I went to the basement today to get a bar of soap and noticed my stock pile of personal care items really filling up...10 body washes, 22 bar soaps, 12 deodorants. No, this is not because of a body odor issue :) ...I just get a lot of free and cheap stuff through couponing!
This has been a great year, but there has not always been a lot of resources or time for giving in the way that I would like. I grew up in a house where we were constantly donating to those in need. My parents worked a homeless shelter serving food, built homes with Habitat for Humanity, lead a high school youth group, gave toys to families in need during Christmas and SO much more!
So when I saw my stockpile, my first thought was that I would love to donate some of this stuff to a Battered Women's Shelter who I imagined could really benefit from some personal care products. Then I thought what if I thought even bigger...what if I could teach the women there how to coupon the way that I do! I can't imagine what these women are going through, but I'm sure part of the difficulty of leaving a terrible situation of abuse is the fear of trying to make it on their own, especially those women with kids. So I'm adding this to my list of resolutions, to find a Women's Shelter that will allow me to teach them how to coupon while donating my stock pile in the process. Even if I only teach one woman how to shop for basically free, it would be worth it to me.I will keep you all posted on my progress!
So what if you found your own stock pile of stuff to donate, or a way to donate your time. We were all given gifts, think about what you are good at and what you love and find a way to use it to help some one else. If you enjoy cooking...cook some food for a homeless shelter, or even just for your neighbor who just had a baby. If you love kids...volunteer at a Children's hospital spending time with the kids while their parents have to work. If you are good with a hammer...volunteer to build with Habitat for Humanity, or maybe help your elderly neighbor fix up some things around the house. The possibilities are truly endless!
What if each of us did this...what if instead of our own selfish resolutions we made resolutions to help others...what if we all donated just an hour a week to someone else...imagine what we could accomplish!
Great entry! What a wonderful plan to share your talent at a shelter. I look forward to reading about the impact. You are right Britt, whatever talent or resource we have is much better used when we share it. I personally believe that God gives us our gifts for sharing. Many folks do so around the holidays, but the need is there year round. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteIt's so true, we forget during the rest of the year! Thanks for being a great example of continued generousity!
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