The Joy of Giving This Holiday Season - Please Join Me

[Its_Donna]

For the past couple of years I have headed a "Adopt A Senior" for Christmas Program for the Nursing Home my Mom is a resident at. I have already started my contributions for this year. I am crocheting lapghans and slippers. I would also like to do some crochet-edged flannel throws if I have enough time. I approached my department manager last year and my whole department "adopted" the nursing home also. I am planning to speak with the dept.mgr. next week about "adopting" again this year.

I also spoke to a local motorcycle riding group we are friendly with and last year we collected 500 gifts for the Seniors.

I then went around town and asked merchants if they would allow me to place a Christmas Box in their business for donations for the Seniors. I collected more gifts that way also.

Last year was a great Christmas for the Seniors.

I am asking for all those interested here at the Village to join me in the Joy of Giving at Christmas by doing a giving work in your local area. A great idea would be to enlist some volunteers in your area to help you with your project.

This is a great way to get children involved in charity work.

Please share what you are doing and share your progress here. If you want, please post pictures of your completed craft items or whatever you are doing.

Let's get a discussion going!

[TheRootedNomad]

My group project is on the smaller side. I've helped to initiate a gathering of donations for a co-worker whose DH has been out of work injured for almost a year. They have 4 kids and her salary is nowhere near enough, nor what she deserves. We are going to gather pantry and dinner items, gift cards, cash ect. and get it to her aroundThanksgiving so that she can do Christmas for her family.

On a family level my boys and Iare gathering an extended (read packed with things that will last) Thanksgiving basket. I'm going to be speaking with our elementary school resource teacher to find a family with small children that will be most in need for it to go to. (This was actually inspired this year by the thread here asking about what else to put in a Thanksgiving basket.

I'll update you on how these go.

[Its_Donna]

RootedNomad that's great and no matter how big or how small; it's the Random Act of Kindness that matters.

I get so pumped up about charity work and I can't wait to see what ideas everyone else has.

[fluttermuffin]

I work at a small rural hospital and several of my night shift co-workers are already struggling paycheck to paycheck, and wondering how they're going to provide Christmas for their own families. We wanted to do something for the community, so we came up with the idea to make "goodie bags" for the residents of our local nursing home. We are on first name basis with most of the residents since the nursing home is right across the road from the hospital and we have them as patients in the hospital occasionally.

Anyhow, (I'm rambling), we are taking up an anonymous collection (can in the break room) and whatever we get by Thanksgiving, we'll go aquire items for the bags. Ideas were kleenex, slipper socks, gloves, large grid calendar, large print puzzle books, regular and diabetic home baked goodies...etc.

I'm a scrapbooker and have accumulated lots of supplies over the years, so we're going to get together and make each resident a handmade personalized card.

I love the other ideas as well. 13 years ago when I was a single mom of three and living on less than $1000 a month (in govt housing, using food stamps and AFDC checks) while I was put through nursing school.... the daycare center that watched my kids (again paid for by SRS) adopted my kids for Christmas... the gratitude I felt was immeasurable. I've tried to help others as I could because of that.... "pay it forward".
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avatar graphic courtesy of "graphics by Irene"
proud wife to George recently retired Army National Guardsman
Mom to Derek (22), Drew (28) & Cady (16)

stepmom to Curtis (24), Ashlee (22) & Lindsey (20)
gramma to Alex (angel baby 2006) & {soon to be} AJ (due Nov 10)
furmom to Mabel Sue , Missy May , Sammi & multiple outside kitties
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~need knocking out our debts... one at a time~

Total Debt:
(now) 99,309.70 / (was) 131,598.73
House: 59,888.02 / 75,500.00
04 Ranger: 10,860.52 / 21,793.50
07 Focus: 20,947.56 / 20,947.56
95 Aspire: 3,748.32 / 3,748.32
Cub Cadet: 1,005.93 / 4,200.00
WaMu CC: 1,991.43 / 1,991.43
SSI: 300.00 / 2,700.00
Vet: 567.92 / 717.92

how did we let it get this far???
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Emergency Fund - 3,534.34/ 5,000
silver jar - 7.20
penny jar - 1.25
Fall Fling - 0/1000 things flung (by 30 Nov)
weight loss : 0/#67 lost (start 25 Oct 07)
Oct. eat at home days - ?/31
Oct. grocery challenge - ?/500

[Its_Donna]

That's great fluttermuffin...I so agree..Pay It Forward.

I went to the Goodwill today and it must have been my lucky day because I found 3 large (and in decent shape) blankets that are kinda fleecy. They are kinda hard to explain but they have a satin binding all around the edges. They were 1.50 a piece so I snagged them up and I'm washing them now. They will be part of my blanket donation to the NH.

[sunshine]

Our family adopts a family in our area. . . the kids each buy one gift with their own money -- then dh and I get stuff for the parents -- usually some clothing (sweatshirts, gloves, hats, etc), things foodstamps won't buy like laundry detergents, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, TP, etc. If we know they have a VCR or DVD player we get a few movies too.

I also dontate to Pine Ridge every Christmas season -- I knit, crochet warm hats, mittens, scarves, afghans, slippers all year, then donate them in time for Christmas. . . I also get all the freebie toys I can find and fill stockings for the reservation kids. I said something at work one year about what I was doing -- and I got bags and bags of kid meal toys from various coworkers, to use as stocking stuffers.

[firstlove]

Wow! You guys are great. We have a "free" thankgiving dinner at our church for the community. My husband is on the "clean up" crew., we also made some shoe box gifts for Samaratians purse-shoe boxes filled with toys for a needy child.
Gotta think of some more things-God has blessed us.

[bumplett]

This year our holiday spirit will be shared with the four legged babes -

We have a "home for the holidays" fundraiser with Santa at the shelter to take pictures with families (pets included)

Everyone deserves a home for the holidays -