This is Kelly. She goes to church with me. She’s a fellow blogger. She has decided to step it up this year for Christmas.
Kelly is taking part in the “Giving is Awesome” challenge for photographers to reach out and bless someone during this season of giving. She has decided to do something really creative and generous.
For details on what she’s doing…click here —> Daphne Photo Studio // Special Christmas Giveaway
This particular gift idea is for Cincinnati peeps only, but if you’re in another area you can click here —> GIVING IS AWESOME WORLD MAP
A whole bunch of photographers have stepped up to use their gifting to serve others.
So this begs the question:
WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR SOMEONE ELSE THIS YEAR?
It’s a great time to be creative in your giving. Maybe you’re going to:
* Buy something from a cause-based company like “TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS”
* Donate to a great challenge that is helping those in serious need like the 50,000 SHOES CHALLENGE
* Help others by purchasing commodities from the right places: LAND OF A THOUSAND HILLS
Another friend of mine owns a gym and he has decided to offer gym memberships to people who go to his church for a discounted rate…not only that, but half the money that comes from those memberships goes right back to the church.
Some of our friends have been gathering firewood to bring down to the homeless in our area.
I’ll be making massive amounts of cinnamon rolls to give away to friends and family.
What are you doing differently this year?
Thanks so much Ryan – you rock!!
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Giving is awesome indeed. Just last night my husband and I donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. All money raised goes to the fund, no admin pay is cut out of donated money. Right now they’re raising money for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence {NICoE} for soldiers who suffer from traumatic brain disorder and post traumatic stress disorder…
“NICoE will be designed to provide the most advanced services for advanced diagnostics, initial treatment plan and family education, introduction to therapeutic modalities, referral and reintegration support for military personnel and veterans with TBI, post traumatic stress disorder, and/or complex psychological health issues. Further, NICoE will conduct research, test new protocols and provide comprehensive training and education to patients, providers and families while maintaining ongoing telehealth follow-up care across the country and throughout the world.”
http://www.fallenheroesfund.org/Home.aspx
It’s a small way we can show gratitude to the people who have fought for us.
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Giving my time. I spent the better part of yesterday at two different hospitals visiting people. I too am going to make a ridiculous amount of cinnamon rolls. I made one batch last night that are wrapped and ready to head ot the door to friends and family and I currently still have stomachache from eating a few too many myself. I will make more later, closer to Christmas Day for family who will be coming to visit.
Have Blessed day!
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We are going to work in our church nursery during the 12/24 service and we’re taking part in the Community Christmas meal at our church on Christmas day. We’ll be cooking, setting up, etc. Our children are collecting items for a local childcare center that we’ll be giving at the first Birthday Party for Jesus on Sunday. Plus we’re making most of our gifts this year. We are encouraging our kids to give and not be so obsessed with presents. They are only 2 and 4 years old, so hopefully we’ll get them involved in giving young and they won’t have crazy expectations in the future!
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I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers. We used to draw names but this year we are each buying a present for a needy child. It is fun to see my 23 yr. old sister get so excited about buying a bike and all the accoutrements for a three year old. And I’m buying a beading kit for a 12 year old. Appropriate since I make beaded jewelry!
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Giving IS awesome and there are so many great gifts to give that give back. I’ve highlighted some on my blog as well.
Have you checked out the Advent Conspiracy video – it’s a great reminder!
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I sent over 500 Christmas cards and 35 care packages to wounded Soldiers and Soldiers serving our country away from home. We have always used assembling care packages as a learning tool in teaching my daughter to count and learn her colors (one red, two blue, etc. vs. NutriGrain bar, etc.) as well as sharing and compassion. She’s almost 4 and it’s worked like a charm. Life is a learning process anyway so we seize every opportunity we can to incorporate learning into it. We donate to Toys for Tots as well as adopt a child from our local Angel tree. We do things all year long in support of those from our communities and our extended military family. For us it’s just natural to continue the pace.
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We adopted a family from DSHS this year. We just did all the shopping last night. It was a thrill to have my girls shop for someone who was in need. We are not doing gifts this year and are asking those who want to know what gift we all would like, to donate to a friend of mine who has brain cancer.
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My husband Ben and I have recently started a soup kitchen at our church http://www.gracecommunity.com and have only cooked about 5 meals so far. We cook one day per week and make about 80 meals each time, which is all we can afford right now -except Thanksgiving we did 176 meals!
Anyway, our Pastors sermon from this weekend spurred my hubby into pondering “What WOULD Jesus like us to do on HIS birthday?” and he came to the conclusion that we need to come into church (where the soup kitchen is) and cook and deliver Christmas dinner (ham and all the fixin’s) for the needy families in our community.
So that is what WE are doing Christmas day.
This Christmas, since my hubby was laid off last month, is going to be very tight and the kids wont get all the things they wished for (I am even sewing a few gifts this year) but having them help us cook will help them realize just how blessed they are even when we dont have a “hundred” gifts under the tree.
God Bless everyone in this unstable economy.
Synamon
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My computer ate my post so I”m thinking it was Divine intervention not to put it all out there what we’re doing to help this year–kind of like we should remain silent and just say that we *are* helping. We are very blessed and hope that what we are doing at least brings a smile to someone and warms their heart(s). Oh, and could you please remind Allison that her blog is long past dueeeeee!
Thank you. I love reading your blog, it really *really* makes me stop and think (most times anyway and the rest isn’t necessarily your fault! 
)
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this year we are doing Christmas differently. Paring down on the spending, giving consumable gifts, limiting the kids to one gift, and concentrating our efforts on Water4Christmas!
The kids and the extended family and some friends have gotten involved and it’s been fun! And we’re still going!
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It’s not so much new, or original – but what we do that is in the spirit of giving is have our kids choose one gift to give away to Toys for Tots for every gift they are given. They also have to give up an old toy for every toy received that we then bundle up and send over to the Salvation Army.
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My husband’s family has owned their own underground construction business for the last 60 years. They recently had to lay some people off – first time in 36 years – because of the slow economy. And now his remaining employees are down to a 4 day work week. We decided to try to do something for their families to make sure they would still have Christmas this year. We asked for wish lists from each employee who has children under the age of 16 and bought each child a gift from it. And we are making up Christmas dinner baskets with hams in them. We value the hard work hours they put in for us and just wanted to let them know that.
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For the past ten years, my family of origin (we sibs are all now in our 50s) and my mom have taken turns picking a charity, and then donating money we would have spent on just more ‘stuff’ for each other that none of us need anyway to that particular organization. Some years we’ve sent lots, other years are more lean, but it’s still a blessing – and means NO STRESS for the holidays! We’ve done Heifer Project, Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, various missionaries, Physicians for Peace, etc. This year we are helping out the Hospital Hospitality House in Richmond VA who made my sister and her husband feel so welcomed during his year of cancer treatments there. It’s been such a blessing every year. Gee, it’s my turn to pick again next year.. o boy!
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