Every year as I prepare my religious Christmas cards and get ready to send them off I think about my church and all the people who most of my cards will be going to. I think about the people in need and I’m glad through my church there are so many opportunities to give. We have a ministry that is called Urban Feet. We go into heavily urban areas and give out coats, socks, shoes, scarves and many other types of clothing. We also are part of the Angel Tree ministry, where the children of an incarcerated parent or parents will receive gifts in their parents name from those who give gifts to the ministry. I also like to include Christmas cards with my gifts.
Each Christmas after sending out my cards I receive tons of praise on the quality. People would say “These are the best Christmas cards I ever received.” That brings joy to my heart, knowing I picked the right cards to send to family and friends. Being able to share the holiday spirit with those in need, as well as all the wonderful people who I am lucky enough to have in my life, make sending cards a truly important part of the season.
What a lovely person you are! Giving, especially during the holidays feels rewarding and it truly Celebrates the Reason for the Season
You belong to such a great church! It is wonderful and so rewarding to be involved in such a generous community
I commend you and your church for giving back to those in need. My church does a “giving tree” for underprivileged children each Christmas. I get more joy out of buying gifts for these children than for my ownfamily – and I adore my family. It’s what CHristmas is all about.
Living in NJ, this Christmas is especially hard for many families. After hurricane Sandy there are still a lot of families that have not been able to return to their homes. Some don’t have homes to return to. So while I’m not much of a church goer, my company has employees that are involved with charities. We had in our kitchen a donation box for children’s toys for a local shelter. I enjoyed buying those toys knowing that it would bring a smile to a small child.
Madeline, you’re right. Many people in NY and NJ are still without homes. Giving a small donation can make a big difference, even sending something as simple as christmas cards can make a difference in someone’s life.