Tis the Season of Giving. Actually, I think the season of giving is all four seasons of the year. Many of us are short of money this year either because we are suffering a job loss or the economy has greatly affected our bank accounts. There are many people to whom we feel we need to give a gift and there are many charities and organizations that need money because the economy has hurt their reserves as well.
My family and I have rarely had the luxury of extra money that we can donate so we have taken another route. This year especially the economy has hit us hard as it has so many other people. It is not always money that makes charities run. Volunteers are very important and can make a huge difference. Therefore, I recommend that you give yourself a gift this year. It really won’t cost you much yet it will give you an enormous return on your investment.
My suggestion is that you find an organization or a few organizations that would benefit from your time. It doesn’t take a huge amount of time to help people out but the return in good feelings that you receive is huge. For instance, this weekend we are volunteering at “Home for the Holidays,” a benefit for the Middleton Outreach Ministry. It will only take us a few hours and we can even DVR the Badger game and watch it later. We most likely won’t meet any of the people who benefit from MOM’s services such as counseling, meals, and clothing; but we will know in our hearts that all proceeds go directly to them.
Two weeks ago, I helped serve and clean up at Gilda’s Club of Madison. I have been volunteering for them for about 6 years. Every person that I have met there has had a smile and a thank you for me, even though they may be sick or hurting from loving someone who is living with cancer. My daughter and I usually leave there and remark about how much fun we had and how good it feels to help put a smile on someone elses’ face.
This isn’t really about me and my volunteer activities. I really want to remind you that no matter what your economic situation, you can give yourself and others a gift by volunteering your time. It costs so little and pays so much. So I challenge you to find an organization or two and schedule a few hours a month for the next twelve months to volunteer your time.
Don’t know where to go? You can always start by calling or googling the United Way. There are a multitude of opportunities and usually it doesn’t take much skill to give your time. You can read to the elderly, volunteer in schools, or help out in any number of support organizations.
Tis the Season- Give the Gift of your Heart this Year!
Happy Holidays!
