Despite my “pinvy” (pinterest envy) of everyone else’s designer holiday mantles and the total calendar upheaval of holiday season, we’re now entering my favorite time of year. As we gear up for Thanksgiving, it’s hard to believe we’re already looking at Christmas planning too.
Today I want to share a holiday tradition that doesn’t require trips to the craft store or hot glue injury: GIVING!
When I was a kid, my mom started a tradition of “adopting” a family for the holidays. It was usually someone she knew through her years as a cheerleading coach or through her extensive circle of friends. Mom would collect the family’s info (ages, genders, clothing sizes, interests), collect money from other folks who wanted to donate, set up a shopping day, wrap everything, and then deliver a wow-worthy load of Christmas goods for the adopted family. It was a beautiful way to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. And she probably enjoyed buying for kids who were a little more grateful than we were.
I’d carry on my mom’s family adoption tradition, except… how can I put this?… I am not nearly as gifted at organization OR follow-through OR time management as my mother. Her giving process involved multiple trips, lists, communication with lots of people, and time. My giving process is simpler: pick a charity, donate, done. The holiday tradition of giving lives on, but it’s not quite as time consuming.
So for today’s post, I want to focus on the easiest kind of giving: the donation. And since the only real work is selecting an organization, I’m going to share four of my favorite local charities. These places are where I focus my giving because I’ve seen their impact.
Loaves & Fishes Apopka: Loaves & Fishes in Apopka fed my husband as a child. He tells stories of hopping on his bicycle to pick up the weekly box of food for his family. He remembers huge amounts of food for their family of nine and he still gets excited talking about it. As far as I’m concerned, we owe a debt to Loaves & Fishes that we’ll never be able to repay. They sustained a sweet, scrawny little boy as he grew into the man who leads our family and it is my absolute pleasure to give to them every chance I get! If you want to give to a local organization that feeds the hungry right where they live, give here.
Zebra Coalition: This Orlando-based organization fills a unique community need. If you care about bullying, substance abuse, housing, and mental health support for LGBT+ teens and young adults, this is an awesome place to support. The Zebra Coalition supports youth “of a different stripe” who are marginalized and face discrimination at school, from other charitable organizations, and even at home. I give here because Orlando should be a place where everyone can experience love, hope, and grace.
Your Local Church: Don’t forget your local church or house of worship! They often fill community and congregational needs quietly in ways you’ll never know. Grace Pointe Church in Apopka, for example, gives locally and supports partners in Haiti and in Laos. They just sent money directly to Haiti to pour the concrete of a new floor. I can’t think of any organization that gets money directly to international partners better than they do.
Embraced by Grace: The owners of this Christian adoption agency walk the walk. They have two biological and twelve adopted children and they’re passionate about connecting Orlando birth moms with adoptive families. I personally know people who’ve built their families through Embraced by Grace and who knows — maybe someday I’ll do the same! Donations to Embraced by Grace support birth mothers and help keep adoption costs low.
No matter where you give, you want to be sure that the organization puts a sizable chunk of your donation into the hands of people who need it and not into overhead costs. You’ll also want to make sure the organization’s values reflect your own (at least in part). For me, what matters most is seeing actual results in the lives of people I know.
So you’ve seen my favorite local charities. Share yours in the comments and let’s get ready to GIVE this season!
We give to Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, FL. As the mother of a child with special medical needs, we were so happy to find an organization that believes that every child, no matter their illness, can experience the transformational spirit and friendships that go hand in hand with camp.
With unobtrusive expert medical care, Camp Boggy Creek provides seriously ill children with a fun-filled experience defined by compassion, laughter and acceptance. Beyond boundless fun, Camp Boggy Creek provides fellowship. Children can spend time with others who are just like them and share their life experiences, which serves as a reminder that they are not alone.
Yes, I copied and pasted the information above from their website, but only because I couldn’t say it better. My daughter has been a camper there, we’ve attended their weekend family retreats (which are literally life-changing), and I’ve volunteered there in the wood shop. This camp is imprinted on my heart. If you are looking for an opportunity to give, this one is definitely worth checking out!
https://www.boggycreek.org