[binkybear]

Cricks "need to stop" thread got me thinking. How we're bombarded with bad news 24/7, how things are harder and meaner than ever it seems. Holiday's are fast approaching and historically it always "gets worse" with the stress (and corporations love to let people go during the holidays to clean up for the new year...why why why).

I didn't want to hijack Crick's Thread, but I wanted to ask everyone here....what can we do OR what do you do to make things different. What are your ideas, maybe you'll inspire someone reading!

Do you make an effort to do one nice thing a day, what is that?

What's your favorite local, national or international charity and why. Have you started your own drive or organization (didn't OurDreamCameTrue, Castle's mom, do that?? Right from her own home?? How AMAZING is that?! ).

Do you have a link to an inspiring story? Like kids who collect winter coats, or kids who collect backpacks filled with school supplies for other kids who can't afford.

Ok, so I'll start. This year I'm having Thanksgiving at my house. I'm asking each person to bring one thing from our local woman's shelter's "wish list". Times are tough, so I'm not asking that folks go overboard..but many places need just the small basics....even donated like new clothing items right from your closet. Another example, If I get a three pack of cleaner from Costco, I'll keep 2 and give them 1.

So...what are your ideas to make things better out there?! (NO politics or political lingo out here please!!)

[cetalley]

This is going to be a tight year for most people, jobs cut back, closed down, no hiring so on so on.....I don't know how it could be done. BUT maybe we could do a Barter- Trade, or Just gift something out of kindness. There are alot of things we all have in our homes of no value to us any more. Maybe people in need could post what is needed, if one of us has it, gift it to that poster and so-on - so- forth! May the person needing the item, could pay shipping or postage????? Just a thought, I do most EVERYTIME I go to town, help someone, like I pay for groceries for people who seem to be in need, I pay for gas at gas stations, I pay for the person in line behind me at McDonalds. No I am not wealthy, but grew up hungry, I do this to just hope they will one day do the same and pay it forward! I will watch for any suggestions....

[startedover]

I have tried (but not hard enough) to make my children aware of helping others. About 8 years ago, it dawned on me that our local retirement home (not nursing home) is filled with older people that live independant on their own but have absolutly no family. I agree that helping the elderly in nursing homes is important, but that seems to be covered. These people in the retirement home are for the most part, healthy enough to live by theirself. The thing that bothered me is they are VERY AWARE they are alone at the holidays. A thought that makes me so sad. SO each year we call for a list of the people that have no family (usually 5-10) and we get them 3 or 4 gifts at Christmas. Usually a warm piece of clothing or gloves or something and one food or candy item (usually sugar free as most are diabetic) and one other thing. I take my kids and maybe a few others and deliver them as ELves for "Santa Claus" a few days before Christmas. They are allowed to open them then or wait for Christmas Day. My children enjoy it , as do the women and men (who smile and want so badly to know WHO, but won't argue Santa in front of the kids) I just wish I could keep that spirit all year. Something I would like any of you to be aware of that you might not have know. There is a program called "angel tree" ministries that make it possible to buy a box of food each month for $30. Valued at about $70 or so. I picked up a box this month for my dd birthfamily. You can search on the interent where a church close by is, if any of you are interested.

[mommieof2cuties]

I just started a companyFostering The Future Of Families and am waiting for my non-profit papers to come back from the IRS. I can start collection donations and working on the side with the teen moms but I cannot start the group sessions and other programs until my paper work is back and it is really getting to me. I am looking for people to adopt a few of my teen moms for Thanksgiving and or Chirstmas and will provide tax write offs and thank you letters in return. My hope in the future will be to list the people who help on my website. for example, I have a lady who wants to donate her photo services and take newborn baby pictures for teen mom. I will post her company on my website and she will also offer discounts others who donate to me I myself always adopted a family at the holidays and this year will do it again because it is so rewarding My issue is I am not sure when I will have my tax write off papers back from the IRS and am finding that hard, my other friend who works for a non-profit that also helps teen moms told me I could use her name and her tax write of in exchange for donating 25% of my donations to her cause So I guess that is what I will end up doing! at least I can get help to my cause, help another cause in another area, all at the same time What Castle's mom is doing is great and I hope she gets her non-profit also, it just allows you to get more donations and help more people It also prevents scams from what I am told

[KLL08]

What a wonderful idea for the holidays!! My sister worked at a retirement home and I loved going there and helping at their christmas party! Angel tree ministries is such a wonderful organization I refer people to them all the time.

[aclee]

We choose a child or children from a few local trees, and also are part of the local community "caring" program in the town my husband works.

