Charity Features

Charity Features
Hello darling readers!
Things have been absolutely crazy in the Crafty Mountaineer household. Unfortunately, two family members passed away in the weeks before Thanksgiving, so between our losses and my very crazy school schedule, blogging has fallen by the wayside. However, I promised that I would show you some great ways to give back these holidays and I still intend to do so! Here is a triple-feature for your patience.
1- Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/). I did this lovely, simple, budget-friendly project throughout high school and college. First,go to the above website and choose a child in the given age ranges. Then, go purchase a variety of the requested items, which is the fun part. I tend to go to the Dollar Store with a set budget (I typically do about $10-$15). Just make sure the items aren't dangerous, aren't war-related, and can't melt. Once you get home, wrap the upper and lower parts of the box separately (not like you would a large present- wrap two individual pieces). Then, pack everything neatly into the box- mainly, just make sure the box isn't overflowing. Drop off the box with $7 for shipping at a local collection center, who will then send them down to the main collection site in Boone NC.

2- Being Santa for Nursing Homes- This is a project my husband and I are doing this year- we saw it featured on our school's message board and thought we would give it a try. We simply e-mailed the contact person, were given a resident's wish list, and asked to drop off the requested items by Christmas Eve. If you don't have an easily accessible contact, you can call local nursing homes and ask if they have such a program going on, or if there are any general needs for residents (such as hard candies, shower caps, etc) that you could bring by and donate.

3- Angel Tree- http://angel.jcpenney.com/angeltree/- I started doing this project during college and it has become one of my favorite! It's so much fun to pick out an "angel" and shop for him or her- I always enjoy imagining the joy each one will have when the presents get opened. If you chose an angel through the website, the wishlist includes clothes and toys. However, various organizations have different wishlists for the angels, ranging from toys only, to hats, scarves, and mittens, and to complete outfits, so angels can be as budget friendly as you need them to be. You then wrap the items in gift bags and drop them off at the collection site. If you do pick an angel through JC Penney and order your items online, you do get free shipping to the angel.

Please let me know if you participate in any of these activities and let me know how they go!