Wow! Since last year at this time, we have more than
doubled our Frike count (by the way, you’re a Frike if you follow us on
Facebook- you’re a friend/like all smushed into one… a Frike!) and with more
Frikes comes a greater chance of making a positive impact in the world. That’s
an opportunity we refuse to miss!
For the third year in a row, we are hosting our 25 Days
of Giving, which is a celebration that counts down to Christmas and honors the
idea that we can all change the world, one action at a time, by being helpful,
loving, and considerate of one another. Making a positive difference is not
hard to do and it’s not an all-or-nothing event, but most people just have no
idea where to start! We are compiling the two suggestion lists from the
previous two years into one, to give you a jump start. You could follow this
list entirely, or come up with your own great ideas!
Additionally, this is also the time of the year that we
like to reach out to families and offer help during difficult times. Some
people are concerned about anything from medical and household expenses to
Christmas dinner to putting presents under the tree and we would like your help
in finding them. We are asking for nominations of people in need during this
time of the year- if you were helped last year, please do not nominate yourselves
again this year. We would like to touch as many lives as possible and do not
have the resources to accommodate everyone; please understand that at times,
our list of those who are in need is overwhelmingly long, but that we
constantly do our best to help everyone on it! Nominations, which should
include contact information for the individual or family being nominated so we
can pass along the help, can be sent to: cathy@cathyscreationsjewelry.com.
All nominations are confidential!
If you would like to help us help others, here is how you
can! We always accept donations for our causes through our PayPal address, cathyscreationsjewelry@yahoo.com.
When sending the money, please mark it as a gift- it is a gift, and a wonderful
one, so let’s make sure the full amount goes toward its intended purpose!
Please also specify in the notes section: “25 Days of Giving” so we can apply
your donation appropriately!
Also, we will be hosting Deal of the Day (DOTD) specials
in the near future and the proceeds from these deals will go toward fundraising
to help those who were nominated. We have some upcoming DOTDs lined up for
other causes, too, so keep an eye out!
Now, without further ado, here is our list of ways you
can give back or lend a hand this holiday season! Feel free to add your own
ideas or stories of giving to the comments section of the blog- we love a good,
touching story!
Volunteer to help with projects in your local school
district. The kids will love seeing a new face, and you might learn something
new!
Compliment a stranger or someone you don’t normally
talk to often. Kind words are a gift that we have all appreciated at one point
or another.
Wash your partner’s car for them. If the weather is
too cold, grab a garbage bag and clean out the inside!
Leave an extra large tip when you go out to eat. You
could make the day of someone who is working hard!
Drop off your old towels at an animal shelter.
Shelters are always looking for odds and ends to fill needs. If you don’t have
towels, bring in toys, paper towels, or bleach.
Invite a local family over for dinner and make new
friends.
Clean up your clutter and donate the usable items to
a privately owned thrift shop. Not only do you straighten up your own space,
but you keep a small business owner open this holiday season!
Ask your local soup kitchen if you can help out for a
day.
Make handmade cards for the elderly in a nursing
home.
Buy a cup of hot chocolate for a utility or
construction worker standing outside in the cold. If you’re lucky enough to
live somewhere warm, treat them to lemonade!
Donate soap, shampoo, or toothbrushes to a homeless
shelter. Even if they are from the dollar store, someone could use them!
Offer to clean the home of someone who is elderly,
just had a baby, or could use a break.
Use your extra yarn and crafting skills to knit or
crochet hats for babies at the hospital. Premature babies are often unexpected
and parents are not always prepared for their arrival, so extra-small hats
could make a big difference without using a lot of yarn!
Put your spare change at the checkout into the penny
jar, or into the can of a worthwhile cause that someone is collecting for.
Sit down with your children and draw pictures for
family members. It sounds simple, but it’s a gesture from the heart and loved
ones appreciate knowing they are being thought of!
Shop local stores for presents or goods. Giving your
money to your community benefits everyone!
Donate your gently used clothing to a family in need
instead of a resale shop. Ask your local church if they have a drop box.
Bring someone else’s cart back to the corral at the
store. You can help out a busy parent who has their hands full, as well as the
employees who have to go out and try to catch them all. You also might be
saving the paint on someone’s car!
