What do you do to give back?

Over the past few years, my family has been volunteering as a way to spend quality time together during the holidays. One year we went to a soup kitchen. Last year we did Habitat for Humanity, which was SO much fun. I love telling people that I helped build a house (particularly since many of my friends think I don't know how to hold a hammer).

Do you volunteer with your family? If so, what kinds of things do you like to do?

I used to rebuild/restore ratchets and torque wrenches for people.

I even visited other store PMT's for old ratchet rebuild kits.

And, I bought ancient rebuild kits on the e of Bay.

I kept "good" formerly used ratchet components for Customers' heirloom ratchet restorations - like the Craftsman 1960's audible-click metal torque wrench I just helped restore.

I had a warehouse accident and lost my job position and was transferred back to sales.

I have a snap-shot of an entire 3 foot by 6 foot flat cart, filled with cleaned and dried ratchet blanks (handles only) being tossed out by the New PMT.

Now, I watch the ratchets come in and a good many get tossed (recycled) out.

But, for five years I saved a LOT of old-gold Craftsman tools...

I also managed to clean up an 850 piece "bubble" of returned ratchets that were in the PMT workshop, when I first took over.

Took almost 3 years - what with all the new exchanged ratchets coming in daily.

There was a lot of buried treasure in there, at the time.

Now, the room is so CLEAN...

4 friends and I go to our local mall and wrap Christmas presents with the proceeds going to the local Homeless shelter. This will be the 15th year we have done this. I also help organize a group of random people to Christmas Carol to the shut Ins in our community, any one can join us we usually visit about a dozen homes on the Sunday before Christmas. When bad weather kept us away last year many people let us know we were missed.

That is really generous, Quanig.  You know seem to realize the importance of giving back, when you can.

Did you organize the present wrapping, yourself, or is it something your local mall has offered, and you are donate your time so willingly?

Soup kitchens are awful, bunch of homeless people fighting over food and trying to get seconds and thirds.

They trade their food and warm clothes for drugs and alcohol and then go beg in the street a few minutes later.

volunteering to help at local county food bank and  delivering "food care baskets" to the elderly ( shut-ins ) - makes yah feel good inside to help those who are less fortunate. Unfortunately, these acts of kindness are only recognized over the holidays by the general public, it continues on a daily basis - a local Sears store just donated a upright large freezer recently to a local food bank

A few times I helped out with food baskets for Thanksgiving and that was nice.  People gathered at my house where I had all the food set out by category and they'd go around in a circle grabbing one from each pile and assembling it in the boxes.  The little kids would decorate the boxes with markers and stickers.  When we were all done they'd go deliver the boxes to people who needed the food.  That was nice.

And I also donate a lot of non-perishable food to local food banks.  I try to pick up a few extra of things when I'm shopping, then take it to the donation drop off sites.

We have a program at my son's preschool where you buy Christmas presents for Head Start families that are unable to do so.  The school lets us know the ages and gender of the kids who need gifts, we just pick a couple to buy, and wrap them for distribution.

Kind of a neat idea-especially to help out the kids, and get them a new, wrapped present.

We pick up things that are "curbed" and help folks avoid haul away fees. we recycle or donate 100% of things given to us. We adopt a family on Thanksgiving and one on christmas. I celebrate a different holiday, and in our family we exchange gifts on Jan 6 like they do in parts of Europe. Last year on Christmas Day we rode the city bus with candy bars and fruit til we ran out. Our outreach has a cash budget of $0 per month and is called Weaver Beavers. It has existed for 3 years.

That is really neat, houdiniphile!  Are the members of Weaver Beavers mostly in your family, or does it include other folks in your area?  Does the name have a significant meaning?

Check out our new charitable activities guide to get more ideas on how to volunteer with your family during the holidays (some of you were quoted!).

Great guide!  Thanks, Rachel!  I love the idea of trick or treating for canned food.

Last year's canned yams & condensed milk!

I donate to Heros at Home, at the store.

Good call, AdamO!

Heroes at Home has to be one of the best donations you can make during the holiday season, or anytime! 

Hi All, Glad to see people showing kindness at this time of economnic uncertaininity(siclol) I buy the prefilled shopping bags at Krogers that are donated to feed the hungry. They are stapled shut and different amounts on the bag so me being me opened one of the $25.00 one's and asked the manager to add some more items as they were on sale and items in bag didn't reflect sale prices.LOL  She agreed and put in $10.00 more items in bag! May not seem like much but to someone with nothing IT'S a BIG deal. I also donate to the Mozel Sanders annual Feed everyone Thanksgiving Meal in Indianapolis if your in Indy your welcome to help! God bless to everyone and To OUR TROOPS in Harms way ......Dice......

That is great idea, drrice1.  I don't think our local grocery store has that available, but, what a terrific way to give. 

Our local store has a donate a toy drive,  and our local grocer has a food drive as well.. I try to do what I can to help out the community.. times are tuff and every little bit helps.. I hope everyone has festive Thanksgiving.. .  Gobble Gobble...

JulieK, It is mostly my daughter and myself, but we have one or two other people who are considering working with us, and we need to get a 501C3 which is costly and time consuming. The work we do sustains itself from flea market sales, and no monetary donations yet. We do give away clothing and things that are entrusted to us to share with others. We keep records and are transparent.

The name comes from the crocheting and knitting we do, plus we fill in with services other charities don't such as replacing lost ID's. The Beaver comes from Native American lore about Beaver being the only animal to share his nesting material with other animals! Beaver also guides other animals out of the forest in a fire, and the dams create bio environment for other life forms.

So that's how we got our name and what we do. We also help other orgs with their wish lists in an emergency if we have a cheap source of what they need.

What a thoughtful name for a thoughtful group, houdiniphile.  That is so admirable and wonderful that you take the time to do all of that charitable work.