Helping Hands discussion

Ideas for Service During the Winter Holidays

• Volunteer to set up, decorate, register guests, serve lunch, or sell raffle tickets at a community event for the elderly, students, or a nonprofit organization.
• Sort, wrap, organize, or deliver holiday presents for people who can’t do it themselves.
• Celebrate senior citizens or students by having a special holiday dinner. Set up the dining room, prepare and serve dinner, visit, and play holiday games.
• Prepare treats for neighbors, emergency workers, mail carriers, coworkers, military personnel, or other community members, along with a note of appreciation. Before mailing packages or letters to military service personnel, contact your local American Red Cross chapter for current procedures and regulations.
• “Adopt” a family, child, or senior citizen and spend time with them, especially during the winter holidays.
• Call an animal shelter and find out what donations they need. Collect things like treats, food, first aid supplies, toys, cat litter, and blankets for the homeless animals.
• For a charity, volunteer to distribute or deliver clothes, food, and gifts.
• Dress up as a holiday helper and visit neighbors and friends.
• Make or teach holiday crafts.
• Mentor, tutor, or teach youth, especially before final exams.
• Organize, clean up, or provide entertainment for holiday parties and get-togethers.
• Give a donation to a charity as a gift for someone who already has everything.
• Donate gift certificates to be given to families in need during the holidays.
• Volunteer for a meal delivery service. Bring kindness and warmth, as well as food, to the homebound.
• Collect coats, hats, gloves, socks, scarves, or boots for the various homeless shelters to be distributed before the cold sets in.
• Delay adopting a dog or cat until a couple of weeks after the winter holidays. Just like other gift returns, far too many dogs and cats offered as presents end up in animal shelters.
• Visit a neighbor and help him or her prepare for the holidays.
• Help decorate a senior center or an elementary school for the winter holidays. Sing or carol throughout your neighborhood.
• Volunteer at an animal shelter or pet-sit for a neighbor during the holiday season.
• Organize a diverse holiday exhibit or parade to kick off the holiday season.
• Showcase different celebrations, such as Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan.
• Plan and help with holiday activities for homeless children.
• Participate in family-oriented activities, such as helping together in a soup kitchen or sponsoring a homeless family.
• Design and send homemade holiday cards and send them to people in the military, homeless shelters, or nursing homes.
• Perform acts of kindness rather than buying gifts.

Please give credit to DOVIA Mississippi and refer interested friends to our website (www.doviaMS.org) for more info. Thanks! (Revised January 2011)

I just thought of something. In my cousin's family, there are 8 children. Every year, their parents would give them a certain sum of money to use for a charitable cause. They could choose a specific person or family, or donate it, whatever. This taught my cousins since they were young the joy of giving. They learned early the satisfaction that comes from sharing with others. They are grown now with families of their own and the tradition continues.

How to Hold a Garage Sale for Charity

Clean out your closets or clear out your basement and raise money for your favorite charity at the same time by holding a garage sale for charity. Garage and yard sales for charity are the perfect solution for people who have too much stuff, and wish they could give more to charity. Garage sales for charity work similarly to any other garage sale or yard sale. The main difference is that you will be donating your profits to the charity of your choice. In one weekend, you can raise a sizeable donation, and clear your home of clutter at the same time - now that's a win-win proposition!

First, choose a charity that you feel a connection with. Some examples of charitable organizations are your local religious institution, food pantry, pet shelter, or youth center. You can also consider larger national non-profit organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, the Red Cross, or Habitat For Humanity. You can even consider charities that work internationally, such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), or Doctors Without Borders. The most important thing is that you choose a charity you feel strongly about, so that you will be motivated to work hard on your garage sale or yard sale.

After you have chosen a charity, you will need to come up with items to sell at your garage sale or yard sale. Popular items at garage sales are children's toys and clothing, furniture, tools, holiday decorations and furniture. If you go through your basement or closets, no doubt you will be able to find many items you can part with. You can also ask family and friends if they have any items they would like to donate to your garage sale for charity. Be sure to price items to sell using small stickers.

Once you have your items to sell, make sure you have a garage or yard where you can hold your sale for charity. If you live in an apartment or condominium and do not have a garage or yard of your own, see if you can borrow a neighbor or relatives garage for a day. You may also be able to use the parking lot or hall of a church or community center.

