Two gifts from the heart that make a difference: Green Gifting Tip #3!
You probably know this already, but not everyone wants more stuff when it is their time to receive a gift. For some people, knowing they are making a positive difference in the world is way more important to them than getting the newest electronic device or more bath products. So how do you find the right gift for these earth-loving and stuff-slaying people? Here are two gifts from the heart that make a difference:
Gift #1, Make a donation/contribution to a non-profit in honor of your loved one.
I know this isn’t an original idea anymore, but it’s such a good one because it’s a true win-win. Your loved one who doesn’t want any more stuff in the form of gifts might have a favorite non-profit that could really use your funding! Go ahead and ask them or come up with an organization that aligns with their beliefs and passions.
My family and I actually started our own non-profit last year, Driven by Heart Scholarships, in the hopes of making a difference with local youths. So, to celebrate my 50th birthday next month, I will ask friends to donate if they want to honor me in any way. Below are some of my other favorite non-profit organizations:
https://www.predatordefense.org/
http://savedolphins.eii.org/campaigns/sjd/
Gift #2, Volunteer your time, energy, love, kindness or wisdom.
I have to admit, this gift is really for yourself. However, maybe a loved one volunteers somewhere locally and has asked you many times to come help out. Now is your chance! Or maybe you want to donate to a charity or non-profit, but your financial situation doesn’t currently allow it. Donate your time, energy, love, kindness, wisdom, etc. You can always volunteer in honor of someone else too!
Here is my experience on the benefits of volunteering:
I started volunteering 25 years ago. I remember it was after a long-term relationship ended, and it seemed like a good way to help reinvent myself. Having received a degree in wildlife biology but not working in that field at the time, my interest in wild things was strong and unsatisfied. So, I signed up to work a weekend shift at our local wildlife rehab center, Chintimini Wildlife Center, http://www.chintiminiwildlife.org/. Not only did I make some new friends for my new life, I would like to think I made a difference for the injured and orphaned wildlife. My favorite part was feeding and raising the baby birds that were orphaned in the spring. Since they needed to be fed quite frequently, I would take these little guys everywhere with me. Then the profound day would come when I would release them, a mixed bag of emotions: loss, pride, hope and love for their wild spirits.
My last volunteering gig was with the Mesa Familiar Corvallis Family Table, https://www.facebook.com/MesaFamiliarDeCorvallisFamilyTable. One Thursday a month, my son and I helped in serving a free, hot meal to people in need in our neighborhood. I only spent a couple of hours doing this a month, and the benefit was huge! When people would thank me for serving them, I wanted to say “thank YOU” back because it truly felt as though they were giving me more than I was giving them.
Being able to contribute in this way fills me with the gifts of gratitude for what I have and compassion for those without.
One reason I chose this group to work with was because when I was a child, I went through a couple years of neglect. Many times, I did not a have a hot dinner. During this period of neglect, my friends’ parents sometimes took me in and fed me. They didn’t have to help me, but they saw a need and stepped up. What if we all did this more?
Based on my own personal experience, you get so much more than they you give when volunteering, and the power of one person’s time and kindness can help many people/animals/habitats. As a former scientist, I used to be skeptical of supposed altruistic acts because biological success is about survival of the fittest and conserving our energy. However, as a human being I’ve learned that it’s our hearts that have the true say in how successful we are. Volunteering can teach you new skills, foster new relationships, make a huge difference in someone else’s life and can teach young people, like my son, that the world doesn’t revolve around their cell phones. There are many opportunities for volunteering: start a community garden, work at a soup kitchen, help teach a youngster to read or give some love at an animal shelter. Local schools, faith groups, environmental groups and other community agencies could use a good person like you! What are you waiting for? We can make this world a better place, and it’s time to step up!
So gifts from the heart can and do make a difference! Thank you for reading and happy gifting,
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Love your reasons for volunteering. Beautifully spoken.
Thank you Shirley!