Reclaiming the Season of Giving

As the holidays approach and SNAP benefits are cut, a simple act of compassion in Pittsburgh points us back to the heart of the season.

Last week, I talked about the deep moral failure behind this administration’s treatment of vulnerable SNAP recipients during this government shutdown. This week, Trump threatened to withhold benefits until “the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!” but after a court challenge, White House announced that only half of November’s SNAP benefits would go out. That means millions of families, many with children, will see their grocery budgets cut in half as we approach the holiday season. Hunger should never depend on politics, yet right now, it does.

And yet, as is often the case in America, when institutions fall short, ordinary people rise.

In Pittsburgh, a father named Owen and his sons decided to start a front-yard food pantry. What started as a humble attempt to help fill the gap the looming SNAP cut left behind quickly became something greater when they found an envelope in their mailbox filled with hundred-dollar bills and a handwritten note that read, “May God prosper and bless your food pantry.”

No signature. No recognition. Just faith.

That quiet act of generosity set off a chain reaction in their community. They got more donations, even some from their local police department. The ripple effect spread far beyond Pittsburgh, inspiring people across the country to build their own mini food pantries. Owen’s pantry has helped at least one hundred families so far. This is the kind of story that reminds us that having faith means choosing community over comfort and compassion over indifference.

We saw that same spirit across the nation on Tuesday. Voters showed up determined, hopeful, and ready to protect their families, their vulnerable neighbors, and their communities. The results were an increase of Democratic representation in many states and the passing of California’s Proposition 50, which will allow for fairer redistricting to counter the Texas power grab. It is exciting to see newly elected Democrats who ran on positive issues like affordability, education, neighborly love, like Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, and Zohran Mamdani in New York City.

But this is not the time to grow comfortable. Hope is not a resting place—it is a responsibility and a choice we need to make daily. The same intentionality people brought to the ballot box is what we need in every area of our lives if we want to protect our democracy, strengthen our moral fabric, and maintain the integrity of our faith.

That includes how we live, how we spend, and how we give, especially as we approach the season of Advent.

Each year, the weeks before Christmas are meant to draw us closer to one another and to God. Instead, they have become a season of endless consumption and distraction. Companies like Amazon encourage us to measure our love by what we buy and how fast it arrives. But Advent was never meant to be a countdown to more stuff. It is an invitation to pause, reflect, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.

That is why our Center on Faith and Justice is helping launch a new campaign called No Amazon for Advent, which calls on people of faith to reclaim this season of giving. You can sign the pledge here, and organizations interested in co-sponsoring the campaign can sign up here.

The campaign is not about rejecting generosity. It is about redirecting it. It challenges us to spend less on things and more on purpose, to strengthen our communities instead of enriching corporations that exploit workers and profit from inequality.

If you are able, consider buying gifts from local shops or small businesses that give life to your neighborhood. Donate to a food bank or charity in a loved one’s name. Make it a family activity and take your kids shopping for food to give away. Use this time to talk about gratitude and community.

Yes, it is easier to stay comfortable. Amazon has made it simple to live without leaving our homes, without conversation, without connection. But that comfort has come at the cost of community. I confess that I buy too many Christmas gifts for my kids, and I have become accustomed to the ease of Amazon. So participating and supporting this No Amazon for Advent campaign feels even more necessary. The campaign itself encourages us to be more present in our lives and at checkout. To begin to reframe how we buy and give, and most importantly, who we are supporting in the process. I encourage you to challenge yourself and sign the pledge.

We saw what real community looks like on Tuesday when people stood in long lines to vote, when neighbors celebrated and believed again in not just what is unacceptable but what is possible. We saw it in Owen’s front yard, where an anonymous act of kindness became a neighborhood movement.

Let us carry that same spirit into this holy season. Let us make Advent not about what we buy but about what we build together.

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