What are you doing to spread cheer this holiday season?

Do you donate toys or food? Volunteer to serve at the senior citizens holiday meal? Give blood? Sponsor a family or a child? Pin some cold weather gear on the "mitten tree"?

......or perhaps you do not celebrate the holidays (I mean no offense with my question) ......
or are you a Scrooge?

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I keep a bottle of "cheer" in my desk drawer for anyone that needs it. ...

Just kidding.....

We sponsor kids at the school I work at, so we truly know who is needy. The guidance counselor contacts the family and tells them that the gifts are from an "angel" so it's totally anonymous. We try to get the kids what they want for Christmas (within reason). Usually the child's teacher will ask the kids in the class what they are asking for.....so at least we try to grant a wish of the child's.

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I am snagging those paper decorations off the mall Christmas tree, and filling the requests that I can with stuff that I have in my stash from last year...

I was able to fill orders for colorful pjs (even in the right size!), fun socks. and others with my loot from Target's and Old Navy's after Christmas sales.

There is also a family of a dad and 3 small kids who work with my BIL who weren't going to celebrate the holiday this year at all - due to finances. We're doing all we can for them - my sisters and I are doing it together. I'm really excited about this one - particularly after reading on here about the scamming that goes on with the Toys for Tots organization (from another thread).

We are also donating new unwrapped toys and grocery gift cards through our police dept. and our church.

This isn't putting me out very much at all. I just like to think that if anyone *can* help to bring kindness to children during this season, then it's nice.

Our spending for ourselves is way down this year (like most people). That also makes this more do-able.

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"The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief." - Thomas Russell

Generally speaking I just be as positive and cheerful as possible. I greet people in a cheery way. I wear things that make people smile like a Santa hat. I put cheery holiday magnets on my car.
I give toys to the toy drives. I give little gifts to people I know aren't getting any or much. I bake and make fudge and brittle and give out plates of it.
I do my best to compliment people and to acknowledge everyone. This is a horrendous time of year for disenfranchised people and those with no loved ones.
I also buy a gift for a senior citizen there's a tree like just for the kids.
I make lots of things that make the house smell good and my front yard will put a smile on anyone's face.

Oh and putting confetti in your cards spreads joy also LOL.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I have been stockpiling so many items from shopping and using so many coupons with our triples because we all go to our local Aids Hospice Home and bring the patients things they have asked for or can truly use for each day. They really love the special treats as cereal, candy, .I also have been bringing in food items to our school , which everyday the pile is so high.We will also have our anuual secret santa party at school, we each pick a name from the hat and spend 15.00 and then each person brings in a food dish to share. I also donate alot of doggie and cat treat bags to our no killl animal shelter here in town.. Peace and healthy wishes. Catherine

What a great thread even to make people think about doing something if they haven't done so already. I have donated to the Coat drive, Salvation Army, Food Bank and Toy Drive. I am atually going to look into the senior center as I think they are sometimes overlooked in our society.
I like to host family dinners and cook and bake and just have everyone have a good time!

Happy and Healthy Holdiays to all!

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Without Health you have no Wealth!

We aren't big holiday celebraters (is that a word?) and things are a little skinny this year for us with the lay off but I also know that there is always someone worse off that could use our help.
The local food bank is asking for $20 donations to feed a family which we will give to and I know the ladies at the VFW count on me to help with items for the boxes they send to servicemen/women overseas. And who knows what other opportunity will arise to "give just a little more than you got to give".

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

I have a few things on my philantrophy list. Believe it or not, soldier care packages get put on hold for the holidays. Lots of organizations chip in during the holiday season to take care of the troops, so I tend to scale back. I am doing one big girly box with chick magazines and flicks and glamor stuff

My son's homeroom is sponsoring a needy family with 5 girls. I'm will send some items in for that - BBW stuff & hats & mittens most likely. I am actually thinking about personalizing and filling a stocking for each girl (we'll see how energetic I get). My son enjoys bringing in donations.

We have a mitten tree at work that is goign to be active from mid-Dec to mid-Jan - I have a lot of Target 75%off items to clip to the tree.

And I'm going to give blood at the holiday drive on 12/18.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I am in charge of our church food and toy drive for Christmas baskets. I locate and screen the names, find people to "adopt the kids" and buy the gifts, purchase the gifts for the kids who don't get picked (not with my money, with donated money). Sort, organize and pack all the food baskets. Organize the people to wrap the gifts, then organize the people to deliver the baskets/gifts. Although my husband and I usually deliver over half of them because not many people volunteer to help. We are a small town, the police department is the only other group in town that does food baskets, so I check with them so we don't deliver to the same people. Same with the bank who does the Angel Tree, we don't give gifts to kids who are on the Angel Tree, ours go to kids who are NOT on the Angel Tree. We couldn't "compare notes" if we didn't live in a small town, because most places won't share information because of confidentiality.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, I spent the day at the Police Department (where our food bank is) sorting food and making up food baskets, then delivering them. The police chief had called me and said I have the food + 20 turkeys and no manpower to deliver baskets, so I got a couple of people from church and after church we went over and made up and delivered food baskets for Thanksgiving.

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Terrific work, Penny!

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I always look for reasons for helping out for the Holidays. I try to do good deeds for people even if its just opening a door for someone or giving up my parking spot to someone. I love to give. It makes me feel good.

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When you don`t know what to do-Walk fast and look worried.

