Week 5

Hello again!

This past week has been amazing here in our home! I want to praise God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon our family, and for the chance to share those blessings with others! Oh, and I also want to thank God for the fact that my novel, Changed, finally published on December 3rd. I am blown away by the fabulously positive response I’ve received from everyone! I cannot say it enough, Thank You!

So here we are in our second week of Advent. I admit that I was struggling earlier, trying to determine what our challenge would be this week, but as always, an answer presented itself.

The other night, a friend of mine, Nikole, posted an article describing the plight of a local charity in desperate need of a miracle. I linked the article to this blog after I read it (which you can also read here) and set to work! Every year, The Farm Youth Outreach has a Christmas event as described below:

“This event is for Homeless Shelter Children and their families of Skagit, Snohomish, and King Counties. At The Miracle on 92nd Street, upwards of 500 children and their families arrive on buses, generously donated by Durham School Buses. The children and families are fed a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings prepared by Rich’s Chuckwagon Catering. The children get to do crafts and have their pictures taken with Mr. & Mrs. Santa, which they keep as a memento. Lastly, they are given coats, hats, scarves & gloves as well as additional clothing. When the time comes to leave on the buses, each child is given a filled Christmas Stocking and a gift.”

Their event was set to take place today, 12/9, and as of Friday, they were extremely low on donations. Well, everyone in the surrounding communities rallied together, and as I write, it sounds like enough last minute donations came through to make today’s event a huge success for yet another year! Now THAT is what this season is all about!

So, This Week’s Challenge has been inspired by the story above. This week, our challenge is to go out and donate a toy for an underprivileged child this Christmas. You can always give to Toys for Tots . The Salvation Army and WalMart have teamed for a “Fill the Truck” toy drive. Another great resource is Operation Santa Search where you can locate local toy drives and organizations collecting donations for the Christmas holiday. Many churches have an “angel tree” with ornaments bearing the wishes of local children in need. You can walk in, take an ornament, and fulfill that wish. Just go out, have fun, and pass along the spirit of giving this season!

Take It Further:

If you want to take it further this week, consider adopting an entire family this Christmas. Take the Next Step in Monroe, WA, has a program that can match you with a family who’s size and needs fit you and your ability to give. If you do not live around Monroe, I know many churches, food banks, and other outreach centers provide similar services. I am certain you can find one in your area!

God Bless and Happy Giving!

License Some rights reserved by Per Ola Wiberg ~ powi

4 responses to “Week 5”

This is a wonderful challenge. Our family did two shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child this year. No matter how much or how little you have to give everyone has something that can touch the life of another, even if it is just smile or a kind word. Thank you for putting forth these challenges K.

kaveatch December 9, 2012 at 10:53 pm · · Reply →

Thank you Nikole! Merry Christmas!

Another idea is to donate a stuffed bear to your local Fire Department for use when they arrive at a home where a child needs some extra comfort. We’ve done this from our office the last few years. They are much appreciated.