Giving Tuesday

Hi all! Tiff here and I am super excited to write to you and prepare you for Giving Tuesday, which is Tomorrow, November 29th.

I believe in celebrating our lives and I believe in community and I believe in being generous with our time, talents and gifts.

One thing that I have tried to do with my children in years past was participate in food or toy drives that were put on in our local communities. Even when I was going through my divorce and didn't have very much, I wanted my kids to see (hopefully) that we could still practice the spirit of generosity even with very little. That wasn't and still isn't very easy, but amazingly, my kids remember the times we served others.

All I could really hope for.

This doesn't mean that in order for you to be a kind and loving and generous individual that you have to only serve in soup kitchens or homeless shelters. Nor does it mean that you have to give up everything you own or give up shopping in order to give to others. There are many ways for you to give back, whether you have money, time, or special abilities.

If you and your loved ones are able to spend a weekend partnering with your local non-profit in service, do so. Do with joy and gladness. Perhaps consider it to be a tradition for your family. I guarantee you, it will fill your souls and your children will remember. It will provide a great discussion for you all afterwards as you all work together to love others as Jesus did. Family bonding and serving others. Win-win in my book.

You can also donate money to your local charity. There is no shame in that. Non profits need financial assistance in order to be able to run efficiently and to be able to do the work they are called to do. Plus, you can check out the organizations you want to support by heading to CharityNavigator.org for an accounbility check.

When you are shopping your Christmas/holiday wish lists, see if where you purchase gives back a portion of the sale to a charity. I love Amazon and Target as much as the next person, but I will actively seek out businesses that have a give back model of some sort, especially if they support a non-profit I support. I recently ordered yummy wine and champagne from One Hope, a winery based in Napa Valley that gives a portion of your order to a charity of your choice. This holiday season, when I am going to order some wine, I will order there so that a portion of my order will go to Olive Crest. Olive Crest exists to end child abuse and support families with resources and care and tools. I work in family law and as part of my job, I often hear about cases of domestic violence and abuse. Domestic violence and abuse is very personal to me as well, and I want to be a voice that helps shine light into darkness as much as I can.

Other great companies that have a give back model:

Toms

Noonday Collection

Diff Eyewear

Warby Parker

Just to name a few.

There are a ton of businesses and companies out there that are providing opportunities for all of us to be a part of our local communities and give back. For if we have been given much, then we can give much. I want to live a life that is generous and impacts others for the better. Most of us are shopping right now anyway. Let's shop with purpose as well.

Share with me your favorite shops that support a give back model! Would love to check them out!

In Love,

TiffanyRhea

FTC disclaimer: Links enclosed may be affiliate links and any purchase through those links will provide me with a small commission. I did not receive compensation from the companies mentioned for this blog post. Should you choose to purchase from any of the links above, I thank you. Your purchase allows me to continue to write and share what matters most and you support me and my family. I am grateful for you!