For the third year now, I participated in the 30 Days of Giving Challenge. The act of giving may not seem like a challenge, but it actually requires quite a bit of scheduling and planning. Even with all the planning, situations pop up to cause a bump or two on the road to giving.
Some gifts are simple, like a mailing a card to a loved one. Some things require more work, like preparing a meal for friend. In the end, no matter how small or big, it’s the thought that counts and that gesture means so much to someone else. The smallest gift can have the biggest impact on others.
“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
Our gifts
- Baked a cake for Allana’s birthday to share with her class.
- Created a music video for Allana’s birthday.
- Gave a loyal Run DMT reader The Joy of Cooking.
- Dropped spare change in the Ronald McDonald House collection jar at McDonalds.
- Sent candy to troops stationed overseas through the Halloween Candy Buy Back program.
- Donated canned goods to a food drive.
- Donated items to Goodwill.
- Recycled my old running shoes to benefit the homeless through Fit Niche.
- Filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.
- Brought gifts to a local animal rescue shelter.
- Dropped spare change in the Salvation Army red kettle.
- Donated items to Toys for Tots.
- Bought a coffee for a frequent play date host in my moms group.
- Sent coupons to a military base in Japan through Overseas Coupon Program.
- Added a love note to my kids’ lunch boxes.
- Planned a picnic lunch for my kids and enjoyed a “special” lunch together at school.
- Planned a lunch date with hubby.
- Baked cookies for the firefighters.
- Volunteered at my children’s school.
- Arranged guest speakers for the Great American Teach-In at my kids’ school.
- Sent thank you notes with baked goods to my children’s teacher
- Donated old books, magazines, DVDs and CDs to our library.
- Purchased ten Thanksgiving meals through Metropolitan Ministries.
- Sent a birthday card to my brother-in-law
- Volunteered at the mile 12 water station at the Women’s Half Marathon.
- Spent an evening with an old friend to catch up to give the gift of time.
- Baked cookies for my running club and tossed $5 in the coffee fund.
- Welcomed new neighbors of a 16 month old with a baby safety kit.
- Sent a “thinking of you card” and Publix gift card on behalf of my moms group to a friend in need.
- Mailed a set of hand drawn Angry Birds by Allana to Stacy Uncorked for Princess Nagger’s birthday.
- Mailed a Thanksgiving card to my grandmother.
- Mailed a get well card to my ill uncle.
- Brought a home cooked meal to a friend at work.
- Purchased meal vouchers for families in need through Groupon’s Feeding America program.
- Sent $10 gift certificates to several friends via Restaurant.com’s “Feed It Forward” program.
Pssst! Speaking of gifts….Don’t miss this one!
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