Something I’m proud of

One of the goals I set for our family in 2010 was to make an organized effort of teaching our children to have giving hearts. So the idea was born to do a giving project each month with our kids. It had to be something "hands on" for them so it wasn't just mom or dad doing it. Let me preface this by saying I am not posting this to brag on myself – that's not my intent or heart (if you know me, I hope you would agree). I just wanted to share this in hopes that it might inspire someone else, or spark an idea. I get so many of my ideas from reading other blogs! My parents instilled such a heart for giving in my brother and I, so I want to do the same with my kids. I had a plan that worked for us and since I set it as a goal, I was motivated to find a project we could do each month!

What fun we had giving back to others in 2010! Here is what we did: January – collected coats, hats & gloves for our Community resource center; February – filled backpacks of weekend food for kids in need; March – made cinnamon rolls & passed out to postal worker, garbage truck driver, librarian, hair stylist; April – picked up trash in our neighborhood; May – made gifts for their teachers; June – made & passed out flower pots in assisted living / nursing home; July – sent a package to a soldier; August – collected pencils for The Pencil Project; September – donated & filled sacks in our church's food pantry; October – made cookies for a neighbor with cancer; November – Operation Christmas Child; December – made chocolate popcorn for each of our neighbors.

It was definitely work and we found things that they could "do". I'm so proud of them. My 6 year old really got into everything we did – it was having an impact on him. My 3 year old didn't exactly understand everything, but I trust that he learned as well (even though, many times it would have been easier to just leave him home – we pushed through)! We enjoyed doing this so much and plan to do it again this year. We have been blessed so much by God and out of that abundance, we give! Hope you are inspired too! Happy giving in 2011!

"It is more blessed to give than to receive"

Acts 20:35
Tara

12 Months of Giving: August

For our 12 months of giving project in August, we collecting pencils for The Pencil Project, you can read all about it here. We collected pencils at our last Wacky Wednesday event and ended up with over 1,000 pencils. I was so proud of Eli, he made a poster to advertise to our friends about the project. Here is the poster - flying pencils with retractable wheels - how creative!

Next, we boxed them up at mailed them to the Rising Fountains Development Program in Zambia, Africa! The pencils will then be distributed. Here is a quote from the director that I got in an email "The pencils will go a long way to assist the pupils in schools who do not have access to pencils, books, and of course other school requisites." Wow, a little pencil can make an impact! We will definitely be doing this again next year!

Tara

12 Months of Giving Update

Just an update on our 12 months of giving for 2010. I never posted about our June and July projects. In June, we went to Clay Center, KS to visit Lance's grandma in her assisted living complex - she is 96 years old and the oldest one there! We did a giving project that involved her as well. Before we got there, the boys had painted 40 little flower pots and made paper flowers to stick in each one (with some help from mom). So when we visited Grandma Millie, we all poked the flowers into blocks of foam in the pots and added grass - together! This was fun for us to do with Grandma & I think she enjoyed it too! We ended up with these beauties!

The best part: Eli and Caleb gave a flower pot to each resident while they had lunch. There were only 13, so we decided to take the rest over to the nursing home side and hand those out while they were having lunch also! It was priceless watching the joy on each persons face as 2 cute little boys handed them a little pot of happiness! Totally made their day (mine too). Eli and Caleb loved it as well and I was so proud of them as they just walked right up and said "Here you go!". I definitely want to to this again - it was super easy and made such a big impact!

In July, we wanted to send a package overseas to a soldier. Eli's best buddy has an uncle who is in Afghanistan, so we chose him. We picked out snacks(that wouldn't melt), goodies, magazines, gum, and toiletries and packed a large flat rate shipping box from the post office. Then we wrote a note and the boys drew some pictures and we mailed it. It was only $12.50 to mail a package to Afghanistan for military personnel. Again, so easy.We learned it is VERY hot in Afghanistan and while we were out shopping for stuff for the box, Eli kept asking "Is it this hot?" I said "No, hotter", "What about now Mom - is it this hot?". "No, hotter" I said. We had wanted to add a roll of toilet paper, but ran out of room, so on the way to the post office Eli said "That's okay, I don't think they use the bathroom in Afghanistan"! How I love that boy!

Tara

12 Months of Giving: May

Since Teacher Appreciation Week is in May, we decided that would be our 12 Months of Giving project for the month. For Eli's PreK teachers we made these cute buckets (not my original idea) and stuffed them with red and orange stuff! Eli had lots of fun with this. For Caleb's Mother's Day Out teachers, we made these goodie boxes which were filled with yummy chocolate! I got the idea and directions here. They turned out well and we hope the teachers all liked them. I am so thankful for the time they spend with my children - loving them, teaching them, and caring for them.

Tara

12 Months of Giving

Last December, we collected some new & gently used stuffed animals to donate to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. I got to thinking that I wished we did things like this all year round instead of around the holidays only. So, an idea was born - 12 months of giving in 2010. We wanted to instill in our boys the habit of doing for others - I was raised this way & definitely want to pass that down. Each month we focus on a "giving project". The challenging part is to find something "hands on" for a 2 & 5 year old to participate in because it doesn't really mean a lot to them if mommy or daddy buy a toy, donate some money, bake some cookies - you get the idea.

January we collected warm winter clothes from our neighbors & delivered them to the community resource center - the boys helped go door to door & ask for donations which was great. February we helped pack sacks of healthy snacks that are placed in kid's backpacks throughout the different elementary schools in our town. These children may not have the financial means for adequate food over the weekend. It's a great program that reaches 105 kids at this time. Here is Eli working hard to fill the sacks. He loved doing this!I am really looking forward to doing these projects with the boys. If you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to comment. Here are some of the other ideas we have for future months: picking up trash, cookies to neighbors, making a meal for a family, Operation Christmas Child, letters & care packages to soldiers.

"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,

and to be generous and willing to share."

1 Timothy 6:18

Tara