COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2019 | 7A
The Season of Giving
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year to
Give Back!
FUN WAYS to Give
Back This Season
5
1. Alleviate loneliness. Contact
a nursing home, hospital or local
community center about visiting or
organizing a craft activity, game or
entertainment.
2. Connect with a pet. Many pet
rescues and shelters rely on volunteers
to help walk dogs, socialize them, keep
habitats clean and provide fosters
homes – and furever homes, of course!
3. Help end hunger. Volunteer,
donate or collect donations for a local
food bank, or help out at a local soup
kitchen.
4. Organize a fundraiser. Host a
holiday activity or event (ugly sweater
party, Santa fun run, bake sale, pet
photos with Santa) to raise money for
the nonprofit of your choice.
5. Pack a “gift bag.” Fill a new or
gently used purse or backpack with
items to help someone who is home-
less, or for a child in need. Make this
a group activity by hosting a pack-
ing party at your home, asking each
participant to bring a bag and items to
share.
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Follow Charity Navigator’s
Tips to Make Donations
Count
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BEDS FOR FREEZING nights has
provided a warming center in cottage
grove for those who wish to come inside
on nights when the temperature averages
29 degrees farenheit or below and we
have enough volunteers for the shifts.
When the warming center is activated
between november 15th and march
31st at Our Lady of Perpetual Help or
First Presbyterian Church, volunteers staff the center to
provide compassionate care throughout the night.
1. Be proactive in your giving.
Consider the causes that are important to you,
and figure out the specific impact you would like to make, so you can create a
Last season BEDS FOR FREEZING NIGHTS
list of charities that
activated 11 nights and served 75 individuals and a few
match your priorities.
pets.
2. Do your research.
Confirm the charity is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity, examine the orga-
This holiday season, please help us continue to provide
nization’s finances, and make sure the charity is accountable and transparent.
“warm hearts, warm beds on freezing nights” by
3. Discuss results and impact.
donating online at freezingnights.com or call
Asking about accomplishments, goals and challenges for insight into the organi-
zation’s current standing and future direction will help ensure meaningful and
(541) 658-9254. You will be blessed to be a blessing!
long-lasting impact.
4. Consider your method of giving.
“WARM HEARTS, WARM BEDS ON FREEZING NIGHTS”
Unrestricted donations to a charity you trust give them the flexibility to meet
changing demands for services. Also, creating a
budget, understanding the tax benefits of giving, and
spacing out gifts during the year may help expand
your ability to give.
5. Follow your investment.
Follow up within a year to see how your donation is
being spent. This will help you make an informed
decision about continuing to support a charity’s work
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Source: 5 Steps to Informed Giving, charitynavigator.org
Charity Navigator was founded in 2001 to assist donors by using an unbiased,
objective, numbers-based rating system to assess over 9,000 charities. For more
information, go to charitynavigator.org.
Take the
“12 Days of
Kindness”
Challenge
This Holiday
Season
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Here are a week’s worth of suggestions
to get you started from Random Acts of
Kindness:
1. Send an uplifting text message to someone you know.
2. Let a fellow motorist merge into traffic with a wave and
a smile.
3. Include intentional moments of kindness, laughter and
delight in your daily routine.
4. Go slightly outside of your comfort zone each day to
make someone smile.
5. Give a sincere compliment to a coworker or friend.
6. Reach out to a friend or family member with whom
you haven’t spoken in a while.
7. Treat somebody to a cup of coffee.
Source: 7 Ways to Start Making Kindness the Norm in Your Daily Life, ran-
domactsofkindness.org
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