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Giving your time and/or money to worthy causes not only helps your community but also gives you a sense of contribution and involvement that is hard to quantify. Volunteering Start a new tradition—pick one night a month that your family will donate time at a local shelter handing out food. It is important for children to help others. Studies show that people who help others are healthier and happier. Children who volunteer enhance their self-esteem as they learn new skills and make new friends. They see themselves as kind people capable of making a difference, and they learn to live a more hopeful life. Volunteer activities help build character and teach social responsibility, greater empathy and compassion. Teach that who you are is more important that what you have. "Volunteer Coupons": Gift-giving ideas for children Children want to give their family gifts, too, but limited budgets often make purchases difficult. Let them know that what you really want does not have to come from a store—their time is even more valuable. Maybe helping shovel snow this winter, or vacuuming the house is really the present you are looking for. Coupon ideas
Charitable donations The holidays are a great time to make donations to local charities and non-profit organizations. You can donate warm clothes, food and/or money. Most charities have their own "wish list": they can tell you what they need the most. If you are giving a monetary donation, you could make the donation in the name of someone else — a kind of double-gift. Many people feel good knowing that they are helping out someone during the holidays. Here's an idea for giving without all of the wrapping: Give an experience. A gift certificate might be just the thing for someone who would like to begin a new hobby or polish the skills they have already learned. A lot of people would like to try new things, but won't spend the money on them. Do you have a brother that has been dying to learn how to play the guitar but has just never signed up for the lessons? A father that loves to play golf but may need a few more lessons? Gift certificate ideas
Practical gifts An experience can also be something that you do for someone. Perhaps you can whip up a gourmet meal or teach someone the secrets behind your special talents. It can be very thoughtful when you see a need and take the time to see that it's filled. Giving a gift certificate for bike repair to someone who bikes a lot encourages a non-polluting way to travel. Or, how about giving gift certificates for balancing and rotating your car tires or for oil changes to keep a car as efficient as possible? You could also offer to repair or do work for someone who can't do it himself or herself. If you are looking for something to wrap up for the holidays, there
are products that go easy on our planet. Products with little or no
packaging, products made from natural ingredients, and products that
are made with little or no pollution are all examples of eco-friendly
products.
Toys break, clothes are outgrown, and cash is often frittered away.
Instead of trinkets today, perhaps you want to help a child plan for
the future? There are lots of investment options for those wanting
to contribute to a college savings fund. Each plan has its advantages
and disadvantages and you need to decide which option makes sense
for your family and financial situation. |
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Volunteer
and Donate
