Get Giving!
There is a great deal of chatter out there about finding the perfect gift for each and every person on your list. And I agree – there is great satisfaction to be had by wrapping your loved ones in the softest cashmere or fortifying your kids with a big stack of books. It is all good. And before your gift giving is though, please consider how you might be able to help those well outside of your inner-circle.
Yesterday I sat in on Jewish Women International’s (JWI) Women to Watch symposium. This featured the 2009 Women to Watch nominees including: JJ Ramberg (the adorably pregnant co-founder of GoodShop.com), Laurie Ann Goldman (the steel magolia CEO of Spanx), Ruth Marcus (the warm and prolific Washington Post columnist) and Estee Portnoy (the tireless marketing and business manager for Michael Jordan) among others. The list read like a who’s who of philanthropically minded, accomplished and frankly, inspiring women (they were all quite beautiful as well). The room was filled not only with JWI supporters but also the family and friends of the ten dynamic women who were being honored (at a luncheon emceed by Blossom herself, Mayim Bailik).
One topic that came up was how to best teach our kids the Jewish value of tzedakah (giving, though interestingly enough has its roots in the word for justice). As well was how philanthropy becomes a way of life, passed down from generation to generation. And certainly this is not a uniquely Jewish concept – we can and should all find ways to share our commitment to caring for others with our children. Many thoughts were shared – dedicating one holiday night to giving outside of the family (we already do this in our home) was one that is easy to implement and quite rewarding. In fact, I tweeted about it yesterday, and got a lot of positive feedback.
That said, the possibilities are endless, and not at all limited to this time of year. I suggest you take a look at some of the causes nearest and dearest to my heart as you begin to open yours up – for good!
The What to Expect Foundation– Heidi Murkoff’s What to Expect When You’re Expectinghas been called “America’s Pregnancy Bible.” But many expectant moms cannot afford to buy a book or do not have the literacy skills they need to read it. The What to Expect Foundation was conceived to provide empowering information, support, and literacy skills to underserved, at-risk parents so they too can expect healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries, and happier babies.
R Baby Foundation R Baby Foundation® is the first and only not-for-profit foundation uniquely focused on saving babies lives through improving pediatric emergency care. R Baby Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that babies, including those in the first month of life suffering from viral infections and other infectious diseases, receive the highest quality of care and service through supporting life-saving pediatric training, education, research, treatment and equipment.
JWI Jewish Women International (JWI) is the leading Jewish organization empowering women and girls – through economic literacy; community training; healthy relationships education; and the proliferation of women’s leadership. Our innovative programs, advocacy and philanthropic initiatives protect the fundamental rights of all girls and women to live in safe homes, thrive in healthy relationships, and realize the full potential of their personal strength.
Children’s Institute, Inc.Los Angleles (CII) serves more than 17,000 children and their families in the city’s most challenged neighborhoods, and trains more than 9,000 professionals in the realm of child development, mental health and welfare. CII provides healing so traumatized children can recover and lead healthy lives, while working to shape the field of children’s services through innovative research, demonstration projects, and professionally accredited training programs.
Breastcancer.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer. BCO’s mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast cancer, so they can make the best decisions for their lives.
So give, give, give — teach your children well by example and do all you can to keep the holiday glow alive and well in your home by giving outside of it!