Is there truly any way to feel better than to do good for someone else? There is nothing that will make you feel better than helping someone who needs it, especially during the holiday season. I normally don’t start talking about the Christmas season so early, but this is for a good reason. FAMILIES NEED YOU. Kids need you. Senior citizens need you. YOU can make a difference in someone’s life. Families Helping Families is a great organization that my husband and I have been involved with. There are different ways that you can help make a big difference.

You can make a tax-deductible donation by going to the FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES WEBSITE. Once on their website click on the MAKE A DONATION link.  These funds will allow FHF to provide gifts for unsponsored families and cover their relatively low operating expenses. PERFECT!

The other option… 

You can become a sponsor for a family (or families) by clicking here  to go to the FHF website, click on the SPONSOR A FAMILY link by Nov. 18.  FHF send you a profile of your family that will include specific needs and the children’s wish lists.  Most sponsors say they spend an average of $50 on each family member.  This my friends, is what the holiday season is all about. Bringing a smile to someone’s face on a day that can be difficult for so many. Can you imagine being a child on Christmas and not having one single gift to open? I was fortunate, I never had that worry. No child should. Don’t let the $50 scare you. The average is $50 spent per person, but with larger families that may be $30 or $40 per person. Whether you adopt a family on your own, go in with some friends or neighbors or get your office to adopt a family/families – please do it today. They’ve made it so easy. The process goes something like this:

You fill out the form. If you like, you can specify the number of people you would like in the family and they will try their best to match it (i.e. a single parent family with 3 children, or a senior citizen, or hey… BOTH!).

You will be sent a packet with information on your family, it will give their names, ages, and a wish list. A wish list is just that… it doesn’t mean you have to purchase everything on the list. If you have big plans (TV, Computer, Bike) you may want to mention that when requesting a family so they can hook you up with someone who has big wishes :)  Sometimes the adult may ask for an item, sometimes they just want everything to go to the child. Hey, it’s Christmas for us all… the last family we had the mother asked for a clock. A simple everyday item we take for granted. We shopped the sales and got her some great things, and a clock was one of them. I cannot tell you how much fun we’ve had shopping for our FHF Christmas Families… you can’t help thinking about them, you’re excited on Christmas Eve for them to open their gifts the next day. You wonder if they enjoyed their gifts. You. Care. AWESOME!! It’s nice when Christmas is all about someone other than ourselves…

A nice thing to include is a gift card so the family can buy food for dinner. If you pick a place such as Walmart, if they don’t have items for a Christmas meal they can use the gift card, or if they need household items… they can pick. Christmas dinner doesn’t have to be fancy, but it’s nice to know with a small gift card, that your family is enjoying their own Christmas dinner. That’s perfect!

And did I mention the bonus for you?? Families Helping Families is a tax deductible contribution. You just keep your receipts (or make copies if you want to include the receipts for your family to exchange if they need), along with a copy of the letter that comes in your packet and voila! You have a tax deduction!

Can you get some people together who may be interested in participating?? Maybe instead of exchanging gifts at the office everyone chip in some $, then have a wrapping party…

After the purchase you wrap the gift, put a name tag and include the Family ID# (will be in your packet), then if possible, put the gifts in a big clear plastic trash bag labeled with their Family ID#.

Drop off of gifts is at the Strobel Tire Warehouse located at 1101 N Main Street/Hwy 17A, Summerville, off I-26, Exit 199. If you need help getting your gifts to that location you may contact FHF, please DO NOT BE DETERRED if the drop off location is not near you, they will work with you to get the gifts there!

If you have any questions, here’s the email: FHFCharleston@PalmettoProject.org

I would love to hear any of your stories! Catch you back here tomorrow!