Ah, the holidays. My favorite time of year. Time for family gatherings, office Christmas parties, tacky decorations and lots (and lots) of food. It’s also the time when most people tend to take stock of what they have. A time for reflection, and a time for gratitude.
I don’t know about you, but I usually get a strong hankering to give back this time of year. I feel so fortunate every day for my amazing, supportive, loving family, my incredibly dear friends, my relatively good health and happiness. I am always aware of what a blessed life I lead, but the holidays always increase those feelings of thankfulness.
To that end, I wanted to highlight a couple of ways we can all give back this holiday season, through events and various projects my friends and social media brethren are conducting. Today I’m starting with just two but as I learn of more ways we can all help others this holiday season, I’ll be sure to pass them along. And if you have any worthy ones you know of, please feel free to bring them to my attention.
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The first is an event here in Boston on Tuesday, Tweetsgiving Boston, organized in part by one of the most giving people I know, who I’m proud to call a friend, Gradon Tripp.
Tweetsgiving is actually a global, 48-hour event organized by U.S. non-profit Epic Change and is designed to encourage people to express their thanks using online tools and at live events. In honor of the people and things that make them grateful, guests will be invited to give to a common cause at events held across the globe. This year, proceeds will go toward building a technology lab at a primary school in Arusha, Tanzania. To read the full story about Tweetsgiving, click here. To find out about events in your city (they’re called gratitude parties, how lovely is that?), click here.
Here’s a quick video on the school children in Tanzania:
TweetsGiving 2009 from LittlePurpleCow Productions on Vimeo.
So, if you can’t attend an event, donate. If you can’t donate, spread the word online. Or just spread the word any way you know how. Tweetsgiving is another wonderful example of how social media is changing the world for the better.
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Next up is a project one of my favorite bloggers, Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks, is organizing to bring some joy to the terminally ill children at Texas Children’s Hospital near her home in Houston. She got to thinking about how much joy can come from a simple image and a few kind words, so she is asking you to do the following:
1. Print a favourite photo of yours — one you’re proud of, one that is meaningful for you, whatever. Please, no smaller than 4″x6″, and no larger than 8″x10″. It can be of anything — your favourite pet, a flower, a sunset, whatever. You can print one or more, or lots of prints of one image, or lots of prints of lots of images. Whatever. It’s up to you. And seriously: this doesn’t have to be professional quality — just pick a photo you’ve taken that you love. If it means something to you, trust me, it will mean something to the person who receives it.
2. On the back of the image(s), say something sweet. It could be the story behind the picture, or just a short, lovely sentiment, or whatever. I spoke with the Volunteer Services officer at Texas Children’s Hospital, and she had some advice:
- nothing religious in nature (like “Merry Christmas!” or “Happy Hannukah!” or whatever, since we don’t know the religious backgrounds of the kids who will be receiving the phtoographs or cards)
- nothing that says “Get well soon!” because well, frankly, some of the kids won’t be getting well
- restrict your notes say the kinds of things that a kid would love to hear. You know, things like “You’re amazing!” or “You rock!” or “Dream big dreams!” or “Sending you warm thoughts!” You get the idea.
- sign only your first name or an alias — no last names, please.
- no photographs of yourself or your family — stick to animals, nature, still lifes, scenery, that sort of thing.
3. Also on the back of the image(s), sign your first name only (or alias, if that makes you more comfortable), and the city/country you’re writing from. Because I’m thinking that the kids would be tickled pink to receive photographs from far away places like “Fargo, North Dakota,” let alone “Auckland, New Zealand.”
4. Send your photo(s) to me postmarked no later than November 30th, 2009, to the following address:
Karen Walrond — Chookooloonks
650 W. Bough, Suite 150-108
Houston, Texas 77024
United States of America
and I’ll be sure to get your image(s) to the hospital.
5. If you’re not comfortable sending a photograph, but you’re crafty, you can participate too! Just send your handmade card (or cards!) to the above address — with this only caveat: please do not include anything on your card that can be pulled off and become a choking hazard. This was a specific request from the Volunteer Services Officer.
I love Karen’s project and hope to contribute myself. Lord knows I have more pictures than I know what to do with.
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I hope learning about one or both of these efforts has inspired you to give back this holiday season. Because we all have something to be thankful for.
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
— William Arthur Ward
