3 Ways to Give at Christmas

Christmas is supposed to be a time of giving and yet it often seems like a time of getting! More presents, more Christmas lights, more food.... it is easy to find ourselves caught up in greed and grab.

But I've found ways to convert that to more giving. If you're not already involved in these wonderful projects (or something similar) I urge you to try them out. It's a win-win situation when you help others and you feel good about it.

I have 10 grandchildren. As each of them reaches age 13, I take the money I normally spent on them for a gift under the tree, and use it for one of the following projects. Each grandchild knows what was purchased in their name and receives a card with information on the gift and how it helps others. The younger children still receive a present under the tree but I include them in the Sick Children's Hospital project.

Sick Children's Hospital has a very special meaning for me. When my first grandchild was one month old he became very ill and ended up in Sick Kid's. He was diagnosed with the flesh-eating bacteria. One lung was completely destroyed and the second partially gone and we were told he would not likely make it through the night. But specialists worked tirelessly to save him and although he was in ICU for many weeks and had many setbacks, they managed to control and eradicate the bacteria before the second lung was completely gone. Thanks to the doctors and staff at Sick Children's he survived (minus one lung) and is now an active 20 year old.

1. Plan Canada 
I support 3 girls on a monthly basis. Fiker lives in Ethiopia, Rojina is in Tibet, and Racheal is in Zambia. These sponsorships replace spending that money on gifts to my eldest grandchildren. My grandkids get to enjoy the letters and photos we receive from the girls, and they also get to be part of helping others who are not as fortunate as they are.

2. Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto Ontario
I love choosing what I think is the perfect gift to make in a grandchild's name. For example, Quinn likes to cook so last year I gave the Holiday Cooking and Baking Supplies gift in his name.

3. Kiva
By lending as little as $25 on Kiva, anyone can help a borrower start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy or realize their potential. I'm part of the Genealogists for Families Team on Kiva. Currently I have made 10 loans to women in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, El Salvador, Cambodia, Mali, Samoa, and the Philipines.

I try to make loans in my adult children's names based on their interests. For example I made one loan in my motorcycle loving son-in-law's name to a man in Kenya who need to purchase a new motorcycle for his taxi business.

Here are 3 of my 4 current loans:

Often I choose single woman with children who are involved in some aspect of food services - cooking, raising chickens, running a small grocery store. In fact I have some money in my account from a loan that was repaid a few days ago, and I'm going to choose someone new today.

The above are ways I spend money I would normally spend on gifts to family at Christmas. It may not suit everyone but I urge you to check out what is available where you live and consider a project helping others to better their lives.