While at the grocery store one day, he emptied my change purse and put it all into a little box at the cash register. They were collecting money for "world relief" and the kiddo wanted to help.
Good Lord but I love his desire to give.
But "world relief"? Hmm...what exactly is that? Where's this money going? Who will be benefiting? And so we talked about HOW to give and where best to give our money and our gifts. The sad reality is that most larger corporations do not pass on the majority of their donations to those in need. So much of your monetary gifts goes to fund campaigns and objectives that you might not personally agree with and of course, it lines the pockets of those CEO's and other bigwigs.
So how can you know for sure that your donations/gifts are going to those who truly need them?
My advice is to do your research and seek out local opportunities to give. Whenever we think about donating to a larger company- we always do our research first. This means hitting up the Google. You can visit this website here to find out how a particular organization rates and decide for yourself if its a charity you want to get behind. I would also take some time to investigate where each organization gives their money. What causes are they funding? What initiatives is your money going towards and how does this fit in with your personal beliefs?
For example, this Halloween the kiddo was going to Trick or Treat for UNICEF. The organization itself got very good ratings on the website mentioned above. I spent a little time reading over their financials and everything seemed good to go. But then I spoke with the husband about it and he said that he thought they donated towards a cause that we firmly do NOT believe in- turns out that they do. In addition, the CEO makes a pretty hefty salary- so we decided against giving to this organization.
Where does that leave us? Below is a list of all the places we currently give. You might be surprised by a few and I hope this will encourage you to seek out opportunities to give back and teach your children what it means to help others.
- New Rattitude of Washington State. It's no secret we love our Rat Terriers! This is a large organization but has branches in several states. We choose to give to the local group whenever we can. We give to them by buying their merchandise where 100% of the profits go towards rehab and rescue of the dogs. In addition, we routinely sell items on Ebay and donate online towards medical bills for these sweet puppies. We have also been to a couple events which serve as fundraisers. A note on rescue/pet charities- please give locally. Do NOT give to large corporations such as National Humane Society as none of this money will go to benefit the pets in your area. None. Seek out a local shelter, volunteer your time, donate blankets, pet food, money- but try to do it where it will make the most impact. In your community.
- Local Buy Nothing Facebook page. So this one is fairly new and I first heard about it through a friend. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this page! Since becoming a member, I routinely give items like old toys, almost new shoes, food items and other household goods. These pages are set up by community so you know for sure that you are giving to those in your neighborhood. Many times folks aren't in "need" but this type of give is about being less wasteful and cutting down on our personal consumerism. Other times, I specifically seek out those in need to give to- especially when giving food items. We've also been on the receiving end of some great gifts from this page. It's a wonderful way to meet those in your community as well and our page holds food drives, toy drives and puts together holiday baskets for our neighbors in need. It simply doesn't get any more local than this!
- Toys for Tots. We've been gifting toys to this organization since the kiddo was born. He's now old enough to help us pick out the toys and we make a fun night of it. While we can't personally afford to buy a whole bunch, we do try to each pick out two toys each to give to this great cause. Last year Toys for Tots was matching every donation when you took a photo and "hash tagged" it on social media. Seriously- how awesome is this?!? And for those of you with children, I've found that involving your kids as much as possible makes the act of giving more "real" for them. Try to make it a family event and encourage them to help you whenever possible.
Make giving back a yearly tradition! - Holiday Hands/Together Rising. So Wow. Everything about this cause speaks to my heart. This organization started with a Mom who wanted to effect change in her community. It's become a huge undertaking that literally changes lives. Holiday Hands is a specific event in early November where people post online what their needs are. These needs are big in variety-some examples include winter coats for their children, writing letters to a grieving widow, a meal, gifts to our soldiers, new shoes for a single Mom etc. Then, a week or so later- the real magic happens. The community comes together and meets these needs. It's simply amazing!
- The Seattle Foundation. This will be our 3rd year being a part of this great cause. Each December we get together with over 800 other volunteers, active and retired military and local churches to fill Christmas stockings for local homeless children. The scope of this project is big and is expanding every year. We fill enough stockings for 3,500 homeless children living in almost 100 local shelters as well as 800 homeless youth living on the streets. The stockings consist of useful items like socks, hats, toothbrushes but also have a few fun toys and games and for many area children, these are the only gifts they will receive. This particular event is one that our extended family participates in as well. There is no greater gift to give your child than having the entire family volunteering and giving back together.
Gettin' our Volunteer On! - Operation Christmas Child. This is our very first year making a shoebox for a child in need this Christmas. But seriously- what better way to get your child involved in giving then to have them help you pick items to give to a child just like them? The charity is one we can personally support and ALL of your gift goes to a child in need. ALL OF IT. And even better- you can track online where your gift is going. I highly recommend that you have each of your kids be responsible for creating a box for a child their own age and then help them track the recipient online.
- Local Food Banks. Want to help feed those in need? Find a local food bank and give. It's really that simple. Additionally, if your local grocery stores are like mine, they will offer donation "bags" or "baskets" filled with a holiday meal for a family and this is a super easy way to feed the hungry in your community. Everyone should have a holiday meal. EVERYONE. This is also a great place to volunteer your time. When I was in high school, I spent some time in our city's food bank helping to organize the donations and separate bulk food items. You can also help pass out food and get involved in community outreach.
- Blessings Bags. These are simple and something we are starting this year. Put together a big ziploc bag full of useful items for the homeless in your community and then- when you see someone in need, grab a bag and give it to them. Ideas for your blessings bags include toiletries, socks, hats, quarters, granola bars and other easy food items, feminine products etc. Save up your hotel toiletries, ask around on your local Buy Nothing Facebook pages and stock up on some sales and it's super easy to put together a few of these bags. Don't forget to get your kids involved in helping you assemble them and pass them out.
This is currently what we do now. In addition, we also seek out those who are in need. You may remember recently that I posted a story about the husband giving a pair of almost new Timberland's to a man in need. We give when we can as much we can and when we see a need for it. Because at the end of the day, I want to be the type of person who helps and I want my child to grow into the kind of man who becomes the change we want to see in this world. It all starts with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment