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Volunteer Activities
Please don't flame me, but I am thinking about the upcoming holidays and gift giving.
I have a sister and a brother, both of whom are younger than me and single, living in rental apartments/houses with friends. My sister works full time, but is still paying back her student loans, paying off her first car, etc. My brother is a full time college student who works part time. DH and I are trying to get some big home repairs/upgrades done to try to maybe list our home in the next year and move...plus, of course, we have the new baby and the toddler and the dogs that suck every penny out of us...lol.
My point is, nobody has real money to throw around this year for holiday gift-giving. With DH's siblings, we are going to try to suggest just all getting together for a night to hang out in lieu of gifts. With my siblings, however, I was thinking of trying to suggest volunteering together for a few hours or something instead of giving gifts. Does anybody have any ideas for me that I could use when I approach them with this? I do some volunteer work throughout the year, but none of it falls near the holiday season. It doesn't have to be right the exact week of holiday celebrations, but I'd like to make it fairly close to it- before or after.
Re: Volunteer Activities
I know Ronald McDonald House takes on volunteers to cook meals for the families that stay there. My aunt did this with her department last year. I think you have to supply the food, prepare it and serve the families.
Or a soup kitchen - Chosen 300 is a good one...I think in Spring Garden.
ETA: You could all also chip in a small amount of money and sponsor a child to buy Christmas gifts. DH and I do this every year through a local church. It doesn't have to cost a lot.
Do you have a charity that is close to your heart? If so, maybe direct it that way.
If you belong to a church, there may be something there.
I did Phila Abundance before and it was a great experience. You don't have to pay anything, it is just your time and you work at a "station" with a few other people. So, you and your siblings would get QT together as well working together.
Good luck, and that is a great idea!
Thanks for the ideas, ladies! I looked into Ronald McDonald, but I think that preparing meals for that many people is a huge undertaking for 3 of us (well, 4 if DH did it with us). I'm leaning toward maybe a soup kitchen type idea, and will check out Philabundance too- I'm not superfamiliar with them.
Thanks for the Pollyanna idea too- we do one with the aunts and uncles on my mom's side of the family...I was just trying to think of something to do amongst the 3 of us separately.
The Support Center For Child Advocates does a toy drive every year that my office participates in. We collect toys for the drive but I know that they are always looking for more volunteers to sort through the toys and to help make deliveries the week before Christmas.
Edit: Link to 2012 Holiday Toy Drive information.
Ooh NQ, thanks for this. I will share with my bro and sis- they seem on board with doing something charitable, so I told them I'd get a few ideas and report back.
Hi there~
Wow, what a great idea to do for Christmas. I might have to steal it as money is a bit tight for our family right now too!
But, I do think there's tons of options out there if your brother and sister are on board. Perhaps you could even let them choose a charity of volunteer activity that's close to their heart and then the whole family can join in? Or, if they can't think of anything, there's usually lots of opportunities around Christmas to serve at soup kitchens or nursing homes-maybe even contacting an adoption agency or state service to see how you could help foster kids or those waiting for homes. Of course, if you did have a little money to send or had items on hand, there's always a need for donations for Christmas gifts or food around this time. Personally, I've often signed up with Samaritan's Purse for Operation Christmas Child where you fill up a shoebox with gifts for kids in need. So, just some ideas to consider. I'll be praying that you'll find the right opportunity for your family!