Giving back to others tops the list of life lessons we’ve tried to teach our two boys since they were little. To drive this point home over the years, we adopted a three-pronged approach to giving: we donated our money, gave away our things and offered up our time. Sometimes we did this as a family, while other times, it was a solo effort. But the net result? We infused our family with the spirit of giving.
Giving Our Money
When my boys (now 15 and 18) first started receiving an allowance, my husband and I made them divvy it up into three jars: spending, saving and giving. Their giving jar coins would accumulate for months until we found a worthy cause to help. Then, we’d match them dollar for dollar and donate the money outright or purchase items and then donate them.
Over the years, our family has given money in a variety of ways, usually tying into something that will benefit other kids.
- We bought backpacks, school clothes, and school supplies every August and donated them to organizations conducting back-to-school campaigns to help needy kids in our community.
- Every Christmas, the boys would each pick a name off of the “Angel Tree” at our church and then we’d all shop for gifts. Another year, we pooled money with several families to help out a boy on my son’s soccer team whose family was really struggling financially. We bought coats, clothes, toys, books and new bicycles for the soccer buddy and his three brothers, plus food and even a few presents for his parents.
- Through Children International, we sponsored a boy named Spencer from Zambia for 10 years, helping to provide food, clothing, medical care and other necessities. The boys would chip in from their giving jar when we sent in our monthly sponsorship gift.
Giving Our Things
When we donated the very things we owned and loved, it’s almost like we were sharing a part of ourselves with others. Over the years, we’ve donated hundreds of things that our family no longer needed.
- As our growing boys regularly outgrew their clothing and toys, we donated them to Goodwill, Salvation Army and various community organizations.
- We literally raided our sons’ closets one chilly night when we found out that the previously mentioned soccer buddy and his older brother didn’t have any long pants to wear.
- As a homeschooling family, we accumulated a lot of books and magazines. After we finished reading them, we’d often donate them to local schools and our public library.
- When my boys outgrew their beloved wooden train set, they donated it (along with the wooden train table my husband built) to Boys Town for the young residents to enjoy.
