Are you looking for a way to spread God’s love during this Christmas? Today I’m sharing how we put together 75 Christmas gifts any kid would love!
Hosting
Marcello and I short-term fostered two little boys for a week this month. They are one and two years old and currently staying in a shelter with their mother. I was happy to be of some help, but it left me feeling empty and wanting to do more.
When I went to sign the paperwork to take the boys, the shelter had a line around the building for Thanksgiving turkeys.
This shelter feeds people, offers a bed to sleep in, gives anyone place to shower, helps them find jobs, offers classes, Bible studies and AA meetings. What struck me was the amazing, positive attitude that filled the building. There was joy and genuine caring for people. It was striking.
(You might remember we did this several months ago for the first time with two girls. I wrote all about our experience in this post. It’s probably not what you expect!)
A couple days after I took the boys back to their mother, our family went to a super amazing birthday party with all the favors imaginable! My kids went on and on about them, playing with them for days. So I got the idea to buy the same things and make fun bags for kids visiting the shelter!
Thank you!
If you visit my website, click on an ad or shop through my affiliate links, thank you!!! You help me do these charitable things!
I donate 20 percent of my blog money to Christian charities and acts of kindness. I decided this would be the perfect thing to spend the $1,000 I tithed for quarter four of this year!
We made 75 bags and they each cost $6. I spent $716 in total on the shelter, including the toothpaste. I will donate the remaining money to them via their website.
Toys in the bag
I ordered everything on Amazon and the kids and I put them together in sort of an assembly line. They were actually quite into it and thinking about who might get the bag.
They discussed how boy things should go in the boy bags and girl toys in the pink and purple bags. Of course, I let them pick a couple toys for themselves as well, but I was impressed that they didn’t make it all about what they wanted.
- Drawstring bags
- Play-doh
- Puffy stickers
- Wooden cross necklaces
- Sticky hands
- Invisible ink pens
- Bouncy balls
- Jungle animals
- Slinkies
- Light-up Christmas rings
- Bubbles
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The next day we headed out to the shelter to drop off the party backpacks and 400 little tubes of toothpaste the shelter had stated a need for. They make shower packets in ziplock bags for the homeless with toothpaste and toiletries.
Marcello also donated all the shampoo, conditioner and soap he has acquired from hotels and business travel this year. If you travel, save these small toiletries and ask your colleagues for theirs as well. They are perfect for homeless who can’t carry around full size bottles and shelters who make care packs with them.
The drop off
When you spend a lot of time and money doing something for others, don’t be tempted to expect applause and trophy with your name on it. You don’t even need a thank you. You don’t.
When we dropped off the gifts, toothpaste and toiletries it was very quick with no fuss. I asked how the boys were. They are well. A smile and thank you and we were on our way!
This is perfectly fine with me because I know Jesus sees me. He sees me and He sees my heart. I have compassion because He has compassion for me and I do for others because we are to be His hands and feet. I long to serve so that I can serve Him, my savior and king.
Watch the video of these unexpected Christmas gifts!