The Holiday Spirit

I have been remiss in not writing sooner about real holiday giving. Not gift-giving, but charitable giving. It has been on my mind a lot.

My holiday budget was tight again this year, but I made sure to stick to it so that we had a little leftover to donate to a couple of charities (I always debate whether to make on "larger" gift to one charity, or to divvy it up...I chose the latter, which means it will be four tiny gifts, but it still feels right). I also like to involve the kids in this process, especially now that they are older (ages 4 and 7). They know that the money we save in our change jar all year long always goes to "tzedakah" at the end of the year, along with the other amount I budgeted.

This year I chose four charities, and the children helped me choose the first one. We got a fundraising letter in the mail from DOROT, a NYC charity that delivers meals and provides friendly visits to the homebound elderly. This was something tangible that easy to discuss with the children on an age-appropriate level- i.e. "Why do you think it is hard for older people to cook for themselves?" "Why do you think older people like to have younger people visit them?" R. also liked that this is a Jewish charity, although I pointed out to her that it provides food for elderly people of all backgrounds.

The other 3 charities I chose myself: The Doe Fund (a favorite NYC charity of mine for years which provides training and jobs to formerly homeless, addicted or jailed individuals); Autism Speaks (an organization I consider the "gold standard" in autism awareness, research, and treatment...plus I know the boy who inspired the organization from our neighborhood); and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (I am thankful for the care they provided for my aunt years ago, and I continue to be grateful for each year that my family is healthy).

Of course, there are many other ways to give this holiday season besides donating money (one of my favorites is to give glood since the supply is traditionally low this time of year). A wonderful blog that I discovered this year, Operation Nice has many other inspiring ideas and anecdotes.

What are some of your family's favorite ways to "give back" during the holidays? Tell us about them in the comments.