I love the holiday season – the smells and the stores and the snow, the music and the cookies and the traditions. I love spending time with my family and traveling to see loved ones with packages piled high in the trunk and inviting hugs welcoming you back home. It really comes down to one thing: I love the holiday season because of the way it makes me feel. My heart is at its fullest, and when my heart is full, good things happen. And, we all know what Paul Wellstone said…
“We all do better when we all do better.”
Here’s a list of some of my family’s unique “Do Good” suggestions for this holiday season. I’d love to hear your ideas as well – send me a message so I can extend our list. We can do better…together. Happy Giving Season, friends!
10 Unique Kid-Friendly Ways to Do Good:
HELP ANIMALS by donating old blankets and towels to your local Humane Association
Clean out your old bins of blankets and those towels that no longer match your bathroom paint and deliver them to the human association so animals can have a warm, snuggly bed this winter.
Find your local humane association and get information on donating items on their wish list here.
SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH by creating coping toolkits for Minneapolis’s House of Charity Day by Day Program
House of Charity is collecting tools for their coping skills kits to help the 55% of homeless adults who experience mental illness by providing distractions and practicing self-care. Items for the kits include stress balls, essential oils, fingers paints, smooth rocks, marbles, silly putty, crayons, bubbles or fidget toys.
Find information on volunteering to create toolkits or check out the program’s full wish list here. You can deliver the items directly to their location in Minneapolis at 510 South 8th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404.
GET WOMEN BACK ON THEIR FEET by donating gently-worn career clothing and jewelry to Minneapolis’s People Serving People
Help homeless and at-risk women manage crisis situations build a strong foundation for their long-term success by donating your old career clothes and jewelry that you no longer wear.
See the full list of wish list items in the career closet here. A full list of items requested by People Serving People can be found here. Deliver to the People Serving People to their Minneapolis location at 614 3rd Street South, Minneapolis, MN 55415.
UPGRADING YOUR CELL PHONE? Donate your old one to a local women’s shelter
Home Free Women’s Shelter in Plymouth accepts used cell phones for resident use and financial reimbursement.
Learn all about the cell phone donation program here. Home Free also has a holiday wish list for general items. The 2018 list can be found here and donations can be delivered to their Plymouth location, but please contact their Volunteer Coordinator at 763.559.9008.
BAKE COOKIES for members of the Aliveness Project living with HIV
Every year, the Aliveness Project in Minneapolis hosts a cookie drive to donate to their members who are living their best lives with HIV. Cookie deliveries must happen during their specified times so check the website for all the details. Deliveries go to 3808 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409.
BE A SANTA TO A SENIOR by buying gifts for the elderly
Home Instead Senior Care works with local businesses to provide lists of gifts for senior citizens who might not otherwise receive holiday gifts. Find a local donation tree, select a donation bulb, purchase the selected gift and turn it in.
Find a local gift tree in your area by visiting the Be a Santa to a Senior website here.
BUILD LEGO ORNAMENTS to provide LEGO sets to children’s charities
Come up with some creative LEGO “ornaments” and post them online with the hashtag #BuildToGive. For every ornament built and shared, the LEGO company will donate a LEGO set to a child in need of play.
All the how-tos and even some ornament suggestions and building instructions can be found on their campaign page.
TIE A HOMEMADE FLEECE BLANKET to donate to an ill or traumatized child
Project Linus Twin Cities Chapter collects handmade blankets for children who are hospitalized or who have suffered a tragic loss. Tying a fleece blanket is so simple, every child can do it.
The Greater Twin Cities Chapter page can be found here. If you want specifications on how to build a fleece blanket or a list of drop-off locations, those are also available online.
GIVE THE GIFT OF IMAGINATION by donating gently used books and costumes
People Serving People in Minneapolis, a homeless shelter helping at-risk children, is collecting gently-used books and dress-up costumes for children ages 1-13. Most items need to be new to donate to this organization, but gently used books and costumes are greatly appreciated.
To see the 2018 wish list for their homeless teens and children, visit their website. Deliver to the People Serving People to their Minneapolis location at 614 3rd Street South, Minneapolis, MN 55415.
GIVE THE GIFT OF COMFORTABLE SLEEP by donating your old crib or purchasing new bedding
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a cool organization that builds beds for children in need. If you can’t help build a bed, they always accept new pillows, sheets and comforters for twin-sized beds. To get information on how to donate or volunteer for the Twin Cities Chapter, contact them via FB messenger here. Deliveries can be made in Burnsville.
And if you have an old crib that needs a good home, consider reaching out to Margee and Denny Adrian, a retired couple in St. Paul who refurbishes old cribs and delivers them to parents in need. We did this with our cribs – they are the sweetest humans ever! Here’s a story on them from Fox9. Contact information for them is listed in the article.