Buy or make hats and mittens and donate them to a
preschool or elementary school so there are no chilly kids on the playground
this winter!
Donate used board games to schools for inside recess
or class parties.
Offer to post signs promoting a local fundraiser
around the town, or help tack up signs of someone’s missing pet.
Blog or post on Facebook or Twitter asking people to
help one another. Inspiring others to help spreads the love and makes a
difference!
Donate money in any increment to your local heating
oil company and ask them to apply it to an account with a past due balance.
Helping someone catch up so they can heat their homes this winter is
invaluable!
Ask a nursing home if there is a special patient who
could use some visitors and try to spend time with them. A mutual friendship is
something that can give to you both!
Turn off your cell phone while driving, or at least
put it in the back seat, the glove box, or in your purse. Doing this every day
could make it a habit, and you could give someone the gift of their life-
including yourself or your own family!
Pay for someone's coffee/tea.
Pay for someone's toll.
Make a food donation at the supermarket.
Bake a treat and bring it over to an elderly
person/nursing home.
Call someone you have been putting off calling.
Bring a well behaved dog to a nursing home for a visit.
Hold the door for the person behind you.
Make soup for a sick friend.
Take a friend’s kid for the day. The parent could
probably use the break.
Volunteer for a charity. Pick a cause that's near and
dear to your heart and donate your time to them.
If you head out of town, drop off your monthly public
transit pass at a youth or job center. They'll pass on the pass to someone who
is in need of it to job hunt or attend school.
Take your neighbors trash to the curb while you're
taking yours. Imagine their surprise when they see that the chore is already
done.
Pay for the person behind you at the drive thru. It
will make someone's day!
Donate blood. One single donation can help up to 4
people – that should be inspiring enough.
Donate your used clothes and housewares to charity. By
doing so, you can help people meet basic human needs. Your old sweaters will
keep someone warm during the winter and your old housewares can help someone
furnish their new apartment.
Find a holiday angel program in your community. You can
donate basic things like toothpaste, towels, sheets and PJs for a family in
need to open on Christmas morning.
Take a CPR class. You never know when you might be in a
position to put those life-saving skills into practice.
Offer to babysit a friend’s kids one night so she and
her partner can enjoy a romantic evening out. You friend will certainly be
grateful for the night off.
Write a letter or e-mail to a good friend or family
member to let them know how much you value them.
They say that smiling is contagious. Pick a day to
smile at everyone you pass on the street.
Pass on your books after you've read them for someone else
to enjoy. Take them to a local shelter or give them to friends.
Being angry at someone requires a lot of energy from
both people involved, so go ahead and let go of an old grudge. Forgiving
someone who hurt you will open the door for a friendship to be rekindled.
When you come across a two for one deal (which are
popular at book and movie stores), donate your free product to a local shelter
or youth group.
Next time you're at your favorite restaurant, leave
your server a very generous tip.
Next time you do your grocery shopping, pick up a large
bag of cat or dog food to donate to a local animal shelter.
Host a movie night for 10 of your closet friends.
Charge $10 admission, provide the popcorn, candy and drinks, and donate the
$100 to a charity you all decide on. It's a perfect way to feel good about
having fun.
Shovel a neighbor's driveway.
Make an extra batch of soup or chili that you can freeze and give it to someone
you know who is pressed for time to cook healthy food during the holidays.
Offer to wrap presents for a friend who has a hectic work schedule.
Donate mittens, hats and scarves to the Warmth tree at your children's school.
If they don't have one, start one.
Don't just give your child's teacher a Christmas gift, give a gift to the whole
class too -- a book, a puzzle or other indoor game for indoor recess time.
Don't forget to get a little something for the little people you forget: School
Secretary, School Librarian, Bus Driver, School Custodians,
Principal/Vice-Principal -- they make your children's school life successful
too!
Send in boxes of tissues to your child's classroom BEFORE your teacher is
forced to ask for some. Trust me, they'll need them.
Make your husband's lunch for him, or move the car for him, or give him a
massage after a hard day.
Stop cleaning and sit and watch a movie with your kids instead.
Take a friend for a pedicure.
Invite your In-Laws over for tea and cookies.
Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.
Call a women’s shelter and
see what items they need, then donate them.