Next, choose your day and time, and let people know about your garage sale for charity. Send e-mails or letters to family and friends, put up flyers around your neighborhood, and advertise in your local newspaper. If you will be donating your profits to a local organization, be sure to let them know your intentions and ask if they will let their supporters know about your garage sale.

Finally, the day of the sale, set up your garage or yard and open for business. Be sure to let your customers know that you are donating your profits to a charity. You may want to put up a sign explaining your garage sale's purpose, and you can put out a can for people who might be interested in giving you an additional donation. At the end of the day, count up your profits, and write a check to your favorite charity!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/arti...

This year I picked a prominent figure in my neighborhood. He happens to be a bishop of my church but other service-oriented people could include mail carriers, nurses, volunteers in care centers, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I gave little pieces of paper to everyone who knows him, and those people with whom he serves. They wrote a few words of encouragement and gratitude for his dedication. I pasted those comments to red and green pieces of paper and put them in a small basket with some Hersheys kisses. I had it delivered by someone whom he doesn't know. So all of the comments were anonymous. I don't know how it was received but I'm sure it was good. It was very satisfying for me. Just an idea...

I have to share an experience I thought was funny...
I have a little jar on my desk where I put loose change. I started in January and I'm going to see how much I can save by December. Then we'll see how I can use it for a charity, etc.

So my friend came over and gave me the change he had in his pocket. He had seen my jar that says "random acts of kindness" on it, he hands me the coins and says, "Here, put this in your 'save the world fund'". lol

Great winter service! Love the "save the world fund!"

A non-profit organization dedicated to our U.S. service men and women overseas"

http://www.packagesfromhome.org/

Operation: Adopt a Ghost

http://www.adoptaghost.org/

OUR MISSION
To serve the needs of deployed soldiers and their families through material and emotional means, and to create a community of caring among soldier supporters and adopters.

going to check it out.

I had another thought. What about in our own community? I received the monthly newsletter of my town. They are asking for donations for the senior center. Some donations are prizes for their bingo games (of which I don't have much interest, sorry) and the other donation they are requesting is yarn and other material for the seniors to be able to create things to donate for humanity like quilts, blankets, scarves, etc. Those can be useful for homeless shelters and underprivileged people with little income. It gives those seniors a fun and rewarding past-time AND gives to the community.

Just a thought. Check out your local senior centers!

Yes, I do think it is good to help out local too.

I'm bored here at work. I'm working a last-minute 12 hour shift so I got an extra 1/2 hr break. I went across the street to the $1 store and got quite a few blank note cards. They really do have some cute ones and you get 8 cards with 8 envelopes for $1!!!

I got three different kinds. Tonight, while we are REALLY slow, I'm going to write some notes. Isn't receiving snail-mail fun sometimes? (As long as it's not bills or junk mail, right?)

People like to hear how much they are appreciated and just the fact that they are being thought of. So, wish me lots of happy thoughts!

It is almost a whole day since my last post. I didn't get any cards done last night, but right now...back at work...I have written a card to my cousin who is 39 y.o. and living in a nursing home for the rest of her life. I had several of my coworkers write in the card, too. She's really going to appreciate it, I think.

Supply energy bars and bottled water to disabled veterans training for handcycle races.
achillesinternational.org

Blessing Bag to keep in the car when you pass homeless people. Something special you can do with kids to teach them about caring for others.

BLESSING BAGS
INGREDIENTS:
Gallon size Ziplock bags
chap stick
packages of tissues
toothbrush and toothpaste
comb
soap
hotel size shampoos
trail mix
granola bars
crackers
pack of gum
band aids
mouthwash
coins or predetermined dollar amount, say 5.00 (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)
hand wipes
you could also put in a warm pair of socks
a packet rain poncho
tampons (for women)
The ideas could be endless!
Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

Heather wrote: "Blessing Bag to keep in the car when you pass homeless people. Something special you can do with kids to teach them about caring for others.

BLESSING BAGS
INGREDIENTS:
Gallon size Ziplock bags
cha..."

Thank you for your post and keeping the light of giving on.

You're welcome, Brenda. You're awesome!

This is a video posted by Brenda back in 2011. For any members who haven't seen it yet, I would like to post it again. It is really inspiring! Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc8Zb...