Gift exchange challenge

Parent Cafe
1

My extended family has decided to do a virtual gift exchange this year. It’s going to be a small dollar amount.

But we have decided to donate an equal amount to a charity, we as a family have a special charity that honors a deceased family member so that was what we picked. But our second choice was a local food bank.

I challenge everyone who is doing a gift exchange to bring up donating an equal amount to the charity of your choice.

We have so much and need nothing collectively as a family. It was a good idea to bring the younger part of the family in. Especially this year.

6 Likes
2

@deb922 I love this idea!!! Most of us don’t really need “one more thing” and anything we can do to help others with needs SO high this year is a win. I love the food bank idea as well. I think I will do this in honor of our Secret Santa I don’t think we will be having. Food banks are really suffering.

Thanks for sharing this idea.

2 Likes
3

Great idea, @deb922! We have been donating to a group fighting food hunger for children by filling the gaps to food access that children face during weekends, summers, and extended breaks. I’ll donate extra in December to honor my family, who have everything they need and most of what they want.

2 Likes
4

My extended usually do Secret Santa on Christmas Eve and we usually do it in person. This year we can’t be together so we decided to do a Zoom wine tasting (hiring someone to host it and send wines to us ahead of the event). We are still going to do Secret Santa, but we will donate to local charities on behalf of the person we get and we will reveal on Christmas Eve after the wine tasting.

3 Likes
5

@deb922 I love this. Tried to implement this several years ago when we were still buying gifts for everyone in H’s family but no go. Now we just buy for our own family and MIL. We do make donations, though.

6

Imo, this is as it should be.

Yes, the food banks. But also directly to the small food pantries (often associated with churches) that hardly have the funds to supply much, but have many local clients.

Our food bank is well run. But primarily gives to organizations that can supply the right paperwork.

Thank you, @deb22.

1 Like
7

Thanks!

I’m feeling this year that anything I can do to help those who have less than I do is really important.

I know that most do donate and volunteer. My thought was to try and pass that down to our younger generation.

1 Like