For 3 years my friends family & I have been giving to a group of poor children -Any ideas for Christmas?
827848
I think you should do what you were planning to do. Get them involved in helping others. Hopefully they'll feel good after giving that they'll want to do it more often and be grateful for what they have.
889299
Depending on the country...If it were an underdeveloped country I \nwould probably include the basic staples; flour, cornmeal, salt sugar, rice, etc.  and non perishable items easy to open like crackers, cookies, anything dried. i also would send shirts, shorts, flip- flops. depending on the sizes of the family members.  basic first aid supplies, simple toys or picture books and linens, diapers if family has a baby.\nand personal hygiene items.    But if it were a developed country i would ask the family.  but I have  question...why send it overseas when there are plenty of needy families right here in our country?\nGood Luck...Imma
974566
go to volunteer match or look up local shelters and do community service together.\n\nswap names for christmas gifts.\n\nshare your favorite and funniest thanksgiving memory.\n\nstart and "Thankfulness Tree" where you write what you are thankful for on a small circle cut out of paper (and each family member can share) and hang them on a small tree or plant. THEN keep it up with your kids and either every night at dinner make another circle paper/ornament and write what you are thankful for. Each week at dinner review the week's thanks!\n\nThis is kind of like pictionary combined with communication... pair people up with a partner. Then elect one to be the "drawer" and one to be the "teller". Show the "teller" a piece of paper of what they are supposed to DESCRIBE to the "drawer". They cannot look at the paper of the drawer. They cannot tell the person what they are drawing. They must sit back-to-back. Samples of things you can have them draw: a smiley face, a snowman, a present with bow on the top. \n(so like for a smiley face the "teller" could say: "draw two dots next to each other. Then underneath the two dots draw a "U". Now make a big circle around all of that.). You can just make up any picture for them to draw that you want. Again, the teller cannot look at the paper and say "No, move this..." or anything. \nYou can time it if you want and then compare pictures amongst teams afterwards!!! See who was closest! See whose was just waaaaaaaaay off!
873108
What I would do is wait until December and go to the store [if your area does it] and pick a child or two from the charity [like what Kmart does] and buy them some presents.  A lot of families don't have money for presents.  One year I bought presents for a little girl.  It was fun because I have just boys, so it was nice to buy dolls and stuff like that.  I also put in ten dollars for the parent [s] to buy a little something.  I didn't have a lot of money and my son and I agreed that some of our Christmas fund would go to help another child.  Turns out that his teacher put his name on a list like that and he got a couple new outfits new shoes and a couple toys.  We were not well off at all but it does make you feel good to wake up on Christmas and know that somewhere a child is smiling and happy and you made that happen.
842119
Thats very good of you. They're always on the TV so I'd look out for adverts on the likes of ITV, Nickelodeon or maybe Challenge. If you would consider just donating to a well established kid's charity I'd recommend NSPCC or Childline, they could always use help.\n\nThanks for being so generous, your gonna make some kid happy! (=
969682
this year @ work we are donating the $$$ we would normally spend on the Christmas party  &  on gifts for each other.. to a needy family
61520
Donate them to charity. Give some to friends, sell some of them
855674
This year, my husband and I decided to do most of our shopping online. That way, we wouldn't have to deal with all the crowds, the pushing, the shoving, etc. We made a plan of what we would buy and for whom, and it ended up being a theme this year to get everyone's gifts (except the kids' toys) through a charity or organization. So far, we have given to Beads for Education (they make beaded items to sell to raise money for girls in Kenya to go to school) Autism Speaks, the ASPCA, Jamestown Museum (they raise money for their archaeological research in Jamestown, Virginia) Big City Mountaineers (they take inner city kids camping, fishing, ect.) Breast Cancer Research (we bought items through Avon...100% of their profits go to the research) the American Cancer Society, College of the Atlantic (they "adopt" whales to people for a year, and the money goes to research on finback whales) World Wildlife Foundation, The Make a Wish Foundation and the USHS. It feels good to give to these organizations who could use the money more than my sister needs a new pair of cheap wal-mart earrings, and you can still get something in return to put under the tree. There are soooooo many more organizations out there that need help, and now is a good opportunity to pitch in. Not to mention that I'm almost done with my christmas shopping, and I didn't have to leave my computer....plus, if you have family members that won't be here this Christmas, you can have something shipped directly to them. My daughter even got into the spirit, and cut a foot of her hair off to give to Locks of Love....and she's only 8 years old...I'm so proud of her for being such a good person.  So, as for being "ready" for the upcoming holidays... I'm about halfway there (I still haven't decorated the house) But I took this opportunity to perhaps give others ideas that would "pay it forward" this year. Good luck to everyone!
935284
I bet if you write to your local tv or radio stations, they might use your story on the air and give you a nice new computer as a holiday christmas wish. at this time of year, there are lots of companies that like to donate to families that are having difficulties.
945106
I give every year. My daughter is so blessed that she gets so many toys that she sometimes dont even play with them. So I keep the boxes and every holiday I have her give up some of her toys to make room for the ones she will be getting for christmas, put them in the boxes and donate them. I teach her the importance of giving and she really enjoys it. Every child should get a gift for christmas.
964808
Heres something that works for every age range:\nGo to a 99 cent store and pick up small christmas themed tins or plastic gift bags\nBake some easy candy: fudge, peppermint bark, english toffee etc\nPut the candy into the tins and pass them out.  Its an easy gift that won't cost you more than 30 bucks total.  A bonus is you'll get to eat some of the candy and have fun making it.  Thats what I'm doing this year for my friends (all recent college grads)  \nHappy Holidays!
648059
Thank them then chuck it away, I know it's the thought that counts but obviously very little thought (if any) went into that gift ... Actually, donate it to charity, make an unfortunate person smile :-)
703980
I've been ringing bells since I was about 10 with my dad, and my family always spent at least one night helping at a local community kitchen every month, not just during the holidays.  I hope to incorporate that tradition with my own children once they are old enough.  Oh and we always donate gifts to children in need.
834641
There are many people in need all around and it's not all that difficult to find them. Open your eyes and be sensitive to what people are doing and saying.\nI have found people in all the places you mentioned. I usually give to the Salvation Army - clothes, furniture, money but a couple of times I gave all kinds of stuff including a stroller and a Christmas Tree to the residents at the public housing project I worked at. I have given at school to help a sick child pay for treatment. There are always coat drives and food baskets as well as Angel Tree (through church) for the children of inmates at Christmas.\nI've given directly to homeless people in the form of a hot meal or blanket.\nThere's so much that any of us can do.
787136
This is entirely up to you.  Don't do anything out of guilt, but from a genuine desire to give.  If you really want to give them something, give them something!\n\nI recommend it be something fun, small, or inexpensive.  You might get them small toys or costume jewelry or an inexpensive T-shirt or a book or video.  You might also bake them cookies or gingerbread cakes.
315746
Maybe if you look at the different charitable organizations and see if there is anything in place to support someone in this way.  Even writing to a lot of church organizations who would encourage people to sponsor your friend's daughter.  Maybe they could do a search on the computer and send emails to these organizations.
704983
You should give it to Heifer Project International\n\nIt helps impoverished families worldwide become more self-reliant through the gift of livestock and training in their care.\n\nThis charity really helps people to help themself, once the gift of livestock is given. I've given to this charity for over 10 years now.\n\nhttp://www.heifer.org