Nurturing a Helpful Heart Part 2

In Part 1 of Nurturing a Helpful Heart, I wrote about some ways I have tried to foster a spirit of sharing and caring in our house. Here in Part 2, I want to share how we do “love in action” at various organizations around the Twin Cities.

We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful, prosperous city in a country that is based on liberty and freedom. But there are many kids, here and abroad, who are not so fortunate. They may go to bed hungry, never experience the joy of Christmas, or even worse, suffer abuse or neglect. I am uncomfortable with the disparity in this world (local and otherwise) and I want my kids to be aware of it and strive to make this world a better place.

“Be the change that you wish to see in this world” –Mahatma Gandhi

Here are 5 places that are making a difference in the Twin Cities and suggestions for how you and your family can get involved:

1. Feed My Starving Children. This is my favorite place to volunteer alongside my kids. FMSC has a great process in place to systematically pack nutritious meals that are sent to countries all over the world. They show emotional videos before group packing begins, and once your group has finished, they tally the number of meals prepared and celebrate the number of lives impacted by each meal. The minimum age requirement to volunteer is 5 years old. If your kids are younger than that, there are other ways to get involved. Each FMSC packing site needs items donated such as toilet paper, soap and paper towels and monetary donations are accepted to offset shipping costs.

2. Operation Christmas Child. There is nothing more fun than spreading Christmas cheer. Operation Christmas Child is an International faith-based organization that sends shoe boxes packed with age and gender specific Christmas presents to kids all around the world. Boxes are collected at various sites across the Twin Cities the 3rd week of November. Every year, my mom hosts a “Packing Party” and our family has so much fun carefully picking out special gifts, packing them lovingly and then tracking online where each box is delivered. A couple years ago, the boys started including a small picture and letter about themselves which really adds a personal touch to the boxes. Don’t let these finished and ready-to-go blue boxes fool you…with 2 boys in the house (3 counting my husband), I look forward every year to buying clothes and toys for girls and packing PINK boxes!

3. Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery. The mission of this organization is to end child abuse and neglect and create strong, healthy families. This is a great place to volunteer with your older kids and there are a variety of ways to get involved… from preparing meals, making creative snacks, or leading enrichment activities like games, crafts or creative movement. And moms, if you ever find yourself with extra time on your hands, maybe when your littles are all tucked away at school for the day, I guarantee you will not regret spending a few hours of your time taking care of the children that stay at the crisis nursery. It will be an unforgettable experience.

4. Ronald McDonald House. If you have ever had a child hospitalized for an extended period of time, you know how quickly it can wreak havoc on your family. When my youngest son was in the hospital for a week, it was torture being away from my husband and oldest son, but thankfully I was able to stay at my newborn’s bedside since I was nursing and the hospital was 20 minutes from my home. Not everyone with a sick child is so lucky. The Ronald McDonald House makes it possible for families to be near their children while they are seeking medical attention.  This “home away from home” also allows families to focus on the medical needs of their child rather than worry about grocery shopping, cooking or cleaning. If you have older kids (14+), you can prepare a meal together and serve it to the families who are staying there. My kids helped me plan, shop, prepare and deliver the food, but they were too young to help serve it. Another way to get involved is to provide items from their “wish list.” These items included food to stock their pantry, toiletries and cleaners for the guest rooms, and school/art supplies for siblings to use while visiting.

5. Organized walks for charities. If FMSC is my favorite place to serve, participating in charity walks is definitely my kids’ favorite. And I  can see why with some of these organizations practically putting on a party at fundraising events. At a recent Epilepsy Stroll I participated in with the Epilespy Foundation of MN, there were food trucks, a DJ from a local radio station, face painters and bouncy houses. If you know anyone with cancer, autism, Type 1 diabetes, you name it… ask if you can join their team. Trust me on this, you will make a fellow mom’s day if you reach out to her in this manner. Not only does participating help spread awareness of certain conditions on a community level, but it can be very enlightening for your child to learn that their friend needs to check her blood sugars daily or cannot tolerate loud noises and certain food textures or has to take multiple medications in order to stay alive.

It has been said that it is better to give than to receive, and I believe it to be true. Raising kids with compassionate, helpful hearts takes effort and initiative. But with careful exposure and involvement, soon their eyes will be opened and they will see it, their hearts will expand and they will feel it… and then their minds will be changed and they will know it… that we belong to each other.

Shine On-

Karri