Helping your neighbor, sowing deep connections in the community where you live and building bridges to a better future are only a few of the reasons we want to encourage you to give where you live for Yampa Valley Gives on Tuesday.

Timed to coincide with Colorado Gives Day, the local campaign sparks acts of generosity across the valley. Last year, the day of giving brought in more than $1.1 million for over 130 local nonprofits, organizations such as the Routt County United Way, Routt County Humane Society, Routt County Search and Rescue and many, many other powerhouses of positivity, big and small. It’s nothing short of spectacular.

If you’re not sure where to begin with all the good work going on locally, the Yampa Valley Gives Guide distributed in Friday’s Steamboat Pilot offers a helpful tool. Inside, more than 81 nonprofits from Clark to McCoy are featured across sections focusing on animals, arts and culture, the community, education, the environment, health and wellness and youth and senior services. It’s meant to help donors drive their donations to exactly the causes they want to support, and donors should know the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, which maintains YampaValleyGives.org, has screened all nonprofits highlighted in the guide.

For the community, it’s a powerful statement to have such a robust, generous Yampa Valley Gives Day, a day where our local nonprofits benefit from a message of universal giving. Last year, it was even more important because of COVID-19. This year is no different, as many people are still trying to dig out from under the pandemic, and the need is no less diminished.

Plus, giving is circular. By helping your neighbors and joining philanthropic causes, you too benefit, either directly or indirectly. What goes around will come back around, and by helping our nonprofits, the whole community is better.

Some people may think days of giving are only for wealthy philanthropists, but that’s simply not true. In fact, there are other ways to help apart from opening one’s checkbook, and volunteering is perhaps the best way for newcomers and longtime locals alike to become more acclimated to their community while helping make it a better place.

Getting involved by donating, volunteering or even becoming part of a board at a nonprofit can be a defining moment that says, “I live here — I am part of this community.” It’s not always easy to know where to begin when you want to have a positive impact in the place you live. However, Yampa Valley Gives Day offers everyone an easy portal to show their intention and commitment by joining a group or donating.

There’s something special about the soil where you grow. Whether you’ve lived in the Yampa Valley five years or 50, this is the time to sink your roots deeper into the place you call home.

Today is the day the valley gives. It’s one of the coolest days of the year, and we hope you will consider giving, too. If you’re interested in participating, go to YVGives.org, and give where you live.