My husband and I are empty nesters with two grown & married daughters with 4 grandkids between them. Unfortunately, they are not coming home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas (this is the year they visit in-laws). Due to my husbands work deadline in a few months, he won't be able to take off to go see them. So, I was hoping to do 12 days of giving during the 24 days before Christmas. I have come up with a few ideas, but would like your input! These are some of the ideas I have so far: 1) Pay for someone's meal behind us in a drive thru 2) Coffee & Toffee (I make homemade toffee for Christmas) for either his co-workers or the staff at the nearby elementary school I use to work for 3) Making dinner for a family staying at an RV park while their house sale goes through 4) The Giving vending machines here in downtown Denver 5) Paying for parking for the car behind us during an Avalanche Game (big hockey fans) 6) Leave an extra big tip for great service at dinner I don't "work" so I don't mind doing prep work but would like some ideas to actually involve my husband as "date nights". Of course, I hope to scrap our adventures! Let me know if you have any ideas!
What a wonderful idea! All these acts of kindness just warm my heart to hear. How about a donation to a local foodbank? One of our local drugstores hosts a gift donation every year where we drop off a small box with necessities for those in need, like sock, scarves, hand cream, etc
Do you have any shelters that need volunteers to help with serving a meal? Definitely something you could do together.
1. Consider a donation of some new jewelry/watch to the local Dress for Success program. 2. Drop off a new boys and/or girls toy to a local HeadStart type program and ask them to give it to a mom/moms they know is struggling. 3. Make some holiday cards and deliver to a local nursing home and ask them to give them to residents who don't get visitors. If you have time, stay for a visit. 4. Paint rocks with inspirational quotes and lay them about town. 5. Deliver coffee and doughnuts/cookies/pie to a local hospital's ER/opiod clinic/low cost healthcare clinic for the staff with a card that thanks them.
one year, my family and I got 20 pointsettas (99cents on black friday). We did doorbell ditch to families in our church. It was so fun...one would go to door, put the flower there and then run to van...jump in and we would race away! pure awesome! we giggled so much christmas caroling is a nice one (to join in with another group) our church goes almost 3 times a week in December, I am sure there are many in your town too! Christmas eve, I think going to 24 hour gas stations/food places with a small wrapped gift for the staff would be a JOY!
Keep $5 to $10 gift cards in your purse and hand them out to the employees at your bank, your pharmacy, your local coffee shop . . . works even at fast food . . . pay for the person behind you but whoever is on drive-thru would be delighted to get an extra surprise. Check out your local fire department and find out about their volunteers. They would appreciate some of that toffee, I'm sure!
I love this so much and all the ideas that everyone has come up with. I think I'm going to do some of the same. If I think of anything more to add, I'll come back, but I will be following for more ideas!
This is the neatest thread!!! @michele hillam - our holidays are up in the air for us right now as there is a family issue. I really love your approach to this situation. We are EN's too and Christmas is becoming more different each year- melting down to the essence of the holiday- and less of the stress, which is good! Thanksgiving is the same, as DS always has to go to DIL parent's home. I am taking notes from this thread! One thing I do is create art- small pieces, and "abandon" them in public places with notes that they are free and my email address or IG handle if they wish to contact me. They often do- with so much joy at finding them. Some are given as gifts to people they know.
We are going to buy something from the giving vending machine too. I was looking at what charities they are using and that gave me some ideas too. My son wants to buy chickens from it. Depending on your hospitals, nurses often appreciate treats. I know DH loves when patients buy them pizza or bring something in as a thank you. Most nurses work 12+ hour days. And as I'm sure you can imagine, around the holidays, stress from home is amplified in the hospital by patients and visitors.
I love this idea so much! Our church does a "Wish Tree" every year. Local families in need make a list of needs for their family and usually add one or two fun things too. Each classroom at our school adopts a larger family and we buy everything on their list, wrap it up and deliver it before Christmas. I think shopping for those items on Black Friday are my favorite because I'm extra motivated to find the best deals I can, so we can get everything they need. Maybe you could find something like this with a local church or United Way? I think our church works with the United Way to find the families in need. Even if you couldn't do a whole family, delivering those presents sure would be helpful too! We do the same thing with Thanksgiving baskets for those who can't afford a traditional Thanksgiving meal for their families. Then the 8th grade class gets to go help deliver those baskets right before Thanksgiving.
Love all these ideas! And so many could be done throughout the year, which is great. (As a family we have more time in the summer than the school year/holidays.) Gotta save these for later!
