Random Acts of Thanks: The End

Despite my silence, the end of November was packed full for our family, including three Thanksgivings and a parade, as well as the many ways we chose to show our gratitude throughout our community.

Though our family spends a large majority of time throughout the year performing acts of service throughout our community, I enjoyed taking some time to focus in on how being kind and sharing what we have makes us feel and how it changes how others feel.

So, despite not fitting in 30 acts, we landed in December feeling pretty good. Here's what we did accomplish:

Donated:

• Holiday decorations for tornado victims who lost theirs back in April.
• Turkeys to local food bank to help with the holiday meal.
• Two winter coats (which the kids handed over themselves).
• Candy to local rehab center, which the kids selected from their Halloween haul.
  
  

  

  Sorting through the candy

  
  
• Mittens and hats for a winter-weather collection drive.
  
  

  

  These items were given to local foster children.

Volunteered to:

• Help serve Thanksgiving dinner for 50+ needy families.
• Host a big fundraiser for my sister's kidney transplant fund.
• Babysit a friend's little girl when daycare fell through.
• Take my sister to a day of doctor appointments.
• Take dinner to my mom at her work.
  
  

  

  Special meal for Grandma (bought at a
  fundraiser for Javi's school's PTO.

  
  
• Help paint a local community building.
  
  

  

  The kids loved helping paint this building, even though
  they weren't allowed up on the ladders.

Paid to:

• Purchase Christmas gifts for a child at a group home in our area.
  
  

  

  Javi and Bella helped pick out these gifts for a teen at a local
  group home. They also helped wrap/bag the gifts.

  
  
• Provide three 6 families with meals (via Feeding America).
  
  

  

  Javi and his cousin bringing in boxes to give out.

  
  

  

  She didn't like "strangers" trying to move her box.

  
  
• Provide food for Thanksgiving dinner for 50+ families.
• Send a round of ice cream to a family dining in the same restaurant as us.

Miscellaneous:

• Sent 20 holiday cards to a local retirement community.
  
  

  

  Too distracted getting them done to take "after" photos.

  
  
• Showed up at Javi's school with a tray of cookies for him to share with other students.
• Sent in donuts for Bella to give to her preschool teachers.
• Sent in school supply goodie bags for each child's teachers.

All in all, my kiddos learned to think about others more and began going out of their way to be kind and helpful wherever they could.

The best part is our little project has already carried over into December. Bella has asked if we can serve Christmas dinner somewhere, too, and Javi volunteered to "work" at the craft station of our recent community gingerbread houses event rather than build a house himself.

Needless to say, they make me proud. And exhausted. I'm so glad to have this post finished! Now I can go back to regular random postings. :)