Giving Back

Let me guess, at this moment you're probably feeling at least a little of the holiday stress, am I right?? You're probably going over your shopping list in your head, mentally ticking off the list of people you've already bought things for and people you still need to shop for. Trying not to think about the credit card bill(s) you'll be opening right after you've opened a large bottle of wine. At this time of year it's so easy to get caught up in what's expected of the holiday season. The perfect presents 'must' be bought, the perfect holiday treats 'must' be baked/cooked/decorated, the house 'must' be decked out to the nines and the list goes on. And if you don't get all of that done then you're failing at Christmas. All the fun and the joy you're supposed to be feeling at this time of year seemingly gets sucked right out!

Even the shopping loses its appeal and as a general rule I love to shop! But this time of year, with the crowds *shudder* I'm pretty close to hating it! I refuse to leave my house when Black Friday rolls around! (I only ever worked one Black Friday (in retail) dressed as an elf for 12 hours! And thanks to my lack of 'verticalness' I heard several children getting excited about the 'real' elf they saw. *insert my disgruntled face* The Grinch would be much more appropriate for me now.)

A young 20 something me as an elf.
*what you can't see are my amazing green and red striped tights*

But what if while we're disgruntedly shopping for things our purchases can actually go a bit further and do some good for people we don't even know? It turns out there are some stores and businesses out there that make giving back a priority. I listed the very few that I know about below but if you know of more please share!

Toms - One for One 

These beauties are $130!

If you're shopping for a shoe lover you might find something from Toms like these cute booties. And if you actually buy a pair their motto is 'one for one!' "Through your purchases, TOMS helps provide shoes, sight, water, safe birth and bullying prevention services to people in need." So far they have given more than 35 million pairs of new shoes and helped restore sight to over 250,000 people! That's pretty amazing if you ask me.

Then there's Bombas, the fun sock company! (at least they seem fun)

If you're looking for a more practical gift check out this set for $65.

Bombas was started by 2 friends and after hearing that socks are the most requested clothing item at homeless shelters they decided to do something about it. Similar to Toms their website says: "For every pair you purchase, we donate a pair to someone in need." As of May 2018, the company has donated more than 8.6 million pairs of socks. That's a lot of happier toes.

This one seems pretty special: Be Girl

Don't give me a funny look for putting this one on the list!

Period products or underwear might not be your typical gift to someone. But after reading about this company I thought it was too great to skip over. You can either purchase or donate the reusable period products they offer. I never really thought of it before just how essential these types of products can be. Young girls who don't have the necessary hygiene products can miss out on important things like being able to go to school because they don't have what they need to help them deal with their periods or they might end up using unsafe, unsanitary products! So even if you're not buying these for a specific someone, they are a gift with great impact.

World Vision:

World Vision provides a lot of giving options. If you go to their website you'll be able to browse their giving catalog where you can opt to gift in someone's name, donate a set amount and receive beautiful jewelry, scarves, etc. which you could in turn gift to someone else. Growing up we used to sponsor several children through their sponsorship program and every Christmas when we received their catalog my mom and I would flip through and I would choose one or two things to buy, maybe some baby animals for a family, or sports equipment for kids in school, etc. You definitely never lack for options.

This photo was shared in a blog post titled 'Political Climate Having an Impact on Generosity'.
It's a short but interesting read.

DSW

Maybe the shoe is on the other foot though and you've been gifted some shoes that aren't really your style, maybe they don't fit right, or maybe you need to make space for the amazing new pair you just received! DSW partnered with Soles4Souls and now you can take your new or gently used shoes to eligible stores to donate. So far 498,641 shoes have been donated since May 2018!

At this time of year everything seems to be in excess. And rather than let that excess go to waste take a few minutes more to see if there's a way that you can make a positive impact on someone's life through donation, giving your time and energy, etc. We're all well aware that there is a lot of need out there but sometimes it seems like a distant need. We forget about the needs close to home. So however you choose to give back, whether it's through your church, organizations like Toys for Tots, etc., thank you.

I'll leave one last link before I sign off and the reason I particularly liked this post from Trash is for Tossers so much is because it contains a list of specific stores and companies that can aid you in giving back. Stores like H&M, Nike, North Face offer donation/recycling programs, their are companies that recycle specific items like The Bra Recyclers. So go ahead, check it out and see what kind of a difference you can make this holiday season.

And of course, Merry Christmas!

Ciao!