Celebrating Giving Tuesday With My Daughter
“Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday,” she said.
“How did you know that, Madden?”
“You told me a few weeks ago. Remember? Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.”
Thus began an unexpected adventure last night with my 6-year-old. Her first grade class has been encouraged to bring in new toys so that a local food bank can give Christmas gifts to children who are homeless. She wanted to make sure she had some things to bring to class on Giving Tuesday.
We don’t normally venture out after dinner on a school night, but I felt like this was one of those times I needed to grab my keys and my coat and head out into the dark with her to ensure she was able to fulfill her wish to be part of Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday, which is today, is a new, national day of giving. After all the frenzied shopping over the last several days, I love the idea of a nationwide tradition of supporting the charities and causes near and dear to our hearts. You can give your time, your money, in-kind donations … whatever you can to support others.
Madden and I headed to our local Target.
She wanted to get two toys, one for an older boy and one for a younger girl. Why those parameters?
“So I don’t have to go look at the toys for girls that I would like. Then I’ll want to get one for myself.”
Good thinking.
She ended up picking out some great gifts, and we threw in another one for a baby because … why not? Plus, I bought her a winter hat with leopard spots and ears. Bonus.
She was so excited to go to school today, wearing her hat and carrying her bag of toys. I was equally excited. Thanks, Giving Tuesday.
Be sure to pay attention below to how you can nominate your favorite charity or school to win an awesome set of toys for the holidays. It’s easy. Just nominate them in the comments section.
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A big thanks to Target for sponsoring Babble’s holiday toy campaign. Click here to see more of the discussion
Thanks to Target, Babble will be giving away at least three toys every day leading up to the holidays. Just comment below for your chance to win.
Even better, we’re giving away one grand set of 20 toys from Target to a deserving family, school or charity. To nominate someone to win, please comment below and tell us why you’ve selected them! Today, Giving Tuesday, would be a great day to recognize someone with your nomination.
I nominate Morning Star Preschool in Woodinville, WA
I hope I’m not too late. I’d like to nominate Charity Cole from Giggles and Grimaces. She recently lost her job and is home caring for three amazing girls. She’s always there for everyone in the #ppdchat community and truly deserves to have some love and gifts sent her way.
Charity is one of THE biggest values I want my children to embrace. I’m actually struggling a little right now with how my 4 year old can’t seem to grasp how fortunate he is. I know, he’s 4. But it’s so important to me that we are a family that gives and that is grateful. Your daughter is amazing.
As for my nomination, I’d like to submit the Genesis Women’s Shelter here in Dallas. They are a phenomenal organization. http://www.genesisshelter.org/page.aspx?pid=397
I would like to nominate my dear friend Charity Cole and her family. She has a very loving and hard working husband and 3 beautiful girls. She lost her job recently and trying to survive on one income has been very difficult for them. They are relying on generous donations from their church, friends, and family for food and clothes…I know they would really love to be able to give their girls some presents for Christmas this year without having to worry about how it will affect their budget/livelihood.
Thank you for giving us a chance to nominate families & organizations. Initiatives like this give me the chance to try and make a tangible difference in someone’s life.
I am working with three different groups that are collecting toys for kids who have been hit by Hurricane Sandy. I have personally donated several boxes of toys and collected toys from the community–and I know they need more! I would love to see Target step up and donate to all three of these organizations:
Volunteer 4 Long Island as part of Family-to-Family’s Toys for Sandy’s Kids (http://www.family-to-family.org/toys-for-sandys-kids/): V4LI works with families in need on Long Island and people who are homeless every day, all year around. Unfortunately, many of our poorest communities were the hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy. V4LI will be setting up a “shopping night” at a local school where parents who are receiving government services will be able to “shop” and have their gifts wrapped by volunteers!
Camp Bulldog (http://helplindy.com) is a grassroots effort run by our Girl Scout service area coordinator (who is also a Lindenhurst teacher). She started out with a tray of hot food and a card table and has grown into a whole encampment, helping people get the resources they need to rebuild.
NANA’s House: This community organization has a Christmas list every year but it is super-long this year due to the Hurricane. http://www.facebook.com/pages/NANAs-House-Never-Alone-Never-Afraid-Inc/164477706972345
People are DESPERATE here. Many companies are donating to national organizations that are no where to be seen. We are helping each other but we need some support! These are blue collar communities of hard working people–the storm destroyed EVERYTHING they owned. They want to rebuild and are willing to put in the effort but they need a little hope!
The believe box is an amazing mom who gives and send boxes of toys and goodies to children with cancer and their siblings. I nominate the believe box!!!
I’d like to nominate Christmas Crazy which benefits the Center for Victims in Pgh: http://www.centerforvictims.org/
More on Christmas Crazy: http://www.theburghbaby.com/burghbaby/christmas-crazy-turns-blue-orange.html
I also nominate The Believe Box. It’s such a wonderful organization!!
Genesis: A New Life here in Atlanta is an amazing place that provides care for homeless moms and newborns. They always need toys for their childcare center and diapers and wipes for the babies.
http://www.genesisanewlife.org
I nominate Kissed for Kyle, which does amazing work to better the lives of children with cancer and their families.
Hi When will we know the organization that is getting it?
The believe box sends out care packages to children battling life threatning and life long illness throughout the US.We run programs all year long and even include siblings. We are just about to enter our 2nd year and have sent out almost 100 packages in our first year alone.
In the craziness of the big day, I somehow missed this amazing post! Thank you Katherine!!! You are just incredible. Your daughter is a clear reflection of that. There are some great organizations mentioned above. I’d be all for sending toys to Kids on the Move — it’s a school out in Utah serving more than 1,200 kids with special needs including Down Syndrome, severe autism and so on. It was begun my mother-in-law and her friend, in her back yard about 35 years ago. Though she’s long since retired, their work is inspirational.
I would like to nominate Whispering Pines Preschool in Amsterdam New York. The school offers special instruction to children with disabilities in an integrated setting. They have had such a huge impact on my daughter (they taught her to talk and now to sing
) and my family that I would love to give a little back to them. This school means so much to us, and I’m not sure I can ever really say thank you enough!
I have been chosen to sponsor the Rivera family in the midst of Hurricane Sandy. they are a family of 6 aging from 1 to 20. They have lost everything. I called them yesterday for the first time and I told the Mom that I was chosen to sponsor her and help her get through these difficult times and she started crying and didn’t stop. I too was moved to tears when I heard the despair in her voice and heard her kids cheering in the background when they were told to whisper bec She was talking to someone that was going to help them. They literally have nothing. Still without power, her needs were for the kids to have dresses to wear to church on Christmas. I told her I wanted to send Christmas presents and she cried and said they were going to have a simple Christmas and didn’t expect presents. This woman has not left my mind since speaking with her. She was so thankful for anything I could do for them. The problem is, I wonder if another sponsor could do better. I live on a fixed income myself and will do as much as I can but will ask others for help in supporting this family who are being excited form their bungalow bec it needs to be torn down after Christmas. Tis family would be so grateful anything you can give them, and so would I.