by MJ Logan

Created on: November 10, 2008   Last Updated: December 11, 2008

Every year, a local church sponsors a mitten tree. The tree is decorated with hundreds of paper mittens and on one side, a gift is written for a less fortunate child or parent. Church members take the mittens home, buy the gifts, wrap them and return them, labeled with a code from the mitten they took. Various organizations make the mittens and give them to the church to hang on the tree.

A week before Christmas, a group of volunteers shows up to handle the crunch of sorting and delivering this gift from the hearts of people. Bicycles, clothes, coats, boots, trains, and toys of every imaginable size and shape for kids of every age. Common adult gifts are gas cards to help them drive to work, clothing suitable for work, or even a gift card that helps them buy a special gift for their child from themselves.

Here is a gift that gives back. Few of the parishioners see the happy faces on the kids or the smiling parents, happy just to see their kids happy. Stand in the back of that church just before services and see the happy people bringing those gifts in. No frowns, just smiles. Most not even realizing they are gifting themselves with the joy of giving. You just need to look for these programs and if you don't find one, perhaps it's for you to start one.

Few people don't know of the homeless who grow in numbers every year. Whether through choice, bad luck or mental illness, these people scrounge the streets, looking for meals, money and shelter. While giving money to someone who may have a substance abuse problem isn't a good idea, you can still help out. Stop at local fast food restaurants and purchase coupons or gift cards for food. You'll be buying them hot meals and feeling good about it at the same time, while shouldering a bit of the burden the shelters carry.

Do you know someone who is struggling? Perhaps a family whose breadwinner lost his or her job. It could be a single parent whose former or absent spouse can't or doesn't help enough. Whatever the reason, the holidays are an opportunity to give hope and more. How appreciative they would be of that holiday dinner, delivered two or three days in advance so they can plan to prepare it and not worry where the money will come from to buy it.

What about the lonely person who has no family. What would it cost to invite them to share in your family dinner and gift exchange? Just a few small gifts to brighten someone's life, a sharing of the meal and the laughter and joy of the holiday traditions your family enjoys.

These are the gifts that give back. These gifts build community and teach our young people what it means to give to those less fortunate. Just as importantly, they give us that warm, good feeling inside.

Won't you give a gift that gives back this year?

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