Christmas Joy
Christmas JoyWhat are you doing to help others this Christmas season?
Author: mike | Filed under: Community Service
LesHug asked:
Serious awnsers only, I really wanna know how people are keeping Christmas from being just a mass gift exchange. Dont be mean!
The last awnser to this question brought tears to my eyes. Good job, I experinced a teacher like this first hand in high school and I believe my life is better because of her, your more than a teacher your a HERO, god bless you!
- Tags: Christmas, Gift Exchange, God Bless
Oh-Tami
October 5th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Sending Christmas cards to the ACLU.
Send them a Christmas Card! It is time to get out your CHRISTMAS cards list! As the ACLU are working so very hard to get rid of the CHRISTMAS part of this holiday, we should all send them a nice CHRISTIAN card to brighten up their dark, sad, little world. Make sure it says “Merry CHRISTMAS” on the inside only. Here’s the address; just don’t be rude or crude. (It’s not the Christian way, you know!) ACLU 125 Broad Street 18th Floor New York, NY 10004 Two tons of CHRISTMAS cards would freeze their operations because they wouldn’t know if any were regular mail containing contributions. So spend 39 cents and tell the ACLU to leave CHRISTMAS alone. Also tell them that there is no such thing as a “Holiday Tree”. . . . It’s a CHRISTMAS Tree! Pass this on to your e-mail buddies.
Anthea
October 8th, 2008 at 9:38 am
this sounds funny but i’ll tell you anyway,
i’m serious ok?
i have met a lot of heartbroken, sad
people who are deppresed and wanted nothing
but to die… and that somehow… er…
includes me a bit so we want a happy
christmas and i’m going to help them
be happy…
whew…
thought i couldn’t say it!
THE
October 11th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I help at The Salvation Army and I’m getting a group of the kids at my church to go around to the elderly people at our church and sing them christmas caroles.
cotopaximary
October 14th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I’m a social worker and I’ll be working this Christmas season, so really I’m doing what I do all year. I’m also a member of Amnesty International, so we write Christmas cards to political prisoners.
misskenjr
October 17th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I know someone who is involved in helping less fortunate families in our area. I went to wal mart to get specific gifts (a seven year old girl, a 12 year old boy, etc) and just kept buying. . .hats, gloves, games, candy, toothbrushes, baby formula and bottles, baby food,. .. I ended up spending $200. Ya know what, though? My husbands’ check was $200 more this week. God ment for me to give that in the form of needs for these families.
Manueldatu
October 21st, 2008 at 12:43 am
From where I come from here in the philippines, I would organize christmas party for kids living in squatter (slum) communities near the village where I live in.
christmas is for children. what I would do is I get former classmates of my, friends and neighbors to contribute stuff (all in kind, mind you) used toys, used clothes, etc. and with the stuff we gather we hold a big party where at least 200-300 children ages 5-12 attend.
We make sure that they all have a nice time. It takes really so little to make little kids happy – and that is what chirstmas is all about.
sonomanona
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I do the usual things of writing checks to my favorite charities: Heifer Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, and Habitat for Humanity. We also send additional funds to the Thai child we sponsor through Christian Childrens Fund. (Check out all of these through the Internet; I guarantee that they are all worthy charities.) I also contribute to my local food bank and to the local community health clinic that treats low income people who don’t have insurance.
The biggest pleasure, though, is in giving to needy families in our area. Because I am a teacher, I see many children who come to school hungry, without a coat or jacket, with holes in their only pair of shoes. I get together a list of needs – food, clothing, household goods, books, toys, CD players, etc. – and ask my co-workers, friends, family members, club members, and so on – if they would like to help. It’s amazing – if you ask 20 people to help you, you can achieve an incredible amount! People often ask if they can help deliver the gifts, and it is such a great experience to give to people who really really appreciate it.
My own family has kept our personal pleasure of providing some Christmas pleasure to “Sergio” (not his real name) and his family. Sergio first came to the special education class I teach 10 years ago. He was already 6 years old and had never been in school, because his mother did not realize that there was free public education for kids with disabilities in the United States. She cried with joy when she found out that not only could her son come to school, but that he had the potential to ultimately become a tax-paying working man. Sergio’s dad abandoned the family after Sergio’s younger sister and brother were born, and his mom has worked at low-paying housecleaning jobs to keep the family together. They live in a one-bedroom apartment but it is clean, and they are grateful for what they have. Anyway, since the first year that Sergio came into my life, my family has made a Christmas tradition of visiting Sergio’s family with food and gifts. My son was 16 and my daughter was 10 when we started doing this, and they are now 26 and 20 and living away from home, but they still manage to get home to visit Sergio. My daughter says that this is the best part of Christmas, and I would have to agree. It’s been years since Sergio was my student, but he and his family will always be in my heart. And for those of us on Yahoo, we obviously have at least enough money to have a computer and an Internet provider. Believe it or not, there are millions of people here in the United States who can’t imagine having enough money to live the way we do. So look around you, and see what you can do to give a Merry Christmas to someone who doesn’t have your resources. You will be more blessed by giving than you can possibly imagine.
