Monthly Challenge
December 2011: The Gift That Keeps on Giving!
Dec 7th
Christmas is just around the corner which means Christmas shopping is in full swing! If you’re like most of us, you probably have one (or more) recipients on your list who are really hard to shop for. Maybe they have everything, or are just hard to please. Or maybe they insist they don’t want/need anything…and they actually mean it! Whatever the reason, consider mixing it up a bit and giving a donation in their name!
When possible, to make the gift more hands-on, sit down with the recipient and let them pick something out from a catalog/site such as Food for the Hungry or World Vision.
Can you imagine how neat this would be to do with the whole family? Tell them what amount you’d like to spend and then let them help decide what to buy. There are so many ways to assist those who are in need!
Wouldn’t it be fun to casually mention how you gave your in-laws a goat for Christmas?
Maybe you’d like to say you presented a foot pump to Grandma?
Or how you gave fruit trees instead of a fruit basket?
Maybe clean water instead of a bottle of wine?
What about the gift of an education?
Or a vocation?
The chance for a new beginning?
Or maybe a gift that could have an eternal impact?
No matter what you give, I hope and pray that your Christmas is filled with family, friends, joy, peace, and a deeper realization of what the Christmas season is about.
Merry Christmas to you and yours! -Jenn
November 2011 Monthly Challenge: Give it Away!
Nov 6th
There are three ways to help this month!
1. Donate items. If you are in the Franklin County area, you can contact Ravi and Holly directly. If you are in Jefferson County or St. Louis, please feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to arrange a pick-up/drop-off time. I’d like to be able to collect donations from St. Louis/Jefferson by November 13th to allow time for delivery and set up.
2. Donate time. If you are in the Union area and would like to help set up, please contact Ravi and Holly for available time slots. I’m going to work with Holly and Ravi to set up a time to help sort when I make my delivery. Let me know if you are interested in tagging along!
3. Donate money. If you are short on time, but would still like to help, please consider making a monetary donation to Hope of India. It’s a worthy cause, led by wonderful people!
Don’t forget to get your kiddos involved! They can donate items…or allowance money. Maybe they can do special projects and donate that money to help the orphanage? What a great opportunity to foster giving hearts in our kids!
Contact info for Ravi and Holly:
Hope For India
Ravi & Holly Kommina
PO Box 53
Union, MO 63084
(636) 675-4375
www.hopeforindia@ymail.com
To get a hold of me you can email me at jenn@thecrashpad.com or leave a comment!
May 2011 Monthly Challenge: Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
May 3rd
Since Mother’s Day is just a few days away, I thought I’d do a quick post with some ideas for Mother’s Day gifts with a purpose. To make it meaningful for mom, choose an organization that is near and dear to her heart.
The American Heart Association
The American Lung Association
Breast Cancer
American Cancer Institute
Jesus Said Love – a group that takes Christ into the strip clubs of Dallas.
Sponsor a child/individual
Lydia’s House – helping survivors of domestic violence rebuild their lives.
Tornado victims
Local pet shelter
Food pantry
Her school or College, particularly if privately funded
Literacy
For more ideas, go here.
Presentation Idea: Attach a note, telling mom what you’ve donated in her name, to a small gift such as a potted plant, perfume, chocolate bar, book, etc.
If you’d like to give mom something for herself, too, consider presenting her with a membership to one of her favorite places. Membership holders obtain free entry and usually lots of perks, while ensuring the success and longevity of the organization they represent.
Consider memberships to:
The Zoo
Botanical Gardens
Art Museum
History Museum
Adopt a Tiger
St. Louis Symphony
St. Louis Science Center
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!
April 2011 Monthly Challenge: Support Just1
Apr 4th
Shortly after my hubby and I were married, we decided to sponsor a child. Every month we sent a check and in exchange, we were sent regular status reports, updates, and pictures of a little girl in Peru. We’re now on our third child and it’s been really neat to get to watch them grow. We’ve been doing this for so long that I kind of forgot about it, until recently when a friend became a sponsor and excitedly suggested I encourage others to do the same!
