Spreading Holiday Cheer- Our Favorite Ways to Give Part 1
The holidays are upon us, and the older I get, the more I pull away from conventional gift-giving.
Maybe you can relate?
As a married adult living financially independently from my parents, I don’t wait for Christmas to come, anticipating the Barbie airplane that might be waiting under the tree. With my own free-spending money, gifts ( while my top love language) don’t hit the same at Christmas anymore.
In its stead, every year I pull away a little more from the physical tradition of gift-giving, and feel compelled to participate in giving to others more, instead.
In this blog piece, I compile my husband and I’s favorite organizations to donate to. Maybe, perhaps, you’d like to contribute spreading holiday cheer by beginning to support these causes as well!
Abel Speaks
Abel Speaks is an organization very dear to our family. My niece was born sleeping in 2018, ill with various genetic abnormalities that made her incompatible with life outside the womb. My brave cousin ( we’re very close, and call each other’s kids our nieces and nephews) was incredibly courageous and fought for life for her daughter, even with her life-limiting diagnoses. Abel Speaks came to her with gifts, hope, community, and celebration. They offer services from doulas, photographers, and more, who will treat the family with the care and consideration they deserve, even if their child is born ill or sleeping. They honor the baby for years to come, and encourage society to recognize that every life is important, no matter the range of ability. It’s a purpose we will always stand behind! Want to learn more? Visit their website here!
Let Them Live
“Defending the Defenseless,” is the motto of Let Them Live. For mother considering abortion, this brave organization equips volunteers to connect with women of all ages who are considering abortion. Did you know, “ 73% of women have abortions due to financial burden?” Let Them Live fundraises fincancial support to the women who join their program and vow to give their baby a chance at life, by giving them financial counseling, lay counseling, and ensure the mother is able to reach financail stabilty and independece by the time her baby is born. We love this organization, and if you want to learn more, watch this powerful video of the women and babies who’ve been impacted by Let Them Live.
America’s Kids Belong
My husband and I pray that someday in the future, we will have the space and licenses to become foster parents. In the meantime, since that is not an option, we support the foster care initiative by financially supporting organizations that lift up foster families, encourage children in the foster system, or help families pursue adoption for children in the fostercare system. America’s Kids Belong does this by recruiting famiies and communities to step into this arena and show up for these vulnerable kids in need of loving homes. Watch this video that explains just how America’s Kids Belong from the perspective of a foster child.
Compassion International
Most people are familiar with Compassion International, the program that sponsors children around the globe impacted by poverty, giving them physical resources to survive, medical care, an education, and most importantly the Good News of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite aspects of this program extends beyond the opportunity to give children a second chance at life through your sponsorship, but the opportunity to gift various life-saving needs on-top of that. Through Compassion International you can buy a family livestock to feed themselves and begin a line of work, build wells for safe drinking water, provide emergency food for a malnourished child, donate a hygiene kit to children, and more. I literally wish I had millions of dollars to give to this splendid organization.
Operation Underground Railroad
Modern day abolitionism at its finest, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) fights the good fight against child sex trafficking by partnering with international government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to follow leads of potential human trafficking victims, and carry out rescue efforts. The stories are jaw-dropping and inspiring to say the least, like this one about How O.U.R. Went Undercover in One Of The Largest Anti-Trafficking Operations in Dominican Republic History. We are honored to partner with Operation Underground Railroad’s efforts, and help bring an end to the sickening trade of human trafficking.
Click below for part two of this piece!