Kim S
October 25th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
At our local chiropractor they get a list of children from the community that could use help for Christmas. They have the child’s age and size on the tag so that you can go buy them what is needed. They have a large number each year and I always take 2 or 3 to buy for. It is a lot of fun and we get thank you cards back through the chiropractors office.
emptynester
October 27th, 2008 at 3:23 am
I have organized the people I work with for the local
Community Center. They specialize in getting families back together after being broken apart for one reason or another.
We are donating clothing, bedding,books,toys,food.
We are holding a raffle to raise money for the center to purchase new books or supplies for the children’s after school program.
We also supply small gifts for the homeless or elderly to win at bingo such as warm hats, gloves,tooth brushes, deodorant etc….
waynekari
October 27th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Staying out of their way by abstaining from the malls. 🙂
Faith B
October 30th, 2008 at 4:33 am
Although, we are in need for the season my children are still collecting can goods, toys, and clothing for area needy children. Both of my boys are in 4-H and also are doing a can food drive for families! They don’t ask for much and we taught them that it is good to give than to recieve.
Our daughter was dubbed Acadiana’s Littlest Angel for all the donations she has recieve and given to families that were in Need.
As parents it makes us feel good cause it shows that we have taught our children something for the good!
vinny z
November 1st, 2008 at 12:30 am
My sister is dying and I am having an old fashioned Christmas like we used to have when we were younger. I want it to be a happy Christmas for all of us.I think it will be better for all of us to have a celebration than hide behind the fear and grief of this thing.
Andy James F
November 2nd, 2008 at 12:08 am
i don’t believe 100% in god but i think that christmas is there to show your neighbours how much you love them and rispect them. It’s like valentines day.
laura b
November 2nd, 2008 at 5:25 am
DONATING FOOD, AND ALSO VOLUNTEERING AT A DOMESTIC ABUSE SHELTER
Henry J
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I’ve decide to clean the yards of three families in our community.Plus donate by bonus money to a hospice.
Tsavestheday
November 7th, 2008 at 6:40 am
im donating blood
Kasandra h
November 10th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Im visiting my family in America for the holiday season, during my visit they took me to Christiana mall in Newark ,Delaware. There the Salvation Army has a wish list from the children that they sponser. The list is placed on a tree in thform of a wish. People are welcome to pick a wish off the tree and purchase the items on the list, and make a child Chrismas special.
Bee
November 11th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I cook 2 turkeys for a halfway house downtown with stuffing. These guys are almost finished their programs in stopping drugs and alcohol and are tired of institutional cooking. They make their own veggies and I bring the meat.
wrongsister
November 12th, 2008 at 1:29 am
I always give to the bellringers in front of the stores. I also have 2 very special ladies who I met in an assisted living center when doing my internship that I pick up for the day, give them dinner and a few special gifts from “Santa”, and share my family with them. I’m always sad when the day is over and I take them back to the center…but we visit often and they get to come over to my house quite often, it’s just that it’s extra special at Christmas.
leahchez
November 12th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
i
am
going
to
be
extra
extra
nice
to
my
family
because
my
brothers
and
sisters
sort
of
argue
alot
because
i
have
9
people
in
my
family
gassan b
November 13th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
if i have money i will hellp the children in Iraq in christmas.
Kara K
November 15th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Every year my family and I get a list from the local school district of students who do not have much money. Then, on the day before Christmas even we buy a tree, a ham, christmas lights, gifts, clothing, and many other various christmas items with the help of friends also of course and we sneak onto their porch in the wee hours of the night and leave all of this on 3 families on the list. We have only been caught one time by a father of 4 children who had just gotten home from work. All he could do was cry when he caught us in our sneaky act at 3 o’clock in the morning. He said he had nothing, not even a can of corn to give his children to eat on Christmas. I have been doing this with my family for as long as i can remember and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life. GIVING IS CONTAGIOUS!! Seeing the face of a stranger light up is priceless.
Lynn M
November 17th, 2008 at 6:18 am
Every year and this year is no different, I choose a name off of the Christmas tree at one of our local department stores and purchase a gift for someone that may not receive one other wise.
Sybil G
November 18th, 2008 at 5:24 am
My friend and I are helping my teacher do stuff throughout his busy day so he doesn’t get stressed out and its fun knowing your helping some one, we also plan to help with other stuff to.
Robee
November 20th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Christmas is mystical. It is the time of the year where most celebrate and buy gifts to give to loved ones especially to children. This is what I will do this X’mas. I will look for at least 3 very unfortunate children in our area, a child who may be diabled, or abandoned by his parents, or extremely impoverished or malnourished, or very sick and pour all my love to them making them feel totally cared for.
mommytwink
November 20th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
We have an old couple that live next door. We give them a couple bags of food every month. People need help year round.
the kunt
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
trying to get people to remember what christmas is. its not who can spend the most,gets the best presents, it’s suppose to be about sharing and GIVING of love and friendships,families,and perfect strangers meeting and becoming friends.
madc
November 25th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
i would like to invite an orphaned kid into my house and shower him with love and blessings even just for the holidays. make him experience that once in his young life as orphan someone took the extra mile to show him how to be loved.