I found a really to be involved in when I started working for a local group that supported kidney patients so they could afford dialysis. There was a little thrift store that split profits with the charity, and I set up a group of callers to contact people in surrounding neighborhoods and see if they could donate old items to the store.

My kids got very involved; my daughter was only four, but when she was riding in the car I would hear her talking and look back to see her with her toy phone:

“Uh huh… yeah, it the kindey foundashun… Can you give some old stuffs? Like cwothing or toys? Yes, the twuck will be picking up on your stweet on Sattiday… Taank yew!! Bye!”

She had been listening to me doing the fundraising! It was so cute.

My kids had always been the giving type. They would save back ‘charity money’ to put in the Salvation Army buckets at Christmas, but they really liked the new charity. First, they would ask me if I though kids shopped at the thrift store, and then they would go get any clothes they had worn out or toys they had outgrown.

“Can we take these to give the thrift store for new kids to buy, and the ‘die-ally-sis’ people can get better?” they would ask me. I always said yes!

Sarah P.

What are the secrets to an easy move? We are about to move at the end of the month, and we have moved so often for my husband’s job that we have come up with almost a system.

First, as soon as we find out we are going to be moving (usually about six weeks in advance) we start to pack. Just a box or two per day - nothing too much. If it’s summertime, the winter clothes get packed first, and vice versa.

Next the pictures and knick-knacks get boxed, and all of our clutter gets sorted through. Toys and clothes that have been outgrown are taken to charity, and old school papers are stacked in a box for scrap-booking. Books go in labeled boxes, and the bookshelves are dismantled.

Any pots and pans I only use occasionally get crated next - the big roaster for Thanksgiving turkey, the stock pot I use for canning; the bundt cake and angel food cake pans, pie plates and covered casserole dishes I won’t need between now and then.

When we really start getting down to the wire I even pack most of my dishes, glass and silverware. We live off of paper and plastic, foil and aluminum for a week or two. The rest of the clothes get packed as well, with each person keeping seven sets out, and two pairs of shoes to last the final week.

Moving day is easy!  We load up all the boxes and run them over to the new house. I strip the beds, and run my linens through the wash while we transport the beds and other furniture. After they are dry, they go in huge trash bags with the pillows, so we can make the beds fresh that night.

The appliances come last, along with the few plant and pets. My computer, phones and fax machine I take in my car, with my desk and chair in my husband’s pick-up. I usually have designated office space and have all the necessary hook ups ready to go!

This move will be easier than ever, as we are finally, after ten years, treating ourselves to a new pit style couch and a bedroom suite! We are also building loft beds for the big kids in their new rooms. The old furniture we are giving away, so less to transport!

I am looking forward to moving this time. Our new house is very old, built back in the days of sunken living rooms and wide open master suites. There will be plenty of room for our three kids to grow and play - I can hardly wait!

Sarah P.

The whole family, kids included, should be involved in charitable giving. Teaching your child to be generous and kind can start in early childhood, as you let them see you be charitable towards others.

Giving at the office is well and good, and you can discuss why you support various causes and charities, but you should be showing your child how to help people in a personal way! I and my children go and sing and put on silly plays for the residents in a nearby assisted living center - it doesn’t matter what we do, they are just so happy to see young, bright faces!

Look for ways to be a role model for your child, even if you don’t have much money. You can always lend a helping hand and they can come along for the ride! Check to see if a shut in needs a hand with spring cleaning, or volunteer to help a senior citizen with lawn work in the summer. Charity should be year round - giving season shouldn’t have an expiration date.

When your child is old enough for an allowance, teach them to hold a little back to give away. We don’t tithe, but we do save a portion of our money and donate to worthy causes we run across, from a local family’s medical fund to a neighbor’s flat tire emergency.

Offer for your whole family to spend a Thanksgiving afternoon helping to dish up goodies at a local soup kitchen, or let your child pick a toy from their Christmas list to purchase for an angel tree at school.

Nothing feels so good as giving, and surely you would want your child to experience this special joy!