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There are exactly 12 days until my kids go back to school. In those days there will be at least a couple in which they will be completley focused on their own wants, and their demands will test my patience. After all, they're kids and that goes with the holiday season about as well as pumpkin pie and egg nog. But in those days, we will also try to refocus them on the bigger picture, because that's our job as parents.
If you find yourself wanting more of the same (perspective, that is), we invite you to check out our recently completed 12 Days of Giving Back, shared over the past couple of weeks via Facebook. (A great reminder to "like" us on Facebook if you haven't already!) No doubt that none of us will have time for all 12 this holiday season, but maybe pick one (with the kids' help) and make it a new part of your family's holiday traditions. We hope it will be one of the best traditions you all cherish and remember.
So...here's the list. (Keep in mind this was shared one day at a time, so it was a little less overwhelming when digested that way!)
We at Project Giving Kids wish all of you a holiday season filled with joy, peace, hope and gratitude.
-Molly Yuska, Founder
We believe in giving thanks every day at Project Giving Kids, but this Wednesday, we want to give special thanks to those who donated to our cause this Giving Tuesday! A big shoutout to:
- CAPS, Incorporated
- Norman Hajjar
- Sheela Mehrotra
- Jessica Mills
- Soren Mills
- Dave Murray
- Sue Murray
- Priya Shah
- Kate Wickhem
- Molly & David Yuska
Thanks to your support, we will be able to expand our work to Los Angeles, build on our beginnings in Boston and chart an exciting course for 2015 and beyond.
With great gratitude, The PGK Team
Every year at this time, I find myself asking where the year has gone. It seems to have evaporated before my very eyes. I can recall an infinite number of sporting events, school functions, birthday parties, and homework sessions...not to mention all of the work-related obligations, so it's no wonder the year seems to have passed with frightening speed. But I also find myself reflecting on the things I would have liked to have done more of with the kids in the midst of all the things I felt I had to do. Community service and volunteering can often fall (easily) onto that list of "wish I had's." It's one of the reasons why I love the holidays. It's a time when we slow down, if ever so slightly, and almost feel compelled to look beyond our own busy lives to see where we can make a difference before the final chapters of yet another year are written.
Often we get stuck because we think the acts have to be big. But that is so not true. Small acts of service, even conversations about the more global realities affecting people in drastically different circumstances, can leave lasting impressions on children in the formative years. Of course, doing always makes the biggest impression, so I suggest finding a way to bring it home. Make a Holiday Give Back Plan (see our FB post on November 2); give gifts that give back (the Huffington Post shared some good options the other day); grab a tag from a giving tree at a local store and have the kids grab the gift (with their own money); go caroling at a senior center or nursing home; find a project from our site - like Project Bread's Holiday Spoons Project - and get started with something that fits your busy life. You may just find your holiday season a little brighter in the midst of making it brighter for others, and those may be some of the best memories for all of you this year.
And I would be remiss if I didn't slow down and remember to thank all of our partners, volunteers, advisors, users and friends for your support. It's been a great year, and it is because of you that we will build the next generation of Giving Kids.
With gratitude and warm holiday wishes,
Molly Yuska, Founder
WHY JOIN PGK?
Project Giving Kids is all about cultivating the next generation of Giving Kids, because it is good for them, good for the community, and good for the planet.
We believe that when kids realize early they can make a difference, they are more likely to do so, again and again. By joining PGK, kids become part of a team, have enhanced access to our site and our programs, and become a part of something much bigger than themselves.
Here’s to our children realizing they have the power to make the world a better place.
Sincerely,
Molly Yuska, Founder
Key Facts
- Service and volunteering help build empathy in children. Kids who are empathetic do better in school, get along better with others and form stronger relationships, making them more resilient and successful throughout their lives. It is no surprise that the most successful leaders have high levels of empathy too.