Category

Holidays and Holiday Giving

Category

The joy is everywhere…

“The mother of excess is not joy but joylessness.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

excess-and-lex

I would be lying if I didn’t admit to being a bit tired and overloaded this time of year. Do not get me wrong, I adore the holidays! I love everything about them, the decorations, the friends, the parties, the food, and even the presents. Truly, I do.

However, there are days when  doing all the shopping, the wrapping and the cooking that it feels a bit overwhelming. We are about 10 days away and while I am checking things off the list, I am concerned with exactly that…..just checking them off, rather than feeling the joy.

With so much to do, it is easy to just go, go, go but if we are all moving at warp speed how can we be in the moment to witness the magic moments of the holidays? The other day I was whirling around getting ready for a party, I dashed into my in-laws to borrow something and in my rush almost missed my tiny niece hanging an ornament on the tree. She squealed with delight, which is what stopped me in my tracks to take the picture above.

And there it was….the joy, the wonder, the magic…right there in front of me and I almost missed it. I write this post as a reminder to myself that the joy is everywhere, if we just slow down long enough to catch it.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2016 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Well…hello December

” It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready…”

Sarah Kay

well-hello-december

Well….helloooo December!

I am not sure how you snuck up on me

However, I must confess that I am happy you are here.

Am I ready for you?

No..

Am I ever?

No.

But, do I love the lights, the music, the joy…

Yes!

It is the most magical time of year…

So ready or not…

Here we go!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2016 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Happy Thanksgiving

“What if today, we were grateful for everything?”

Charlie Brown

modern-family-thanksgiving

Today is the day that we give thanks for all that we have….our crazy wonderful families, our health, a meal, our freedom and time to just be together.

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude.

Perhaps, this year we can begin to make every day one of gratitude.

If we continue to focus on all of our blessings and all that we have, we will always be full….and not just of turkey and stuffing!

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2016 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Happy Labor Day!

Happy labor Day 2016

I hope this finds you enjoying sometime relaxing with friends and family, as we celebrate Labor Day and the official ending of summer. This year, I found myself curious about the history of Labor Day and thought this little snippet did a good job explaining why we have this wonderful holiday.

So enjoy learning a little…..

 

And wishing you a wonderful Labor Day!

Charity Matters.

 

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Christmas is simply so much more

“Christmas is a necessity.  There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.”

 Eric Sevareid

Vintage christmas santaThe day after tomorrow is Christmas and if the late timing of this post is any indication, well I am a bit behind. I have now surrendered. Christmas will come whether I run ten more errands or none at all.  What is important is being present, not the presents. As I tell this to you, I am really telling it to myself….enjoy every little moment or the joy will escape you.

Christmas is about so much more ….

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

The other gift

The other gift

I have a confession to make. For the first time in my life, I am not in the Christmas spirit. I keep waiting and hoping and thinking that it’s coming, but it has yet to appear. The last few months have not been easy and moving two days after Christmas certainly isn’t making it easier to feel the joy.

We are living in an empty house with boxes, and a Christmas tree but the usual trappings of the holidays are simply too much with the move. So, I find myself in a pickle for the first time…looking for Christmas cheer.

Just when I was having a low moment, I came across this. A magic cure for turning any frown upside down. So indulge and take a moment to see what happens when children have to choose between a gift for themselves or for their family.

Even these children know just how great it feels to give.

 

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

#GivingTuesday

GiveTuesday 2015

As Giving Tuesday arrives tomorrow, it seems to be in stark contrast to all other messages being sent our way about sales and holiday giving. First its Black Friday, next its Small Store Saturday and today is Cyber Monday. While the names are catchy, what is the meaning and the purpose?

In 2012, the Giving Tuesday movement began to create a national day of giving to support favorite non-profit organizations. Initially there were 2,500 partners and today in just three years it has grown to over 30,000 organizations in over 70 countries.

Giving comes in other forms besides money, it can be the gift of time or resources. So think about what organizations you care about and ask yourself the real question. How can I give tomorrow?

 

Charity Matters.

 

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The Morning After

The morning after Norman-Rockwell

Another Christmas has come and gone and it is the morning after. Today, is really one of my favorite days of the year. There is no pressure to please, no need for a perfect house, gift or outfit. Today is a day when we stay in our robes, sip our coffee slower, wade through piles of wrapping paper and assess the aftermath of Christmas.