There are many ways to give, but what we like about child sponsorship is that most organizations will allow you to write or even email “your” child which really lends a personal touch, and lets the child know that they are valuable and cared for. This makes the program rewarding for the giver and receiver alike! Many programs provide a variety of services for the child; food, water, school supplies, religious instruction, special programs, even medical and dental care – for as little as $28-$35ish per month! So much for so little.
Here’s a breakdown of a couple of the more popular child sponsorship programs, just to get you thinking:
ChildFund International receives an A- rating at Charity Watch. According to their website,
• Proper nutrition
• Safe water
• A quality education (and a place to play)
• The opportunity for a respectable job in
their community
is all provided for for $28 per month. For $35 a month you can sponsor a child here in the U.S. Childfund’s website is highly interactive and allows you to choose a child based on sex, or country. Be sure to explore their site a bit – there are many ways to give!
The Christian Foundation for Children and Aging looks like a neat organization. You can choose to sponsor a child, youth, aging individual for $30 a month. You can also make one-time donations to their scholarship program or programs targeted to specific needs. CFCA also puts together about 30 trips per year to give sponsors the opportunity to meet the person they are sponsoring. Cool! CFCA receives a rating of A+.
Food for the Hungry is a Christ-centered organization that receives a 5-star rating from Charity Navigator. FH is set up so that individuals/families or churches/communities can give. They have a great variety of programs! For $32 per month, this organization provides for a child’s spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being ( (food, water, medical).
I hope you’ll decide to sponsor a child/individual through one of these programs (or one like them). You can be as involved as little or as much as you are able! This type of giving is suitable for individuals, families, or even groups! It doesn’t matter if you are super busy (some can withdraw the money right out of your account) or if you are looking to really get to know who you are sponsoring (maybe even getting a chance to meet them some day)! If finances are a bit tight, consider getting a group (friends, family, neighbors, Bible study) together to share the cost. Don’t forget that you can also choose between sponsoring a child in a foreign country or right here in the U.S.! You can choose to donate every month, or just make a one-time donation – the choices are almost limitless! I hope you’ll take the time to look through a couple of these sites and see if one of them is right for you!
March 2011 Monthly Challenge: Spring Break
Mar 9th
March is a busy month for us so no interview! However, since this is the time of year when many people do “spring cleaning” or are possibly moving, I wanted to encourage you to donate all those unneeded items! It makes me so sad to see piles of perfectly good things sitting out by the trash can!
Here are some links to get you started!
Goodwill
Salvation Army
Freecycle
Craigslist Free Section
VVA (they’ll do pick-ups!!)
Other ideas:
Post on Facebook and ask if anyone could use what you are giving away.
Many churches and schools will have collection bins in their parking lot.
With so many options, it’s easier than ever to give your old stuff new life!
February 2011 Monthly Challenge: Angels’ Arms
Feb 1st
During the month of February, Erica and I will be collecting items for Angels’ Arms. Please consider donating – even if it’s only one or two items! It really does add up!
For more information on how to help this awesome organization, please visit them at their website. Be sure to check them out on Facebook, too.
These are the things that Angels’ Arms is collecting now. ..
* Snack foods & cereal
* Paper products (paper plates, paper towels, toilet paper)
* Toiletries, including feminine products
* Cleaning supplies
* Laundry detergent
* Ziploc sandwich bags
* Band-Aids
Angels’ Arms cannot accept used items.
For drop-off, please feel free to call Erica at 314-604-2290 to set up a time to take the items to her house.
For pick-up, please feel free to leave a comment on this post, or on the Just1 Facebook page and I’ll contact you to work something out.
And the Winner Is..
Jan 31st
Genevieve W! Wow, that was easy!
Thanks for commenting Gen! I’ll get the bags shipped right out to you!
January 2011 Monthly Challenge
Dec 28th
What better way to start the New Year than with a clean slate, er, pantry? The monthly challenge for January is to clean out your cabinets and pantry and donate anything that you never got around to using (nothing expired, please). Then, throughout the month, as you go shopping, add to your collection by purchasing Just1 extra item with each trip. At the end of the month you can drop your donations off at the charity or organization of your choice.