I would like to do more. I would love to donate some of the items I can in the fall like my apple sauce etc to food shelters, but they don't accept them. We did donate our "cleaning out" items from our pantry which happened when DH went low sodium, and again when I went gluten free. There were a LOT of boxes of mac and cheese

I'm working on my photography, and once I feel like I'm better I'm going to send cards to local teen mothers programs and offer my services. Maybe WIC too...I just don't feel like I'm there yet

[4everwaiting]

I have always volunteered during the holidays to help with dinners at one of our local churches... I also gather foods, clothing or money for families that are in need due to sickness, hurricanes or fires etc. In the past month we (our community) gathered "good clothing" from baby clothes to adult clothes and sent a u-haul full of bags of clothes for anyone who needed to Texas and Louisianna for hurricane victims that lost everything.

I also plan to start gathering to help contribute to friend that owns a non profit.

We all need help in one way or the other and I think we each can do a little bit to make a big difference in someones life...

S

[lovemy2boys]

I'm so glad you started this thread, binky...

I wanted to find some way for my kids to give back during the holidays (even moreso than they do throughout the year) so this came at a perfect time...

We just got a note in the kids' school bags that the church's pantry is bare (as well as most of the pantries in our Archdiocese) and with the holidays approaching they are in desparate need of food for food baskets, especially with how bad Michigan's economy is doing (as well as the rest of the country)...but I wanted the kids to do something "more".

The idea of bringing gifts/cards to a retirement home is wonderful...and I think I'm going to enlist the help of some of the kids friends to bring cheer to a few men and women who may not have families...

[binkybear]

LOTS of great ideas ladies!! Things are tough, but so many of you are talking about volunteering your TIME and that's so awesome (and "free" if you have it to spare).

Aclee,
How would you use your photography, I'd love to hear more. My one sister is a photographer (she teaches art).



I work with a few organizations that donate art pieces for auciton...I do one annually that benefits alex's lemonade stand and another that benefits Ronald McDonald House.

Oh, and for those of you who are talented enough to knit or crochet (I'm still learning). Here's a great organization that supplies children in other countries who have HIV/AIDS with teddy bears that you knit from a really simple pattern. So many schools have knitting clubs now, it's so popular! This would make a great project for kids here to participate in
Mother Bear Project

Keep those positive ideas coming, you never know who you will inspire!!

[buttascotchbaby]

Originally Posted by binkybear

Oh, and for those of you who are talented enough to knit or crochet (I'm still learning). Here's a great organization that supplies children in other countries who have HIV/AIDS with teddy bears that you knit from a really simple pattern. So many schools have knitting clubs now, it's so popular! This would make a great project for kids here to participate in
Mother Bear Project

Thanks so much for this Binky, I just ordered my pattern, what a cool project! I am excited because, selfishly, I will get a chance to knit (not much need for knitted items here in Honolulu) and be creative. I loved the pics on the site of the little brown bear with all the hair Since my kids are all mixed with AA I will definitely be making some little brown bears

[belleinblue1978]

I have the lady that I work with who is 72 and has a crappy time at the holidays b/c of her kids over for Thanksgiving.

This year I am crocheting mittens, hats and scarves and donating them to the women's shelter to give to the kiddos that come through there who need that stuff.

[crick]

Just posted this so as to not hijack but it does relate a bit so thought I'd post here too.

Grains of Rice & Education...

I think my "issue" when it comes down to finding something to contribute is I'd like to find something I'm truly passionate about to devote my time & energy to. It's hard narrowing it down and then life happens and I end up doing very little. I donate my kids' clothing to a women/children shelter, I participate in the food drives the schools do, "adopt a family" for Christmas, donate time to the schools etc. But nothing major, kwim?

So keep posting..maybe something will just grab me and I'll run all over town with it! LOL!

[aclee]

Originally Posted by binkybear

Aclee,
How would you use your photography, I'd love to hear more.

I would like to volunteer to do the photography for some of the foster children in my state's heart gallery, for teen mom's etc. There is also a program that has photographers that photograph families with infants who are stillborn, or not expected to live long after birth. For me....it's just too high stress...I would worry about messing up the shots...

[aclee]

Originally Posted by belleinblue1978

I have the lady that I work with who is 72 and has a crappy time at the holidays b/c of her kids over for Thanksgiving.

This year I am crocheting mittens, hats and scarves and donating them to the women's shelter to give to the kiddos that come through there who need that stuff.

My Nana is a mitten knitting MACHINE. She loves making them. Doesn't even use a pattern and is shy about it because sometimes one mitten might be a tiny bit bigger than the other. I always buy yarn when I see it on sale and whenever she wants an easy project she doesn't have to think about, she will knit mittens. Does it year around...then I gather them all up and bring them to local school and to the school nurses...they always seem to know which families are in need.

[melissa_bear003]

For me, the thing I do daily is to raise adults. Yup. I view motherhood not so much as raising children, but raising future adults. I try to set an example of adulthood for them to follow.

Then there's the other stuff.

I speak out against racism, poverty, child abuse, domestic violence. There was a time that I was active on an anti violence committee, and gave talks. Looooooooong ago.

I've paid for another person's groceries. Didn't plan on it, but listened to the little voice in my head that prompted me. (And no, it doesn't tell me to sarcrifice kittens or anything, so I figure its all good).

Little random acts of kindness go a long way.