More than that, it is the day that the pace is slowed, the memories cherished and the stomach and heart are full.

There is simply nothing more glorious than the morning after…

Charity Matters

Copyright © 2014 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child

With the millions of non-profits just in the United States, I often feel like my job is like looking for a needle in a haystack. To make the search easier, I have tried to keep the focus on people helping people in the United States. I have also tried to avoid politics and religion,  for the same obvious reasons that you don’t discuss them at holiday parties either. When searching for a holiday non-profit that shares the joy of the season and spreads the message of Christmas, I found myself breaking most of my rules this week.

The reason was because of a cause called Operation Christmas Child, which is part of a larger non-profit called  Samaritans purse. Their mission is to help the poor and suffering of the world, and yes there is a little religion mixed into the formula. However, once I saw the faces of these children and how easy it is to bring Christmas joy….I needed to share.

One of the ways they accomplish this mission is to have people put together a shoe box for a child with toys, school supplies, tooth paste, a handwritten note and a picture of the sender which are delivered all over the world to the neediest children.  The beauty is in the simplicity and the sheer joy of giving.

If  you are looking for a simple way to spread the love of Christmas for a few dollars, or looking for a project to do with your children creating a Christmas box  is simple. That is why 113 million of these have been sent since 1993. That is a huge amount of Christmas, joy and love.  At the end of the day, Christmas isn’t about rules it is about spreading love to all…

 

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2014 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

It is better to give….

it is better to give...westjet14

You have heard me time and again talk about cause marketing, you know, using goodness to promote your brand. If there is one company that has done this so right and brings tears to my eyes each year it is this one…..

Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you are selling and just as the video says,” It is simply better to give than to receive.”

 

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2014 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Charity Matters Quotes: Giving

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

St. Francis of Assisi

CM-giving ChristmasVacation

Its Friday and the Christmas season is here! This weekend many of us will get our trees, begin to pull out the boxes of decorations, order our holiday cards or start some Christmas shopping.  All of these are acts of giving.

We decorate to give our families and neighbors a sense of our holiday joy, those Christmas lights are for them. The cards that we agonized over and spend late nights addressing are gifts we are sending to those that we love.

The shopping, is no different. We do this because it is more fun to give than to receive.

This holiday season think about the act of giving as you complete each one of these tasks. My guess is that rather than feeling like a chore, it will bring you joy in knowing that you have made someone else’s day, view or holiday a little bit brighter because you gave.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2014 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

#GivingTuesday

Giving tuesday 2013

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is now ready to jump into the season. It is the most wonderful time of the year and it is December 1st today, so the holiday season has officially arrived. I know that the stores have been telling us since before Halloween that Christmas and the holidays were coming but we all know that this season is really about, love and giving.

Just like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, we now have an offical day to give called Giving Tuesday.  Giving Tuesday  was created to promote the simple act of giving to a cause you care about. This day and now movement began as something to counter Black friday and Cyber monday, It was started by New York’s 92nd Street Y, which has 139 years of fundraising experience. They reached out to the United Nations Foundation and joined as partners. Soon after, big corporations and non-profits signed on to help spread the word and the rest is history, as they say.

As you sit down this week to make out your Christmas list, think about adding the causes you care about to your list. Or perhaps, giving a donation in someone’s name to their favorite cause?  Think about how you feel when you give and what is important to you?  Giving Tuesday is a beautiful reminder of what is  important every day of the year, not just tomorrow.  If you do decide to give, there is no time like the present.

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2014 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween 620x413

Halloween is a mystery to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love all holidays, especially ones that are centered around candy. I think you either are someone who loves costumes, dressing up, being someone else for a day or a few hours….or you’re not.

For me, I love seeing the kids, the happy faces, the tradition and the pumpkins. I love giving away candy and eating it. Whether you are mad for Halloween or your more like me,….I hope yours is spectacular!

Wishing you all a very Happy Halloween!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2014 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

“At Christmas, all roads lead home.”

 Marjorie Holmes

NormanRockwellChristmas

I hope that this post finds you enjoying your Christmas with family and friends and savoring every moment.

I hope Santa was good to you too!

Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas!

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2013 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.