One of the great tests of graciousness is the desire that a person has to give to others when he or she has been the beneficiary of someone else’s generosity. Folks who are generous in spite of their own outstanding needs are often happier and more content than those who hold onto everything, failing to recognize there are always people whose needs are greater than their own and that the true blessing is in giving, rather than receiving.

What’s true for individuals represents the very reason for the existence of nonprofit organizations such as the Suffolk Humane Society. The organization survives because of the contributions of both time and money by generous donors and volunteers around the city. But the reason it exists is to spread the blessings gained through those contributions.

Suffolk Humane plans to do that in an unusual way on Saturday. Folks are used to seeing the Humane Society involved in adopt-a-thons, spay and neuter events and similar activities in support of pets and other domesticated animals around Suffolk. Saturday’s event, however, represents an opportunity for Suffolk Humane to directly pass along some of the donations it has received recently to pet owners who are in need.

The organization’s Pet Pantry, scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon in the Suffolk Humane office at 4300 Nansemond Parkway, will afford volunteers a chance to give away dog and cat food, along with pet supplies including leashes, bowls and toys.

The food was acquired through donations by nearby stores such as Walmart and PetSmart, according to Suffolk Humane’s Kay Hurley. If a bag of pet food is torn or damaged in a way that makes it impossible to sell, retailers sometimes donate it to the Humane Society. Other supplies have been donated to the organization and stored until they could be used in an event such as this one.

It would have been easy for the folks at the Humane Society to say their mission goes beyond distributing free pet food. It says much about them, though, that they understand the importance of sharing their blessings.