Green Child Magazine Holiday 2012 | Page 44

Give Back this Holiday elderly friend. I have a feeling we’ll never even know the extent of her giving, but she always said, “You can’t out-give God.” The Gift of Your Time Giving doesn’t always mean money. There are plenty of ways to make a difference by volunteering your time. Getting involved will reward you in ways that writing a check and dropping it in the mailbox just can’t do. • Plan a good deed of the day or week • Volunteer at your local animal shelter • Sing Christmas carols or visit lonely patients at a hospital or nursing home • Shovel someone’s sidewalk • Let your children choose how they’d like to donate their time der, or age and let your children help pick out the gifts for your special Christmas “angel.” Other organizations offer ways to donate gently used toys and books. If you go this route, make sure the items are clean and in good condition. Make sure these kids get the message: You Matter. …Or you can give in lieu of presents Most likely, your gift list includes more than one “person who has everything.” Rather than another gift certificate, find out what cause they truly care about and donate to it in their name. Companies like TisBest are making it easier to give charitable gifts. You make the donation, and your recipient chooses which charity receives the money. Give Anonymously Set aside some money to bless others in need, and when the time comes, do it as anonymously as possible. This might be something like leaving double the tip for an excellent server… or buying Christmas dinner groceries for a family in need. Our boys love taking dollars and change to put in the donation boxes outside the cat and dog rooms at our local Humane Society. Other popular and easy to give charity gifts are… Gifts That Give Back If you love shopping, you’re in luck. There are more than enough ways to give gifts that really matter. TreePeople’s Holiday Tree Dedication Program supports efforts to plant and care for trees in mountain forests and park woodlands that have experienced devastation from fires, neglect or other natural causes. You can give presents… Malls, churches, and many office buildings have Angel Trees or organizations like the Operation Christmas Child or the Salvation Army that collect gifts for kids, elderly, or families who need help during the holidays. You can choose your recipient by name, gen44 Heifer International provides livestock and training to families around the world. Nest works to change the lives of women in developing countries by providing small business loans and education for a lifetime of selfsufficiency. For the animal lover on your list, consider supporting your local shelter or The World Wildlife Fund Species Adoptions. The Nature Conservancy has several environmental charity programs. One of our current favorites is Plant a Billion Trees.