Charitable donations?

AzFaith · #1 11-04-2009, 09:01 PM

All your posts got me to thinking how fortunate my husband and I really are in the grand scheme of things. We're skipping buying xmas gifts this year on a big level... only buying a few small things for each other that we really need/want... my little sister... and our parents. Friends we are only spending time together with.

We will probably get away with spending $250 to $300 all up for everything!

So I will have some money leftover and started to think... why not do something that is really in the spirit of the holidays.

I'm doing a food collection in our area... through our business' and personal friends... and plan on donating for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Already have a small bag of food ready to donate just getting my own stuff together

I'm so excited to help out! I've never been able to help out as much as I think I will be able to help people this year!

Curious if you have anything charitable going on for the holidays?

Admin Ribbonsnbows · #2 11-05-2009, 06:39 AM

The hardest part is deciding how to divy up the blessings we have to share. Do we give it all to one group so it makes a bigger impact? Or do we give a little here and a little there to touch a wider variety of charities?

I have decided the girls are really old enough that this needs to be a family decision. My thought is to set aside 10% of our Christmas budget to give to charity. It will means the girls are accepting there will be a little less under the tree for them but a whole lot more in the world around from them. I'm really looking forward to hearing their opinions and thoughts. DH and I thought it would be the perfect discussion to have on the first Sunday of Advent.

AzFaith · #3 11-05-2009, 08:25 AM

Ribbons that is a great idea!

Lucy · #4 11-05-2009, 03:38 PM

Just getting ready to start our winter donation box. We choose our own charities. Last winter it was the homeless and the food bank and this winter it will be the same. Our food bank is really low already.

QBD · #5 11-05-2009, 04:57 PM

This has been an incredibly hard year for us. God called me to quit my job and several times asked how far I was going to follow him. It has gotten to the point that we are getting raised eyebrows from society, because they don't understand it. Heck, I don't understand why God needs me where he has me, but he has truly provided everything for us.

With that said, my 9 year old has a bday coming up in December. She has asked if she can have a donation party instead of a gift party. She told me "I get so much stuff and I want others to have stuff too". We also snagged a Thanksgiving box and filled it with food for our church. So much of it came from our stockpile, that we are going to get another box and fill it next Sunday.

For Christmas, we are throwing around a few ideas, but the kids know that this will be a skinnier Christmas than previous years. They know that although they may only have one or two gifts under the tree, that God is going to use us to bless another family or organization. I am loving the shift back to the way it's supposed to be.

Admin shilton · #6 11-05-2009, 05:11 PM

Amy, I think that is great. We also are scoping Christmas down for the kids, but largely because they just seem so darned spoiled. Even though DH is laid off, we are going to try to help with a toy for a child. Our church outreach will be taking the kids names this year, and the people in the church buy them each a gift. I really an hoping to buy a gift for a child.

makintraks · #7 11-05-2009, 06:59 PM

I will be donating to the church pantry.

Having a donation party sounds great!
Now I am thinking of asking each person who comes to thanksgiving dinner to bring a dish and bring something for the church food pantry donation bag. It wont be alot, but maybe it will put all of our hearts in the place they need to be. We can build a Christmas dinner for a family while enjoying our own thanksgiving dinner.

Would that be tacky to ask them to contribute to the donation box?

QBD · #8 11-05-2009, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makintraks

I will be donating to the church pantry.

Having a donation party sounds great!
Now I am thinking of asking each person who comes to thanksgiving dinner to bring a dish and bring something for the church food pantry donation bag. It wont be alot, but maybe it will put all of our hearts in the place they need to be. We can build a Christmas dinner for a family while enjoying our own thanksgiving dinner.

Would that be tacky to ask them to contribute to the donation box?

I think that is a wonderful idea! It makes me all teary that someone is even considering it. :-) It's amazing that no matter how little we think we have, we are the richest people in the world. So many survive in other countries on less than $2 per day.

Lucy · #9 11-06-2009, 06:00 AM

WOW! Some great posts. I love that donation parties are really being promoted on television. Instead of people bringing a gift for a dinner party/holiday event people are asking for donations instead.

Amy. Keep doing what you feel called to do. I and someone else I know are sort of judged by society but we keep plugging along. GASP! Neither of us work outside the home and we make do just fine.