November 28, 2007 • Print This Post
In the immortal words of Bill Murray (as Frank Cross) in one of my all-time holiday classics (Scrooged):
“It’s Christmas Eve. It’s-it’s the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we-we-we smile a little easier, we-w-w-we-we-we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be.”
Okay, so it’ s not Christmas Eve yet (we have almost a month to go on that–thank goodness!), but one part of this quote has really been resonating with me lately… “For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be.” At this time of the year, I think that many of us feel the spirit of generosity and we try to give to others out there–others who are less fortunate, others who just need a bit of help. I’m making a concerted effort to GIVE this year, because, well, I’ll admit it, I’m often too focused on the “getting” part of the Christmas equation. Here are a few of the giving activities that I’ve decided to do this year:
1. I’m keeping spare change in my pocket everywhere I go. Doesn’t sound overly impressive does it? Well, I want to be ready every time I see one of the Salvation Army bell ringers. And I also want to be ready, just in case I’m behind someone at a register, and that person is a few cents short.
2. I’m adopting an Angel Tree Child. All right–I actually do this every year. Have since I was in college and I volunteered at aSalvation Army Distribution Center and saw just what a difference these gifts could make for others. Now that I have my son, I adopt an Angel Tree Child who is the same age as Jack–and I know that on Christmas morning, I’ll think of this other child for a few precious moments–and hope that he is enjoying his presents.
3. I’m cleaning out my closet. Again, doesn’t sound overly impressive, huh? But I can give my old clothes to the local shelter for abused women and children or to the Salvation Army or to the homeless shelter…
4. I’m adopting a nursing home resident. My Walgreens (jeez, I feel like I go into that corner store every night!) has a tree full of the names of nursing home residents. These folks don’t want expensive gifts–most just want socks or a new robe–and I can pick up the gifts at the store–and drop them off in a festive gift bag. Most people think of giving to children at Christmas, but everyone needs a gift.
5. I’ll be making my “no-bake” pies (cause I really can’t cook!) and delivering them to my neighbors (both old and new). Sure, they might toss the pies into the trash after I leave, but I’m still going to give!
Okay, so that’s my list. I know there are hundreds of other ways to give. Toys for Tots donations. Shipments to soldiers. There are so many ways to help others…Do you have any “giving” ideas that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them!
Posted by Cynthia Eden @ 6:00 am • Filed under: Cynthia Eden
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This is something I do year-round. I donate books to the library. In Dallas during RWA Nationals, I collected over 200 books for the library. They were given to the Arkansas State Library System. So many of the county libraries here have very small budgets, so romance doesn’t get onto the shelves. These libraries can come to the central library location and do through those books taking what they want for free.
Locally, even if they don’t need the books for their shelves, the books are sold to raise money to buy more books.
I admit I’m bad about donating books - I hoard them like a possessive junky. I do buy books to donate every year, and I do some of other things you mention. I have 3 “kids” for Christmas, and I love participating in this - everyone is so completely generous. I also volunteer for a holiday event for terminally ill children. Watching their faces light up is such a sad joy, but one I feel proud to be involved in.
I try to send out troop stuff, if not for the holidays then thoughout the year. Just about every other year I donate older clothes - stuff I’d still wear if I could either fit into it or still liked it.
I like the nursing home thing. That’s so true. Everyone should experience a little of the holiday giving spirit.
ArkansasCyndi–donating those books is a fabulous idea! Thanks so much for sharing that!
Hi, Stacy! Volunteering with those children is such a great act–I completely understand how you would be proud to be involved in such a positive activity.
i donate books to the library.
i give to good will
i like to be organized.
I donate books to Goodwill and to the local Veterans Hospital.
I also keep change for the Salvation Army pots.
For the last five years, my daughter has had a Christmas party with all of her friends and instead of exchanging gifts with each other they bring a present for someone in our local nursing home (my sil is a event coordinator for them) and the girls use the party as a time to bake sugar free cookies and wrap the presents for the elderly. A couple of times I have taken the girls so that they can hand the gifts out. The girls all enjoy it and it gives them a sense of community that they normally don’t get during the holiday season.
Don’t forget the Humane Society. This time of year people always think of other people, but homeless pets at shelters still need food and donations. This time of year every time I go to PetSmart to pick up cat food, I make a donation.
Okay, so I give all year long. (See my other comment.)
These comments are great–thanks so much for sharing with me, ladies!
I give clothes to goodwill ocassionally. This year I gave a donation for a holiday foodbasket thru a club that some of the men at work beling to and donated to a care pkg to a soldier. Sometimes I also donate to a needy family thru a local paper like the Pennysaver or do the child on tree thing.
Hi Cynthia,
I give clothes to the church resale shop in my town as does my husband. We also donate books to our library especially hard backs. We also donate books to the library book sale twice a year. I love going to the book sale! I always give to the Salvation Army and to the Veterans. We always donate to the Girl Scouts and we buy their cookies! We always get our animals from the Humane Society. My friend’s husband donates his time to the Humane Society. We have also donated cookies to the prisoners here in our area. Our church does a cookie donation. The prison accepts cookies only once a year. The people at our church bakes upwards of about 1200 cookies. I also have two lady friends that I give all my magazines to, one of which is 94. They can’t get out anymore and they love any kind of reading material!
Hi Cynthia,
We donate to Good Will, Humaine Society and various local benefits for families who have been hit with long term illnesses or fires, and funding the city Fireworks and a Skate Park. Twice a year our community has a fundraiser for our local ambulance service. In March, the employees spend four nights and three days frying cake donuts. They decorate and sell them $6 a dozen. My husband and I buy several dozen each and take them to work, then another couple dozen for at home. They raise close to $60,000 a year on these donut sales - it’s been a yearly tradition people look forward to for as long as I can recall. The flavor of these donuts beat Lesters, Krispy Creme and Dunkin’ Donuts by a mile. The other fundraiser is a community auction. All the local businesses donate items or gift certificates. They make quite a bit from this as well. We love auctions and attend other community auctions that raise funds for their ambulance and fire departments.
Bekki