one of our downtown merchants and possibly one of our restaurants will be closing at the end of the year. The need for your support is real, and critical.

There is another community within Fallbrook that needs your support, especially at this time of year. Every nonprofit in Fallbrook has had to reinvent themselves to be able to provide their usual services to their clients, as well as find new ways to raise the much needed funds to pay for the services they provide. Going virtual is not as easy as it sounds. Creating the virtual platform is the easy part, but creating the emotional connection is hard to achieve in the virtual world.

For the nonprofit to engage with their clients, extra effort is required to achieve the same results. Often, because of COVID-19 protocols, the same results are not possible. The non-profits find themselves working harder to reach fewer clients.

Creating engaging fundraisers, in a virtual reality, is nearly impossible. Even with the engaging “zoom” tool, it’s hard to reach out and high-five someone for being the top bidder on an auction item. Or what about making the emotional appeal for a straight donation? A loyal long-time supporter of a specific nonprofit will have no need for the face to face connection, but without that face to face, it is hard for a new supporter to get the message.

So, here’s this week’s challenge. After you do your shopping in Fallbrook for the Christmas gifts you will be giving this year, after you enjoy some take out at one of Fallbrook’s local restaurants, after you purchase a subscription with the Village News, check out some of the many nonprofits that could use some extra Christmas cheer in the form of a cash donation.

Do you love animals? Then pay your gratitude forward by generously donating cash, pet food, pet supplies or support to pay for veterinary care of the many creatures the Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary cares for. You could add your name to the list of foster families, so if the sanctuary needs a home for that one too many cat that arrives in the spring, they will know they can count on you.

Maybe you want a new pet. Check out Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary before you look anywhere else. It is a known fact that having a pet is good for our health. Petting and caring for your four-legged friend, calms you down. It reminds you of what is really important. Companionship, something many of us are short on, during the COVID-19 isolation, can be eased when you own a pet.

Do you love seniors? Pay your gratitude forward by generously donating cash to the Foundation for Senior Care or the Fallbrook Senior Center. Perhaps you could be available to deliver lunches to housebound seniors or drop off a “care package” to simply show some love.

Perhaps you could financially support a banner on the Foundation for Senior Care Van or pay for a month's worth of gas so that van can pick up and deliver seniors to their doctor appointments or pick up groceries for their kitchens. How about writing a short note or sending a sweet card to a senior who is shut in? The generosity of the heart is just as important as the generosity of the pocketbook.

Do you have a heart for the many people who are out of work and must either pay their rent or purchase food? Then donate to the Fallbrook Food Pantry. You can donate cash to help support their food deliveries, or donate food to stock their shelves, or donate your time to help bag the groceries for pick-up by the many daily visitors to the pantry. You could even adopt an entire family for the holidays. Since many of us aren’t able to be with our families due to travel restrictions, why not pay your love forward to someone who could use an extra “hug” this time of year?

Are children at the top of your list when you think about helping? Sponsor the Boys and Girls Club. With so many children doing a hybrid form of schooling, in the context of COVID-19, the Boys and Girls Club has had to find new and creative ways to support the many children who have parents that are working and cannot be home to help their children and keep them safe.

Our children are some of our most vulnerable. We need safe places like the Boys and Girls Club to step in and fill that crucial need. Consider generously donating to the programs that they provide.

There are many other faith-based nonprofits in Fallbrook. You could reach out to any of the churches in town to see what groups they are supporting and see how you can come along side and lend a helping hand or financially support what they are doing.

Many churches support missionaries around the globe, support food programs in some of the world’s poorest countries, and support children in orphanages. Help spread the Gospel, along with some tangible gifts to people in regions that need more than ever to hear the good news that their Savior loves them and that a person in Fallbrook loves them too and is sending them a gift for Christmas.

Human interaction is essential. In a year where that has been stripped away from us, there are many ways that as a community we can come together to show our gratitude and be generous.

This is what makes Fallbrook the special village it is. It’s the individuals, the families, the groups, and the businesses that can not only survive but thrive, if we remember that generosity is the true outpouring of our gratitude. The generosity of Fallbrook adds real value to your home because, ask yourself, would you want to live in a place where a generous spirit didn’t dwell? I can’t imagine.

Please shop, eat, donate, and support Fallbrook. It will pay you dividends you never expected.

Kim Murphy can be reached at [email protected] or 760-415-9292 or at 130 N Main Avenue, in Fallbrook. Her broker license is #01229921, and she is on the board of directors for the California Association of Realtors.