Holiday giving can be good for your health!

So Christmas is almost upon us, the holidays are about to go full force beginning with the cooking of the Thanksgiving turkey. Stores are loaded up with decorations and the holiday sales have begun. But what are you thinking about this year? Is this the year that you choose to join the masses of people who volunteer or maybe you long to make a difference year round? Many people join the volunteer forces at or around the holidays, it seems the differences between people and their community becomes more prolific and harder to ignore at this time of the year. After all, no one likes to think of people spending time alone or a child not receiving a gift on the holidays. According to reports, charitable giving could also be good for our health. Buffalo EDU cites a Canadian study that reported 85% of Ontario volunteers rated their health as good compared to 79% of non-volunteers. Only 2% reported ‘poor’ health, over the one-third of non-volunteers who reported the same health status. They go on to mention other studies where people have reported greater self-esteem, personal empowerment and improved health when volunteering.  Also, consider this report from the Corporation for National and Community Service “Washington, D.C. – Volunteers help themselves to better health while helping others, according to a study released today by the Corporation for National and Community Service that reviews a compelling collection of recent scientific research.”

But what to do? There are many, many options for families and individuals to get out there and make a difference and enjoy becoming involved with your community.

Evergreen Colorado: The organization, Friendship Bridge :”When the founders of Friendship Bridge, Connie and Ted Ning, visited Vietnam in 1988, they were appalled to find the health care system bravely struggling with ancient equipment, little or no medicines, and an overwhelming number of people suffering from highly preventable diseases. Ted had developed an affinity for this struggling population during his tour as an army battalion surgeon in 1970, and he urged Connie to join him on a fact-finding trip to assess the needs of women and children. Women painfully dying of cancer without relief, or enduring high-risk childbirth without the benefit of techniques we take for granted in the US, aroused such compassion that they immediately set out to alleviate the suffering. … Friendship Bridge began its grassroots medical relief project in 1989. The effort grew, and in the spring of 1990 Friendship Bridge sent the largest single shipment of medical relief to Vietnam from the United States since 1975. With a tiny budget and using only volunteers, this tireless, innovative group managed to send several more shipments, totaling over 140 tons. Since 1990 numerous health care professionals have participated in teaching projects in Vietnam. In the early 1990s, many Vietnamese health care professionals visited the US through Friendship Bridge and in partnership with other organizations. … with over 5,000 loans successfully in place in Vietnam, a new loan project was begun in Guatemala. This program continues to grow with over 15,000 loan participants and 9,000 educational scholarship recipients. Friendship Bridge has always listened and tried to respond to the needs of those it serves. … Friendship Bridge has consistently elicited the needs of others and responded with compassion and programs that work.”

This organization takes donations and can direct you to purchase items to directly help the communities listed on their website.

Instead of buying multiple gifts for friends and families who neither want nor need what you are giving, maybe a donation to Friendship bridge in their names might be a compassionate gift that makes everyone feel good.

World Vision: “World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. [World Vision] serves close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.”

You have an option to make either a single donation or opt to sponsor a child living in poverty in a country of your choice for as little as $30 per month. Again this is another donation/gift that can be given on behalf of others. Who needs another tie or pair of socks when they can be the benefactor of school supplies for a year, or the provider of mosquito nets for ten kids, all for about the same amount of money?

Shoebox Ministries are a great organization and something all the family can get involved with: “Every year thousands of children are displaced from their homes by natural disasters, acts of war or poverty.  Many of these children are separated from their families out of economic necessity or have become orphans.  The season of Christmas can be especially difficult for children who cannot afford to purchase their own clothes or hygiene items, let alone a toy or two.

To address this worldwide need, several Christian organizations have developed special programs called shoebox ministries.  Every year, thousands of volunteers agree to purchase clothing, hygiene items and small toys for these needy children.  All of these gifts are packaged into shoeboxes, along with some money to defray the cost of shipping.  Trained missionaries in foreign countries receive these shoeboxes and distribute them to the children during special Christianity-based services.  …Some churches have already established local shoebox programs, but if you’re starting from scratch you’ll need some professional guidance and start-up materials.  One of the most recognized shoebox ministries is sponsored by Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse organization.  To start your own shoebox ministry, visit their website at Samaritans Purse and look for the Operation Christmas Child links.  … In order to ensure delivery of the shoeboxes by Christmas, local participants are encouraged to begin promoting the program by September or October.” 

If this sounds like something you would like to participate in, try calling local churches to find drop off points or to find locations for these programs, these shoeboxes are being collected NOW.

Angel trees Holiday Angel Tree Program: “The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program provides new clothing or toys for children of needy families. A sponsoring company or corporation places a Christmas tree in a secure, high-pedestrian traffic area or lobby. The tree is decorated with numbered paper angel tags with the first name, age and gender of a child who will receive the gift. Contributors remove one or more tags from the tree and purchase appropriate gifts for the child or children described on the tags. Each year, sponsors ranging from neighborhood associations to private companies volunteer to place Angel Trees in high-traffic areas within their community, organization or office.”

You can find these trees in the big box stores, the mall and even local high street stores and locations. Pull a ticket, buy the gift, drop it with the cashier as you pay, and voila you have made a child very happy this holiday season.

In many locations, The Salvation Army needs volunteers to help distribute the gifts along with food for holiday meals to the participating families. Often times, employees and family members of the sponsoring organization help distribute their group’s gifts throughout their community. Community volunteer and service groups; church groups and retired senior volunteer programs often aid The Salvation Army during the holidays and throughout the year, but more volunteers are always needed.

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program has this at their website:
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
GOAL: The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.
OBJECTIVES: The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable natural resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.
ACTIVITIES: The principal Toys for Tots activities which take place each year are the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located and in communities without a Reserve Unit that has a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other purely voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toy and monetary donations.

Local churches, rotary clubs, or businesses also have programs for collecting toys and groceries around the holidays and the local food banks are always at critical need this time of the year. Food banks will also accept groceries all year round. Pajama programs, coat drives, the list is endless. If you want to get involved, start calling around, many local churches will take your donations even if you are not a member or don’t plan on becoming one. But consider this, people are in need all year round, think about having fun, making new friends and best of all, making a difference all year not just for the holidays.

Make an adjustment: Make a difference ~ Make someone else happy!
 
Call Dr. Paul or Dr. Susan at 303 674 1500 or email office@fontanachiro.com

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