If there is one thing we have been embracing this year, it is the power of giving to others. I shared with you last week our tutorial on how to make homeless care packages (complete with free printables for buying your supplies for your own kits and a community resource list).
This month Walmart gave our family a chance to select charities in our own town that we are passionate about for the holidays and showcase how families could recreate a giving project in their own homes. As I always disclose, I am compensated for my writing, BUT instead of accepting the compensation, we invested what I would have earned along with the gift card budget Walmart gave me to give back to a couple of special organizations in our town.
The first thing we did with our funds was head to Walmart and stock up on canned peas, boxes of macaroni, and cans of tuna that were being requested for a Kids Helping Kids food drive that was happening over at our church. The Faithworks program had a drive to help area kids who would be on Christmas Break. They had a goal of providing a meal to 1,400 students at a couple of our area schools and giving each of these kids a bag of food to take home.
Emily was my assistant and helped me count up the donations. We were able to provide 76 kids with a meal which was so exciting for both of us to do and to get the opportunity to share. None of those three items cost more than $.68 so for less than $3, we were able to provide a meal to one child.
The other project that we selected was at our own school this year. They had a hat and glove tree set up in the lobby for students that needed hats and gloves for the winter season. Emily and I selected hats and gloves in all different colors for the students. If you are looking for an inexpensive spot to pick up donations, Walmart carries Faded Glory hats and gloves for a mere $.97! If you choose plain gloves, you can get them 2 for $.97!
We were able to grab enough for 25 of the students and I had fun decorating the tree with all of these cold weather accessories. We hope it keeps a few more students warm on the playground this year.
Thank you to Walmart for giving us the opportunity to give back in our own community this year. We feel so blessed to get to pay it forward to those in need around the holidays!
I am a part of the Walmart Moms program, and Walmart has provided me with compensation for these posts. For this project, all compensation was invested in aiding our community. My participation is voluntary and opinions are always my own.