Giving Back

The holidays are a great time to give back.  Even better, it is a perfect opportunity to teach this lesson to your children.

The other day my son found some toys in my office.  Being three, he immediately tried to open them, assuming they were for him.  I tried to explain to him that these toys were for boys and girls who don't get presents.  He of course said, "I don't have any presents."

Ok, so he didn't get that lesson, but we will keep trying.

In honor of Max and his love of toys, here are some toy drives that you can contribute to:

• Toys for Tots
• Operation E.L.F. thu the Connecticut National Guard
• Coalition for the Homeless
• Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

These are just the tip of the iceberg.  The big name toy drives are really easy to find and they make donating so simple.  But I also really like the small toy drives right in your town.  

No child should go without and a small toy can make such a difference.  We hope you will join us in donating this holiday season!

Time to Give Back

It is the season of giving! We thought it would be nice if we gave all of our amazing readers a few ideas of how to give back.  After all Christmas is not all about the gifts, at least that is what the Grinch tells us!

The first thing way to give back is to volunteer.  Giving back doesn’t have to mean money. Volunteering at a soup kitchen or shelter can be just as rewarding as donating gifts or clothes, possibly even more.  This is a great website that lists 25 ways you can donate your time.  

Probably the most popular holiday donation is toys!  Nothing makes you feel better than knowing you are helping a child.  There are a couple of ways to do this.  

• You can go to a local school and donate toys
• Visit Toys ‘R’ Us website here and chose from a huge donation list
• Drop off toys at any Toys for Tots location.  The huge list of locations is here.

Another great donation is clothing, especially coats, gloves, scarves, and hats.  Many communities and stores offer coat drives at this time of the year.  Burlington Coat Factory has a huge coat drive right now and you can find a local donation spot here. 

Hopefully this blog was helpful in providing you all with basic information about giving back during the Christmas season. Feel free to let us know how your donating activity went.