Seven Ways You and Your Kids Can Help the Hurting

Seven Ways You and Your Kids Can Help the Hurting

It’s hard to believe another attack has taken more innocent lives in the short time I’ve been working on this blog series about coping with tragedy. As we continue to keep our minds set on God’s promises and pray for those who are hurting, let’s look at some practical ways we can be light and strength in our world that is dark and fragile. Today’s post is simply a list of service projects you can do with your kids to spread joy and hope to those who are hurting, both locally and around the world. Feel free to add your own in the comments or post pictures of you and your kids getting in on the fun. Use #LightandStrength so I can find you on social media!

1.      Pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child – This is a favorite in the Frye home! My kids love filling a shoebox with toys, school supplies and hygiene items for a child whose only Christmas gift may be the shoebox. Collection week is November 13-20. Find out how to pack a shoebox here: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/

2.      Visit a nursing home – I love watching the faces of the residents when children come to visit. Children have a way of bringing joy just with their presence. Gather up some friends and their kids, and contact the activities director at a local nursing home. Schedule a time to visit. Things to do while you’re there: sing songs, play an instrument, play a game, color a picture, do a simple craft, paint finger nails. It doesn’t have to be a big production. Just be present.

3.      Make cookies for your neighbors – This is another favorite in our home. Twice a year, we bake and package up cookies for several of our neighbors and put them in their mailbox with a hand-written note.

4.      Give your gently used toys a new home – Play It Forward Pittsburgh collects gently used toys and then offers them free to families who are in need or might be having a tough year. Not only can you and your children donate, but you can get involved with distribution day! Find all the details here: http://www.playitforwardpittsburgh.com/

5.      Help make a house a home – The Family House provides a special “home away from home” for patients and/or their families who are in Pittsburgh seeking medical treatment. Volunteers set up dinners and group activities for guests to enjoy. Get all the details here: http://www.familyhouse.org/volunteer.htm

6.      Create necessity bags for the homeless – Get your kids and their friends together to make necessity bags for the homeless. Items to gather: toothpaste, toothbrushes, chap stick, crackers, travel size shampoo, etc.). Locally, an organization called The Least of These, collects the bags and takes them downtown for the homeless. Here is their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/The-Least-of-These-178840109256232/?hc_location=ufi

7.      Donate to disaster relief – When we hear of tragedies and natural disasters on the news, we are compelled to give, but it’s hard to know what organizations to trust with our money. One highly reputable organization that I recommend is Samaritan’s Purse. See all the amazing work they are doing here: https://spvolunteernetwork.samaritanspurse.org/category/current-projects/

If you missed the other posts in this series, here are the links:

We Will Not Be Consumed

Set Your Mind

Remembering God's Promises

Lord, Help My Unbelief

Anna Frye is a speaker, author, television host and founder of the Chosen and Crowned tribe. She invites moms and wives to celebrate imperfect progress fueled by the grace of a perfect God. She helps women bravely talk about the messy places of life, instead of hiding shamefully under them. She believes that lasting beauty comes when women courageously surrender their ashes to God and allow him to do something mind-blowingly amazing with them. If this resonates with you, then you belong with the Chosen and Crowned tribe. Connect at www.ChosenAndCrowned.com/blog