Now that you have some free ways to show kindness to others for your 25 Days of Giving, here are some not so free ideas. Please remember that one of the goals of giving is to include your child so if you are sending money to an organization that might not connect with them emotionally. Be creative, educate them about what the organization is trying to do. Teach them about poverty, homelessness, global poverty and the lack of clean water, or whatever you are donating to. If you are giving food to the food bank or donating clothes, have the children take it themselves. Let their 5 senses experience the activity. If you are buying a gift for someone, let them help pick it out and wrap it.
- Contact your local mission and adopt a family for Christmas.
- Create care package for children in hiding in the jungles of Burma through Christians Concerned for Burma. I wrote more about it last March.
- Chose a child to give to through a giving tree or Angel Tree.
- Sign up to sponsor a child through World Vision, Compassion International, Children's Hope Chest or other child sponsorship organization. You might consider choosing a child that has the exact birthday as your child to create a bond.
- Contact your favorite local charities and find out what items are on their "wish list". Have your children help you purchase items on that list and deliver them.
- Donate food to a local animal shelter.
- Donate to Toys for Tots.
- Buy a needy family a Christmas Tree.
- Hand out flowers to strangers. I think next time we do this we'll have a note attached to each flower.
- Donate warm clothes to shelters.
- Choose a gift in a charity's Christmas giving catalog such as World Vision, Orphan Relief & Rescue, Compassion International, World Concern. There are many, many more organizations out there that you can donate to.
Any great organizations you want to share? What are some other creative ways to bless others?
