Wrapping for charity

Last week I wrote about our realtor association's shopping for a needy family for Christmas.  Yesterday I met up with a bunch of realtors to wrap all the gifts and clothes purchased on that shopping day. 

A local restaurant that is closed for the season donated the space so we could work on the dining tables, and even played Christmas music for us while we wrapped. 

I worked with my friend Joey again, and we wrapped gifts for 3 hours.  It was a lot of fun and it really makes me feel that I'm doing something good for those less fortunate.

You can check with your local social services to adopt a needy family in your area if you want to experience the same joy!

Giving

As a child my parents taught me that there was more happiness in giving than in receiving.  That's probably in the Bible somewhere.  Since I grew up in a very modest household it was probably very convenient for my parents to tell me that, as I remember wanting a lot but not getting a lot because we 'couldn't afford it'. 

But as I matured I definitely understood that what you 'get' from giving to others is happiness and joy.  When you give to others (your time, your money, yourself) you make a difference in someone's life and that makes the recipient happy AND it makes you happy.  Its a win-win situation!

Yesterday Spouse & I did some charity shopping.  My company supplied its employees with a 'wish list' from Ronald McDonald House of DE so we used that to inform our purchases and then dropped them off at my office.  Next we went to the grocery store and purchased shelf-stable foods (canned and dry goods) and dropped those off at a local food bank drop-off location.  It was actually quite enjoyable to do this together, and knowing that these things will have a real impact on people gave us genuine happiness and joy.

Over the years I have volunteered for and raised money for AIDS research and treatment, battered women's shelter, cancer and stroke research, Habitat for Humanity, and local food banks.  I say this not to 'toot my own horn', but rather to show examples of how anyone can make a difference in other peoples' lives and receive a feeling of happiness at the same time. 

Literally anyone can participate in 1 or more ways:

• Give of yourself - volunteer in person at a soup kitchen, food bank pantry, Habitat for Humanity build site, hospice, SPCA, or meal delivery service
• Encourage others - host a fundraiser and invite your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to donate and/or volunteer, or get them to pledge for you to run a 5K race
• Support local drives - pick up non-perishable food items, household items, or toys and drop them off at Thanksgiving or Christmas drop-off point
• Give money - send checks to worthy charities 

When giving financial donations be sure to research how much of your dollars actually goes to the cause and how much goes to executive salaries and administrative costs.  Check this site to know which charities are highly-rated and have lower paid CEOs and which charities have highly-paid CEOs but are low rate charities.  Sadly there are some charities and scams you'll probably want to avoid.  Local giving can be often be more effective.

Another benefit of in-person volunteering is that you will likely meet other like-minded people.  This has certainly been the case for me.  I've met lots of sincere and fun friends while volunteering.

I encourage everyone to commit to giving, not just at the holidays, but all year 'round.  You'll be amazed at how good it feels to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Friends

As a realtor I am invited to lots of local fundraisers and charitable events.  I could be out at one of these nearly every night of the week if I wanted, but I try to pick just a few to attend.  Recently I attended a fundraiser sponsored by our local realtor association, the proceeds of which will be used to provide toys, clothing, and home goods for needy families in our area this Christmas.  This event provides the funds for the shopping event I participated in 2 years ago.

Each year this fundraiser has a different theme, and this year's theme was Mardi Gras.

I took this selfie of me (wearing Mardi Gras beads) and my friend Joey (wearing a Mardi Gras mask).  I've been friends with Joey for nearly 20 years.  We met doing volunteer work.

I voted

 

Although this is not a presidential election year,  I believe that all elections are important so I made sure I voted this morning before work.  All day long I saw facebook posts that read "If you don't vote you can't complain" and the like.  If facebook is any indication, it seemed there was better turn out than expected for this election.

Back when I lived in the very densely populated area of Northern VA we would often have to stand in line for an hour or more to vote.  Life is different here in my little beach town.  I walked into the voting place at 8:30 am and found NO line.  I checked in with the ancient woman at the desk, voted on the electronic voting machine, and was done in less than 2 minutes.

When I was finished, the poll volunteer gestured toward the exit.  I stepped over toward it and stopped to wait for Spouse.  The volunteer looked at me for a few seconds and said "I think your wife already left" to which I replied without missing a beat "Nope, my husband is still in the voting booth."  The volunteer raised his eyebrows, smiled, and said "Oh, okay then" and we both chuckled.

Day of remembrance and service

Today is the 11th anniversary of 9-11-01, the day that changed America.  I still get chills when I recall the events of that day and my personal experience.

Many innocent people were killed in the World Trade Center attack, the Pentagon attack, and the hijacked airplane that crashed in PA.  Many more were killed trying to help them.  On this day we pause to remember those people: mothers, fathers, children, husbands, wives, partners, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors.

But rather than solely focusing on what was lost, the Corporation for National & Community Services suggests that we honor those who were lost on 9-11-01 by participating in some sort of national or community service on this day each year.  You can probably think of a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter that could use a hand for a few hours, or you can check out this website for other opportunities and ideas.

Honor those who can't by volunteering in your community or nationally.  You'll be glad you did.