Help with Food
My wife usually takes the lead but when it’s time to clean out the house and take items to the local goodwill shop I get involved too as I usually have to carry, load drive and so on but I also have had the joy to go to the kids and guide them through the process of sorting their rooms to find items to give to the local charity. I don’t know why but they always have enjoyed this tradition and usually want to give away something quite new and relatively expensive and keep the old “obvious to me junk” it’s a pick your battle type thing and in the spirit of giving I usually let their will or heart decide.
Sometimes the cleaning for the needy becomes over the top as one of my son’s tell me “it will serve them better than me” and even if the item being lobbed onto the pile is a new or again an expensive item I am locked as I can’t really say “you can’t give that away” or can I?
In any event when my boys have had to weed out for charity it has always been a joy to see them, even from an early age, transform into a philanthropist and a true giver with smiles and purpose.
Sure they have had sponsored kids in their name since before they could talk and inherited the annual birthday giving to the sponsored children as they matured and were able. That info card and photo is proudly displayed in their rooms as it has been for many years, usually proudly displayed.
I do not know if their attitude was learned from me or my wife, or both. Perhaps it is instinctual, I do know it is a trait I am pleased with and it without a doubt is a small piece of the family puzzle that brings us closer together.
I know my youngest still wants to help all the strays and heaven forbid you walk past a beggar without giving. No point in dissecting the pros and cons of giving to beggars it’s just “dad we have to give” so we do. I think that is a good thing too, as the other side of that coin is rather cold. Concerning my kids empathy is alive and well and I always go back to our sponsored kids and wonder if they were the key, who knows, but being a sponsor is something we all can share and it has without a doubt added to my children’s compassion, willingness to give and just added to their being.
Do you sponsor a child somewhere?
If you are a sponsor, don’t forget to take down the photo you have of your sponsored child and talk with your kids about the child, share the photos and the letters. If you’re not a sponsor why not jump in and help a child while you at the same time teach your own a valuable life lessons to your children, its close and personal and takes very little time. Sometimes giving should be for the joy of it, for yours and your children’s, but there are many added benefits not in the least the life of the sponsored child.
