Being kind to each other should be a year-round thing, we think. But doing good deeds comes out in full force around the holidays: It’s cold (in the northern hemisphere at least) and people are huddling inside with family and friends over warm food and good times. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky. That’s why people hit the streets with random acts of kindess, help out at a local food bank or homeless shelter, or send a gift or letter to a soldier overseas or someone who’s down and out. Every season, WebPunch gets more creative in how we want to give back. Don’t get us wrong, we understand that this is only a drop in the bucket, but our goal is to put a smile on someone’s face, make them feel a little more comfortable, and share the joy with someone who may be having a rough year.
Blessings in a Backpack
This non-profit is on a fierce mission to put an end to hungry children in the U.S. and they’re at it all year. Volunteers across the country help pack weekend meals for kids who rely on federally funded lunch programs at their school during the weekdays and go home to empty cupboards and kitchens when the school doors close on Friday. So far, they’ve fed nearly 93,000 kiddos from 1064 schools in 47 states. Keeping these kids fed helps them stay healthy and thinking straight so they can graduate from school and make their world a better place. If you can’t make it physically, you can always help financially. It only costs $100 to feed one child every weekend for a 38-week school year. To find locations nearest you, check out their site: http://www.blessingsinabackpack.org
Feeding the Meters
No one likes walking up to their car to find a bright yellow or orange envelope flapping in the wind trying to escape the grasp of the windshield wiper. It can knock the wind out of your sails, make a good day bad, and a bad day worse. Then you forget to pay it! Well, the Denver team hit the streets with some good deeds. One of those was feeding meters. They wandered around the downtown area in search of expired meters to feed, giving whomever owned the car a chance to beat the parking warden. Take that crummy day!
Helping the Homeless
This is a win-win group activity that hopefully gets a few people through the winter a little more comfortably. The Denver team packs gallon-sized ziplock baggies with things like socks, shaving equipment, soap and shampoo, a comb, deoderant, other toiletries, and snacks. Then they hand them out to some of the homeless population downtown. Make a bunch and stash them in your car so you can pass them out while you’re doing errands or take a day to walk around and give them out. That’s Matt Jones, co-founder and owner of WebPunch handing bags out to some people camping by the city river.
Writing to a Terminally Ill Child
This is a tough one. Kids across the country are spending their Christmas in the hospital waiting for treatment or just waiting for the next stage of life. Give them some encouragement and peace of mind by writing a letter to them. Writing a letter is becoming a lost craft, but it’s something that can be so dear and personal to both parties. Tell them how strong they are or how amazing they are for enduring what they are going though. Maybe tell them a funny story or even relate to them, if you can. To get started and connected, here are a few sites that will help:
http://www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com/make-cards.html
http://www.sendkidstheworld.com
http://www.bridges4kids.org/Disabilities/SvcTerm.html
Giving the Gift of Entertainment (Battlefront 2)
Who doesn’t like a free movie?! This little trick is like whipped cream and a cherry on top of the pie. We like to have our WebPunch correspondents rent a RedBox movie, watch it, then return it with a dollar or two in the movie case. That way, when the next person gets that movie, it’s paid for by yours truly!
Secret Santa
And to top it off, we doorbell ditched our very own WebPunch co-founder and owner, Ginger Jones. Wait, that’s not very nice! Nah, it’s okay, we left a present for her. It included movie night, a gift card for delicious tacos, and praisings from her adoring team; content, developers, and all. Thank you, Ginger and Merry Christmas! You are the glue that holds us together, indeed.
Christmas is just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop giving! Keep it up. Keep giving and don’t stop! These are just a few things we like to do to brighten up people’s holidays. Do them on your own, with friends or co-workers. Keep in mind, however, the goal here is to get people smiling. Spread that joy. Fill some hungry stomach and make somone warmer this winter.
