10 Easy Ways to Give to Others
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I watched a newsclip last week about Oprah’s Favorite Things segment of her television program. I’ve never watched the Oprah show, but evidently, once a year, O gives a ton of stuff to everyone present. The segment topic is always a surprise and the show’s audience doesn’t know until it starts that they’ll need a semi to take their loot home.
In theory, it sounds nice, but to watch these people bowing down, jumping up and down, and otherwise having conniptions, actually scared me.
We have become a culture of stuff.
This should not surprise me. I, myself, am guilty of my fair share of “retail therapy.” Even if I’m “getting a good deal,” I’m acquiring stuff. And stuff can enslave us.
My husband, on the other hand, is a true giver. His generosity puts me to shame. And I’m hoping some of it will rub off on me eventually.
Others around me have also been great examples of giving. If you’ve been following the Thirty Day Giving Challenge, you know that there is no shortage of ways that we can give to others.
So, this year, I’m hoping to be a little more open handed in my giving — and a lot less like Ebenezer Scrooge.
Here are 10 easy ways I’ve thought of to give to others:
1. Pass on the gift card to someone who needs it more.
2. Prepare shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.
3. Pay for the order ahead or behind me in line at the drive-thru.
4. Take cookies to my neighbors, even if I don’t know them.
5. Walk out to the garbage collectors with “to go” cups of coffee.
6. Treat someone outside of my household to a big ticket item.
7. Donate a stack of brand new, not ratty, overused books.
8. Take a box of groceries to the local food pantry.
9. Randomly give a $20 bill to a tired looking mom.
10. Give an extra big tip next time we eat out.
I must confess that I’m chicken to do many of these things. They take stepping out of my comfort zone. They take extra effort. They take guts.
But, God has given me much. And why should I not give, too?
Great ideas. I also hate the idea of “stuff” and “more stuff”. This year we are donating money as gifts to a Franciscan monestary that serves the poorest of the poor around the world. Our family is probably considered poor in this country but gosh we are RICH in comparison to others in the world. The $20.00 gift that someone probably doesn’t need would feed a kid for a long time when the right charity is using it. I just imagine that it is one of my kids who is hungry and how greatful I would be for the donation.
Oh, and an idea for those who want to give to the homeless. My friend takes her bags of jackets, blankets and food (usually all in one type meals) to donate and puts them in boxes marked FREE where the homeless hang out in her town. That way if they are too proud to go to a distribution point they still will get the supplies needed. You maybe could have a cop drop them off if it is in a bad neighborhood.
I love this list.
As a college student, I have noticed an easy way to brighten everyone’s day is to pass candy down the row of seats around me in the classroom. Sometimes the tiniest things can brighten your whole day!
On a more serious note, I have donated my used textbooks in the past. This year I want to see if my campus bookstore would accept donations to be given to students in need next semester. My campus has also held a school supply drive in the past, where at the end of the semester students drop off their gently-used mechanical pencils, highlighters, notebooks, etc. The supplies go to the local boys and girls’ club, where they don’t mind if a few pages of the notebook were already torn out. This doesn’t have to be limited to college – you can pass on used books and school supplies at any age or grade level.
We like to purchase grocery store/Walmart giftcards to pass out to the homeless. I feel better about this than cash, because it can be used for food/necessities and sometimes God just compels me to give.
Also this year we’re doing a program called ‘Be Santa to a Senior.’ The premise is that senior citizens are just as often without gifts or cheer at Christmas like children… http://beasantatoasenior.com/
As a soldier, my husband has been on the receiving end of many free meals while in uniform or even sodas at the airport. I know I appreciate those people and knowing that they support our military!
I’ve paid for the car behind me at Starbuck’s before. I was having a crappy day and I felt so much better afterwards!
Unless the service is horrible, we tend to leave a 25% tip most times. As a former server, I know it’s a lot of hard work.
Thanks for the reminders! ONce I get this semester behind me, I intend to do my holiday baking and share with many of our neighbors! My 4 year old is well known around our neighborhood, so this will be a fun way to meet some of them, as well as share some of our blessing.
When our kids were very young and we didn’t have a lot of money, we went out to eat (a REAL treat back then). When we got up to leave, someone had paid our ticket without telling us, including the tip. I still remember how grateful we were and how special we felt.
I always bring bagels into work the last day before the holiday, everyone appreciates them and it gives us a chance to sit around and chat!
Take a cup of hot chocolate or coffee to the Salvation Army Bell Ringer!
I was suprised to see that I already do a couple of those things:-)
Here are a few more simple ideas I’ve been on one end or the other of the giving:
-Give a Christmas card to your favorite cashiers at the grocery store.
-Homemade Christmas cards to soldiers serving in the war, or their families back home.
-Invite singles from church to share the holiday celebrations with you.
-Leave a few gifts on the steps of a family who is struggling financially. Especially if they have kids, its heartbreaking not to be able to give your kids anything for the holidays.
-If you know a family that could use the food, but won’t take a hand-out. Buy too much for your freezer or pantry (on purpose) and then tell them they would be doing you a favor if they would take it off your hands.
-Offer to babysit for a young mom so she can get some shopping or baking done. Or invite them over and do it together.
-Caroling at a nursing home or retirement center, hospital, etc.
When I’m shopping with a coupon that can be re-used and doesn’t need a credit card(like a spend $40 save $10 from Aeropostale) I’ll offer it to the person behind me to use also. If I have duplicates I’ll offer those out too. I’ve received me happy responses from the moms who have gotten them.