In the spirit of the Season

[McD]

We donated $20 to our local police department's Shop With A Cop program. It's a great program where the police officers reach out to struggling families and take the children shopping for presents for the whole family. I love that it is encouraging the families and kids to interact with the police and realize that they are a helping force within the city.

We donated $20 to sponsor a family that the utility I work for adopted via the food pantry.

I sent 10-15 cans of canned veggies, juice, fruits, etc. to preschool with Wesley because they were donating to a local food pantry.

We have donated several handfuls of change to the red kettles.

I also have some items for Toys for Tots.

[Cares]

We donated a toy to Toys for Tots, and cleaned out our closets and basement to donate to our thrift stores. Offered a mattress to a woman in need, but she wasn't able to take it after all. I want to do more...

[crafty73]

On July 1st, 2010 our town was hard by a flood. To date, there are still homelss families living in one of the hotels because they are unable to return to their homes. We are having one of the families over for xmas dinner.

Tipping more generously, paying for the stranger's coffee behind us in the drive-thru.

[handerson2005]

I have a friend who is doing a "25 days of Christmas" for a co-worker who has really been struggling this year. The co-worker has two children, one 12, the other 3. My girlfriend asked all of her friends if they'd like to participate and if they'd be willing to donate anything.

I donated sugar cookies in a jar (the mix to make it) and cookie cutters. I've also mailed out a few things for her so that the co-worker doesn't know who's behind the cause (my friend wants to stay anonymous). Another friend of mine, who doesn't know the friend who's doing it, has donated just because I was telling her about it.

It's been fun - and since they do work together, my friend has had a chance to see how happy it's made the co-worker.

[Mrs. Garcia]

We haven't done it yet, but we started a tradition of bringing baked goodies to the NICU nurses at the children's hospital here in town. My dd was a 28 week preemie and spent her first Christmas there. She was there for 7 weeks. My twins were born at 24 weeks and also spent their first Christmas there. They were there for 4 months. We just LOVE the nurses there and they have to give up their Christmas with their families for the good of so many other families that we try to show them our appreciation. I usually bake for about 12 hours straight and bring up a wagon full of goodies. I wish we could do more, but with 3 little ones, that's about all we can afford to do. Eventually, we want to start putting together stockings for all the NICU babies every Christmas.

[auntie2many]

We gave three toys and two huge packages of Star Wars and Scooby Doo Christmas wrap to our church, who gives out care Christmas packages to those in need. I also spent three hours today at church helping to wrap all of the gifts. We also donated a half of a ham for the food drive at church too.

I gave some money to the Salvation army red kettle a few days ago too.

So heartwarming to read this whole thread.