As we approach the season of giving, many of you have already begun your gift shopping! And some of you are finished (I wanna be you when I grow up)! But, the older I get the more I ponder how best to ‘give back’ to the world around me. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy traditional holiday gift-giving – I love giving my kids and grand babies wonderful gifts for Christmas!
Many thanks to hhgregg for sponsoring today’s tips and encouraging me to donate my time to Habitat for Humanity! They have asked me to share with you about the partnership between Habitat for Humanity and Whirlpool Appliances and I am happy to do that. I truly love Whirlpool and admire their desire to give back in their ‘Every day, care’ campaign!
This old adage has proven true for me…
‘Tis more blessed to give than to receive’.
So, in that vein, let’s look at some great ways of giving back:
- Volunteer as a tutor. Several churches in our area, including ours, partner with local schools. They supply volunteer tutors to meet with the kids one-on-one for a short time each week to help with difficult subjects.
- Be a health volunteer. Most hospitals and cancer centers have programs in place to help people who are willing to give of their time find a way to do so. One area of service on my bucket list is to volunteer one day a week at the cancer center that provided wonderful care to my Mom during her fight with cancer.
- Volunteer with a disaster-relief agency. Hubs and I signed up and went through training for this. We have yet to deploy, but the organization we trained with is on the front lines of every national disaster in the US!
- Go on a mission trip or humanitarian relief trip. We have also taken several mission trips, both here in the US and abroad. Going to a very poor area in Mexico was such an eye-opening experience and it showed us that giving back can extend even beyond our community and into the entire world! We helped build a feeding center for children as well as a house for an elderly couple who had never slept in a real bed (a dilapidated RV had been their home for over 25 years).
- Sign up with Habitat for Humanity. This one’s definitely on my bucket list. I have long wanted to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and I’m going to contact them asap to volunteer! Virtually everyone is familiar with Habitat for Humanity. The organization had very humble beginnings over in Georgia and about a decade later, in 1976, became Habitat for Humanity International. Then, in 1984, former president and first lady Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter took their first HFH trip, propelling the organization into the national and international spotlight. Since its inception, Habitat has built or repaired over 1 million homes, serving more than 5 million people worldwide!
And something that I didn’t know until recently is that Whirlpool Appliances is a partner with Habitat for Humanity. Did you know that? Whirlpool’s ‘Every day, care’ Project encourages each of us to care a bit more… for our families, our neighbors and our world. Isn’t that what life is all about anyway?
This actually makes me really happy, because Whirlpool is my favorite appliance brand! Ever since we bought our first house in 1979, I have chosen Whirlpool when the choice was mine to make. How awesome is it that Whirlpool donates appliances for Habitat homes? I love a company that not only offers a great product, but also gives back!
I hope these ways to give back will inspire you to find a way to spread a little extra cheer this season!
And, right now, hhGregg has some fabulous promotions on Whirlpool Appliances – just in time for you to spruce up your home and get ready for all those holiday dinners! When we upgraded our dishwasher recently, I chose Whirlpool because of their exceptional quality and value. Their appliances are absolutely dependable – we’ve never had a moment’s trouble with a Whirlpool!
Let me know your favorite way to give back! And let’s follow Whirlpool’s lead… Every day, care!