I’ve been known to spend hours wrapping Christmas stocking gifts, let alone regular presents. With my sister and/or sister-in-law; we would take tissue paper (no scotch tape necessary), wrap most of the items and then scribe small sayings, mainly “want one of these myself” love, Rudolf or “just your shade,” love, Blixen. When my nieces were young and had many gifts as well as stocking stuffers, hours of good cheer (and a bottle of some brew) would pass and going to bed at 2,3, or 4 in the morning was not unheard of.
As the kids grew older, the hours spent wrapping grew shorter. They haven’t ended though, stockings and gifts are still received by all generations, just in a much smaller number. These last couple of years have been different for us as we are missing my one sister’s skill with inventing gifts out of nothing; of her cheerful singing of carols intertwined with Gregorian chants; of her warm hearted blessings for people, animals and all things from nature. I found I was finally able to look at that special angel ornament she gave me and smile with her spirit in my heart.
This year is different for so many people. Headlines tell of the impact the crises in the economy is making globally, where poverty and its consequences are being felt on a scale we can’t even begin to truly understand. So in celebration of the holidays this year, I’m lessening my Christmas gift load and giving money to those causes near and dear to my heart. Just as people are buying less, so too are they giving less and yet the need is greater than ever.
In the spirit of good cheer, generosity and giving, I end this blog post with a list of a few of my favorite causes in case you are looking for a new avenue of sharing. If you have a favorite, please let us know their web page (or link) or address too.
American Cancer Society – a wealth of information when you need it most
Visiting Nurses Association and Vermont Hospice – the kindest and most professional environment you’ll ever find.
KIVA – where you loan money to individuals or groups looking to start or expand a business and who ultimately pay you back
CarePages – I learned of CarePages through friends of mine whose young son was stricken by cancer and they kept all of us informed through this medium.
The Humane Society – representing the rest of our family
Earth Island – it’s all about the environment, from backyard to the world
Bridges for Women Society - an org in Canada which provides women survivors of any form of abuse with education, training and other supportive programs. I recently met one of their volunteers who well represents what they accomplish in their community.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Thanks for sharing these ideas, Christy!
Years ago (pre-grandkids), my family decided to collectively go in together and donate to a charitible cause(s). We usually tried to donate to one local, one national, and one global charity. Each year, a different sibling would coordinate the donation and each househould would contribute as much to the pot as they were able. No one except that year’s coordinator ever knew how much each household gave or the total contribution. It helped us focus on the giving and not the reprecussions for year-end tax deductions. Well grandkids and a recession have since come and the collective giving has gone by the wayside (for this year), but I still have a few favorite causes.
One of my favorites is DonorsChoose.org. Teachers across the country request classroom materials and an amount to achieve what they need. Give a little or give a lot, DonorsChoose.org can impact a student directly.
I just read an article in the
SHEconomics series by Liz Peek
at Wowowow about finding the right charity and giving wisely. More than ever its important to know that the intended recipients will actual receive your donation.
Lovely. It took me completely by surprise to be crying as I read about Sherry again. My favorites and where I have already donated are “Hospice by the Bay”, Marin County, CA (http://www.hospicebythebay.org/) and the Marin Food Bank ( http://www.marinfoodbank.org/). I wish everyone a healthy and loving holiday, Frannie
That’s a great list, Christy! I’d never heard about Bridges for Women Society and I’m going to check them out. For the first time this year I donated to KIVA to help two women seeking loans. It is one of my gifts to my family. I see that Peggy suggested DonorsChoose.org, which is another one I want to check out. I saw a special about the program on the news last week but had never heard about them before. Because of various donations I’ve made across the years, my mail box and in box receive several requests a DAY for donations and I find it very hard to decide what cause to donate to each month when there are so many worthy causes. I guess one wish I’d have this year is to have money to donate to them all!!
You all are giving such wonderful personal stories of giving as well as providing new ideas for contributions. And Holly, I think you have summed it up well — I too wish we all had the ability give, give and give again!
Another top piece, CJ – truly thoughtful in these increasingly challenging times. Go safely and Good Health throughout 2009.
A few years ago we all – family, friends, and neighbors – decided that it was time to stop giving each other gee-gaws that we couldn’t use, and instead to donate to our favorite charities instead. It makes so much sense, and takes a lot of the stress out of the holidays.
My favorite is the PACE Center for Girls (www.pacecenter.org), in particular the Hillsborough center, where I’m on the Board. PACE is the #1 intervention/prevention program for Florida, and is considered the #1 gender-specific program in the country. Please take a moment to check out the program – it will knock your socks off!
[...] the spirit! Kiss until your lips are chapped, call those folks you forgot to yesterday, and pick a charity to give to if you haven’t already. Happy Holidays doesn’t end with one day of [...]
Christy, thank you for mentioning Bridges for Women again, another bonus to us joining the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is the informal awareness spread by having links to our website mentioned in places we never would have dreamed, such as your blog. With funding reduced by 35% we are ending our 20th year as we begun, with fierce dedication to stay alive and courage only a gutsy little non-profit such as ours could muster in the face of closure.
I wish you and your readers all the best for a glorious year filled with wonder and appreciation for our good fortune to be able to make a difference, however small for the good in life for all.