A Season Of Giving
December 7th, 2007 @ 11:28 am by Mrs. Jasmine
Each holiday season, the Chicago-Sun Times has a fantastic program called “Letters to Santa“. The Sun-Times partners with local social service agencies, homeless shelters, and schools in poverty-stricken neighborhoods to find children who will receive little to nothing this Christmas. The children write letters to Santa listing a few presents they would like to receive. The Sun-Times then matches the children with readers who want to “play Santa”. The reader buys a $25-$30 present off the child’s list and sends it as “Santa”. It’s such a great way to make sure that a child receives something special for the holidays.
I participated last year and had a great time choosing gifts for my child, wrapping them (and including sweets!) and writing a note from “Santa”. I just received this season’s letter and I’ve been matched up with a 5 year old girl who requested Dr. Seuss books and a doll that walks. My heart just melted.
I would definitely encourage Weddingbee readers to consider participating in the “Letters to Santa” program. It’s such an easy way to make a child’s holiday season bright and joyful. Plus, it’s so refreshing to take time away from wedding planning do something for someone else, however small the effort may be.
If any of you know of other great holiday service projects in your neighborhood, please share!
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13 Responses to “A Season Of Giving”
I volunteer with Girl Guides/Girl Scouts and it’s a ball for 9-10 months out of the year but Christmas is always a time that we push the girls to think about other people. We did a couple of events this past week that were really heartwarming.
We took the girls to sing at the hospital, mostly to the seniors - the girls sang a mix of funny songs and Christmas songs and then went waltzing up and down the hospital wings to sing to staff and people who couldn’t get out of their beds.
Seeing and knowing how happy we made some of those people (and their family members who were visiting) was a very rewarding feeling.
Food bank and Christmas Spirit drives are big this year as well so we also went out and collected food for the food bank (Because, really, who can say no to a cute 7 yr old dressed up as an elf asking for charity?)
Yay I just signed up for a letter! We used to do Operation Christmas Child (the shoeboxes) at our church but since we moved we haven’t done it in a while. I am so excited to get my letter! Thanks for letting me know Miss Jasmine!
Our small office just did the Walmart/Salvation Army charity and adopted 7 kids and went on a $700 shopping spree! I went with two others and we had a blast! We each had two carts stuffed with toys and clothes and books and were dragging along several bikes behind us! We got some funny looks, but I’m sure it will give the kids a good Christmas!
The US Post Office has a great program that’s pretty big in New York. They separate all of the Dear Santa letters, and you can go and sort through the letters to pick one you want to fulfill.
I did this last year here in California. What broke my heart was kids asking for gifts for other people, like their cousin or brother or sister.
This Operation Santa has been going on for almost 100 years. This article gives a good synopsis:
http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2007-11-26-0038.html
This article talks about a woman who fulfills about 30 letters each year:
I like the program that the US Post Office does. I think it’s called Operation Santa, and it’s been happening since about 1915.
All those Dear Santa letters are set aside, and then “elves” come and pick which ones they will fulfill. I did this last year in California. What broke my heart was kids asking for something for their brother, sister, cousin, mom, dad, etc, but nothing for themselves!
Here’s a great story about Operation Santa:
In lieu of Christmas presents for us, we asked our families to donate to their local food banks this year.
Record high energy prices are forcing more and more families to choose between driving to work and going to the grocery store. This AP article from Cincinnati might have been posted from any American city:
__________CINCINNATI - Operators of free food banks say they are seeing more working people needing assistance. The increased demand is outstripping supplies and forcing many pantries and food banks to cut portions.
Demand is being driven up by rising costs of food, housing, utilities, health care and gasoline, while food manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers are finding they have less surplus food to donate and government help has decreased, according to Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks.
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I can’t believe how much worse it gets month after month,” she said. _____________________
We also be making donations as gifts. We have selected a charity that means something to each of our relatives and will be making a donation in their honor.
Here are some good site if you are interested in finding an appropriate charity gift:
charitynavigator.org
Guidestar.org
http://www.justgive.org
This is a fantastic idea - I live in Chicago and just signed up for a couple of letters for me and my husband. I’ve been looking for something where I can directly give something to some children, rather than just dropping off a toy at Toys for Tots (which is still a great thing!)
We did Treat the Troops which sends cookies to military serving overseas. A group I belong to adopts a family every year to help provide for Christmas for their children. We do it anonymously so it is a gift of love and does not embarrass the family. This year I am also getting a post Christmas hair cut for Locks of Love.
I always support Operation Christmas Child.
My fiance’s office sponsors cancer patiences from the local children’s hospital. Each year we pick out a child and buy his/her christmas wishlist. We never met them, but we often wonder what they would look like, and we like to think that they look like normal and happy kids!
It’s not specifically Christmas-related, but I love the Any Soldier program (www.AnySoldier.com) and talk it up every chance I get!
The program was set up to provide letters and packages for service members in Iraq and Afghanistan who don’t have people back home to send them mail. They’re happy just to receive letters and notes of support — many soldiers say that what means the most is just knowing people care.
But the reason I’m addicted to sending packages is because the soldiers’ needs are so simple compared to everything we enjoy here at home. Take a look at any request (just click on “Where to Send”) and you’ll be amazed at how simple the needs are — shampoo, tampons, Pop Tarts, a current magazine or two, a new pair of underwear or socks…. Overall, it takes very little money or effort to make a HUGE difference in someone’s daily life.
If you’re in the BAY AREA, specifically SILICON VALLEY:
The Giving Tree
http://www.familygivingtree.org/index.htm
Do this at your work!
Mrs. Jasmine, Chicago/LA
Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Attorney
Engagement Date: March 24, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: September 20, 2007
Venue: Hotel on the westside of Los Angeles
About Me: I'm a happy-go-lucky, imaginative spirit trapped in the body of a lawyer. I love reading, shopping, dining out, and exploring my beloved adopted city of Chicago with my fiance. We're planning the wedding of our dreams in my hometown of Los Angeles and we're excited to incorporate our cherished Indian/Pakistani customs and traditions.
it’s too late to sign up now..but for future reference…
in NYC, New York Cares does something like this as well. it’s called “winter wishes” and kids AND families write letters. you can look it up on the new york cares website. my little girl last year had the funniest letter..since i couldn’t figure out what she wanted. i thought she was writing that she wanted a model certificate shoes (and i was thinking..isn’t she too young to be modeling??) and after reading it over and over, realized she wanted a modell’s (a sporting goods store) gift certificate to buy new sneakers~!!