Challenge: Spend Less, Give More
The Double Bonus of Giving
Welcome back to our weekly 60-second community service tips newsletter! This year became much busier than anticipated, so this issue is a double-dose (2-minute read) because Stephanie had a few whirlwind weeks:
Kicked off her last year in the 40s with Garth Brooks in Las Vegas,
Daughter, Anna’s Sweet 16,
Attended 30-year high school reunion in Garden City, KS,
Pre-election week in Philadelphia attending events, meeting voters, and doing media (print, radio, TV),
Fangirl moment: Met CBS Correspondent Weijia Jiang and model/entrepreneur extraordinaire Chrissy Teigen,
The Women4U.S. team spent election week in Phoenix, then
Family cruise to the Gulf side of Mexico.
It’s nice to have a slow season upon us as we glide toward the holidays.
Our community service tip for this week is a SPENDING CHALLENGE! Not our idea, but from Rev. Adam Hamilton at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection here in the KC area. It’s a simple concept:
Give as much (or more) as you get!
When budgeting for holiday gift giving, donate the same amount you spend friends and family to a charity that helps those less fortunate near you or around the world.
This may mean cutting your total budget, but let’s get real, how much more stuff do any of us really need?
A few ideas:
My favorite gift each year is from my sister-in-law, who donates to Heifer International in our names. You can buy goats, chicks, and yes, heifers for a community. My favorite is - Send a Girl to School.
Each year, Resurrection dedicates 100% of the Christmas Eve offering to mission work - half to domestic (usually local KC) and the other half to global efforts.
With more than 150K in attendance across 6 physical locations, online, and 2 metro TV broadcasts, last year they raised/gave $2M+.
Here’s more info from the closing of last year’s Christmas Eve service - it’s worth the watch for this content, not to mention the view of thousands of candles lighting up the darkness:
Happy serving - your community AND Thanksgiving dinner!
Stephanie
About Serve60Sharp
Serve60Sharp is a weekly, read-in-60-seconds newsletter, which provides readers with actionable ideas to serve their communities.