If you have time, contact your food panty/charity and ask them if there are any particular items they are looking for, or any items they won’t accept. Otherwise, canned goods are always a safe bet. Many food pantries will gladly take personal care and hygiene items, baby goods, pet food, and cleaning supplies. If your organization is one of them, don’t limit yourself to food!
I don’t have an interview planned for this month, but I do have some items to give away to be sure to check back!
December 2010 Monthly Challenge
Dec 10th
In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, don’t forget to take some time to remember the reason for the season. There are so many ways to help! Pick something that is meaningful to you and get your friends and family involved! I’ve compiled a short list of charities and organizations to get you started. The best way to stay focused and motivated is to pick something that is near and dear to your heart. Think about an issue you’re passionate about and find a way to lend your support. A few ideas to get you thinking….
1. Has someone in your circle been diagnosed with an illness or disease? Chances are there’s an organization dedicated to research and awareness. Ask each member of your family to donate a small amount in the name/memory of your loved one. American Cancer Society, The Lupus Foundation of America, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the American Heart Association just to name a few.
2. Hunger never takes a vacation! Choose a local ministry such as The Apple Tree Foundation (keep collecting those Just1 items), or an overseas ministry such as Samaritan’s Purse. These have been popular choices for family gatherings. Everyone can pitch in just a little and then decide together what they’d like to purchases and donate, or have every family member bring a can of food to donate.
3. If you have children, consider giving aid to an organization that helps kids. Love of God Ministries – India is one idea, or sponsor a child through a group like Food for the Hungry. Toys for Tots drop-off locations are scattered throughout the area, maybe let your kiddos pick a gift and donate it. Children’s Miracle Network is another worthy organization that helps kids.
4. What about a charity with a specific focus? Lydia’s House, an organization dedicated to helping women and children in abusive relationships, was featured on Just1 a few months ago. Or maybe a ministry like Jesus Said Love? This organization, with chapters in Dallas and Houston, TX, are aimed at ministering to dancers in strip clubs. Haven of Grace is a shelter primarily for pregnant women or women with small children. Gateway Homeless Services is a ministry that provides services to the homeless in St. Louis.
5. Last, but certainly not least, think about the people around you. Do you have a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a fellow church-goer who needs some help? There’s nothing more exhilarating than dropping off a gift, ringing the doorbell, and running like mad!! Kids, especially, will LOVE to help with a project like that.
Remember that there is more than one way to give. Not everyone can give financially, but maybe you can give the gift of time. Watch a friend’s kids, send a note of encouragement, run an errand, make a phone call. The ideas are limited only by your imagination! One friend mentioned how she prays for each person on her Christmas card list, which I thought was pretty awesome!
No matter what you do, don’t let the opportunity to give pass you by. There are so many ways to share the love and light of Christmas and so many people who need it. Christmas is a wonderful time for many of us, but it can be a really dark time for others. Even if you can’t give much, giving something, anything, will let others know you are thinking of them and that you care, and that’s the best gift of all.
Thanks for reading and for your gifts of support and encouragement over the past few months. I hope the holiday season brings love, joy, and peace to you and your loved ones. Have a Merry Christmas!
- Jenn
November 2010 Monthly Challenge
Nov 3rd
November can be the start of a hectic season! The Holidays are just around the corner which often means busy schedules and tight pocketbooks! With this in mind, I decided to make November’s challenge easy and inexpensive. Just click on over to the Apple Tree Foundations Facebook Page and press the ‘like’ button. If a need arises that the budget can’t cover, a notice will be posted on the ATF’s FB page. If so inclined, you can then send in a $2 donation (via paypal). So as not to overwhelm their donors, the Apple Tree Foundations asks that only one $2 donation be made a month! See? Easy and inexpensive! Click on the ATF $2 Donor tab (on ATF’s FB page) to learn more.