Thanks for reminding me to schedule an appointment to donate. I do that on a regular basis anyway but what the heck, It's Christmas.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

We serve at "soup kitchens" during the season (kids and I). We donate to Toys for Tots (but after reading on here, might stop that). Both of my kids pick names off giving trees at school (might have to double think that now too), and pick names from mall wishing trees. I do a holiday shopping tree with students recommended by our school districts (each child is given $150 to spend on themselves only--this happens twice a year--once in July/August and then again in early December----the most rewarding of all my endeavors!). For the December holidays I make "spirits" for friends/family; This year I made Peppermint Schnapps, Irish Creme, and homemade Kahlua. Just bottled last week as some of them need to "age" for 3 or 4 weeks before enjoying!

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"Well-Behaved Women SELDOM make history."Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


"Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope." Anonymous

"Your candle does not lose it's light by lighting another candle" Generosity

Have the courage to be yourself.

During the holiday season, we try to involve the single soldiers in family-style gatherings at our house. On Thanksgiving we had seven single soldiers over for dinner and games. It was a blast and they really appreciate having a place to go since they are far away from their families - especially being up here in Alaska. Sadly, there was a soldier here who died alone in his barracks room of alcohol poisoning on Thanksgiving. We're going to have some over this weekend too for the Steelers and Cowboys game. Come Christmas if there are singles who haven't gone home on leave, we will try our best to have them come over here and not be alone.

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Proud Wife of an Army Soldier and proud mother of an Army MP currently serving in Iraq.


"To any critics who say a woman can't think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I'd just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave." - Sarah Palin

And it's free! Heck, you even get juice and cookies and sometimes a t-shirt. A couponer's dream come true!!

But seriously, it does make you feel good to think that your pint could very well have saved someone's life, doesn't it?

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

Ever notice how all of us are here to save money and we all give? A lady I know asked me "how does Ted feel about you giving people stuff and buying people stuff?" I told her that we were blessed we don't go into debt, we can afford all we buy and that we both sincerely feel that we are blessed with everything we need and more because we share.
And we still save a ton of money by using all the tips and secrets!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I give a generous donation to the animal shelters where we got our cats.

This is what I do all year long not just because of the holiday season....4 boxes for OCC, donate clothing, HBA for the homeless survival program in my city, sponsor a child. I also teach in a very low socio-economic area. I give each student presents. I also give random people begging on the streets money.

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All we are and all we see is but a dream in a dream, All that you see or seem, is but a dream within a dream--Edgar Allan Poe

Lately, I've been dumping my change purse into the Salvation Army pot every time I go to the store, donating extra cash to the coffee shop (proceeds benefit the local women's shelter), donating to the feed funds for various animal related pograms, sending non-perishable food to school with my son for the Food Bank, clothing to a lady at my DH's work who gives them to homeless, etc.

All small stuff but it adds up.

I am going to be a great-grandmother for the second time next spring. I have a 19 month old great-grandson now.

I take a name from a local nursing home and buy gifts off the wishlist for that person. By shopping the clearance racks and using coupons I was able to get my guy 2 nice shirts and 2 boxes of candy, a Hersheys pot of gold and a box of Turtles, for $10. T shirts and chocolates were the only things on his list, done and done! Woohoo!

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Jesus SAVES by shopping smartly and using double coupons!

We do the Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan's Purse, where you fill the showboxes with little gifts for kids. I love selecting things for the boxes all year! My husband is the Angel Tree Coordinator at our church, where he matches and choose kids to donate to; these kids have a parent in jail.

My son's Boy Scout Troop collects and donates canned food, and my daughter's youth group wraps gifts for free at the mall.

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Forgiveness is love in its most noble form. -Anonymous

One of the square dance clubs in our association has a wonderful lady as it's president and she has organized 2 charitible dances in the past month. One was a canned food dance with canned goods being the cost to get in. Last night we went to their toy dance. Six firemen also attended to collect the toys. They were fed (along with the dancers) and taught a few square dance calls and we all had a great time.
We also cotribute toys and food to local charities.
This year there will be more people in need and altho we are having our own financial troubles, we know that there are many who are worse off than we are so we try to do as much as we can.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you who are doing so much for others!

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Square dancing is friendship set to music!

I totally agree. I feel like the more we give, the more we get.

A few weeks ago, I got a knock at the door......FED EX. The guy was holding a flat mailer, the kind they send documents in. Oh dear, I was not expecting anything. Hope it's something good. Well, I opened it up, and apparently I had entered some contest, and won a $100 gift card to a grocery store. I have bought things for us, as well as things to give away.

DD is performing in a concert, and "admission" is a canned good. I'll be bringing an entire grocery sack.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

This is the first year DD's school is doing this. I signed up for "whatever" (a kid, a family, whatever) and was given a little girl. DD went with me to buy her stuff, and I was so very proud of her, she was so giving, and never once said "why aren't I getting anything???" or anything of the sort. She wanted us to buy the girl everything on her list. Which, honestly, we did, except for the Nintendo DS. I even got her a few reading books, which were NOT on her list, but, working with the kids at the school, I see how many kids actually struggle with reading, and "hate" it. Hopefully we can turn this around.

I am guessing I spent just over $100, and managed to get her a complete outfit for school, and 2 extra shirts, socks, sneakers, barbie laptop, hannah montana headphone/mouthpiece (her parents will surely LOVE this...LOL), Crayola magic paint brush/paper set, Littlest Pet shop things, and a Helllo kitty gift bag that I will fill with stuff. I am also going to put together a toiletries gift basket for her parents/family - I don't know who that is, but, everyone must bathe right??? and some food items. I figure if they are struggling with the holidays, they can use whatever boost we can give them.

It truly warms my heart to give. Some of these kids, I just look at them, and want to cry thinking about their home life. Not everyone has is so good, and I'm not talking just about finances

We also drop money in the Salvation Army bucket every time we see one.

I'm trying to help out a friend who has had bad health issues, and is in a bad relationship. She is the working poor, and just amazes me at how she just keeps chugging along. She has a 3YO little boy.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.