By: Jon Wells (LINK to original article)

The burnt orange, gold and scarlet of the season hangs on, a bittersweet concert of fall colours, and a gift in our neck of the woods not to be taken for granted.

Thanksgiving feels a distant memory, but today’s theme is the giving part.

Erica D’Alessio (front row, fourth from right in white shirt) was one of the new faces who attended a 100+ Women Who Care Hamilton meeting last year. The 24-year-old said joining the charity group has felt like a way for her to “practise gratitude” on a regular basis.

The Big Give

The format sounds like “Shark Tank,” except this show is not about making money, rather giving it away to worthy causes.

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, “The Big Give” will be held at Carmen’s (1520 Stone Church Rd. E.). Anyone is welcome to attend the event, organized by the 100+Women Who Care Hamilton, and the 100+Men’s chapter.

Each of these philanthropic organizations hold quarterly meetings at which three charities make pitches for support, and a vote determines which charity receives a large donation from members.

Nov. 12 is unusual as the first meeting where more than 200 members from both the women’s and men’s groups will co-host, to pledge more than $20,000 in one night to one charity.

One of the newest members is Erica D’Alesio. The 24-year-old Hamiltonian is a graduate of Brock University, where she played varsity soccer, and now works as a financial planner.

She loves the 100+ concept, in part, because it is not time consuming: four one-hour long meetings per year, where each member donates $100 toward the “winning” charity. (Or, you can join with a friend, and split the contribution.)

Hamilton’s Erica D’Alesio says that joining the 100+ Women Who Care Hamilton organization has made her aware of the needs of the community, and helped her to “practise gratitude all the time.”

Most of all, she says it feels good to contribute, with her eyes now opened to the need in the community. “Once you are aware of that, you think, ‘Oh my God, how did I not start doing this sooner?’” Erica has several causes she’d like to support, cancer research among them, given how the disease has hit her family.

She suggests that giving is a way to appreciate your blessings, and “practise gratitude all the time.”