I’m not great with money, so the job of helping my 79-year-old mother with her finances belongs to my older sister. But the two of them want me to be at least somewhat familiar with how my mom is doing financially, so we recently went over her budget during a Zoom call. One line item stood out: my mom’s giving back fund. She cuts checks regularly to support work done by her church, and she donates to plenty of other causes, as well. In truth, though, it’s how giving she is with her time that has always amazed me.

I joke that my mom has volunteered with every organization in town, and that’s only a slight exaggeration. She’s volunteered as a docent and an usher, and she’s spent time doing all kinds of tasks on behalf of several other organizations. She’s registered voters and phone-banked and canvassed for candidates and causes she believes in. At my son’s elementary school, she reads to kids as part of the Rockin’ Readers program—in fact, she’s there so often that she was named the school’s “Outstanding Senior Volunteer” last year. (That’s her with her certificate, above.)

My dad’s no slouch, either. Most Fridays, you can find him and a group of guys at the Salvation Army repairing bikes that will end up in the hands of people who desperately need them to be able to find work and get around town. They call themselves the “Bike Boys,” and you can read about them here. And did I mention that my wife’s whole job is helping students at Ringling College of Art and Design become more engaged with their community through service learning? I’m surrounded by generous loved ones.

I’d like to think I give back, too, but in truth, my generosity is fleeting and sometimes nonexistent. I’m in the thick of parenting a 12-year-old and a 9-year-old, with all the personal and financial stress that implies. I try to donate when I can, and I might knock on your door later this year to try to remind you to go vote for something I care about, but I hope that at some point I’m able to find a way toward a more deliberate, regular way of giving back, the way my folks have.

Why? Well, of course, I like helping people, but also... it feels good. Really good. As associate editor Kim Doleatto writes in this year’s installment of our annual Guide to Giving, being generous with your money and your time isn’t just great for the nonprofits you’re supporting, it also improves your physical and mental well-being and deepens your connection to your community. During a time of atomization and polarization, it’s hard to overstate how profound it feels to come together with strangers to do something bigger than you could ever do alone. For that lesson, I have my family to thank.