‘Tis the season for giving, but it can often be hard to know how to help or where to start. Here are a few ideas on how to spread the love beyond your own family.

Donate to a local nonprofit

If your mailbox looks anything like mine this week you know that there are many community based, not for profit organizations around who need our financial support to continue their important work. I am supporting the Loudoun Literacy Council this year and invite you to join me. The Loudoun Literacy Council’s dedicated team of volunteers and staff are committed to improving English literacy skills of at-risk adults, children and families in Loudoun County through ESL course offerings, story times in local homeless shelters, book donations, community events, individual tutoring, and working with the county Head Start program. Each of these offerings affects individuals, and their stories drive me to help the Loudoun Literacy Council in any way I can. Plus, gifts in December 2009 will be doubled up to $10,000 by an anonymous donor and I like the idea of doubling my gift.

Consider giving “alternative gifts” to the idealists on your list this year

You and your loved ones can create alternative gift registries with help from the folks at a New American Dream. Imagine the impact you can have on a young child by helping them develop an other-centered alternative holiday gift list.

You can shop at one of the local Alternative Gift Fairs which allow you to donate to local nonprofit organizations on behalf of someone on your shopping list. Much better than a lump of coal.

If you are globally inclined, there is always Heifer International which promises to help you “choose a meaningful gift to give a loved one and help children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant.”

Short on cash? There are still many ways you can help our community!

Donate Blood

The Red Cross is ALWAYS looking for blood donors. This is not a kid-friendly task (you should have seen the looks they gave me when I tried to sneak the kids onto the blood-mobile a few years back!), but could be a nice escape on the weekend if you are not bothered by needles and blood. If you are not eligible, maybe you can babysit for a friend while s/he donates.

Help the Ashburn Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department

By participating in a short fire safety survey between now and December 21, 2009, you can help the Ashburn Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department win a $10,000 grant. I just did this and promise to revisit this post if I start getting oodles of junk mail. Of course, by then it may be too late.…

Provide a foster home for a homeless animal

There are many animal rescue organizations here in Northern Virginia that need help from dedicated, experienced animal lovers who are willing to train, socialize and love pets seeking new forever homes. Here are some of your options:

• HART (Homeless Animal Rescue Team)
• 4Paws (cats only)
• Friends of Homeless Animals
• Paws Rescue (dogs only)

I have not personally fostered for any of these organizations. I recommend contacting an agency to see if it feels like a fit, and seriously considering whether fostering is right for your family before you start. It is a big commitment!

Volunteer to post fliers for a local nonprofit

This is a fun project to involve the kids in as you can traipse through your local community center, post office, gym, and library together and talk about the folks you are helping as you go. But, watch out! You may get so attached to their mission you end up volunteering in other capacities…

Conduct your own community clean up

Look for it and you will find trash, dog feces, cigarette butts and other messes in our shared spaces. Teach your kids a lesson and work together to help clean a little piece of it up. Don’t forget to wear gloves and wash your hands! If you need a little literature to connect the dots for younger kids, check out the book All the Way to the Ocean by Joel Harper.

Leverage your grocery bill

If your frequent shopper club card at your store of choice is not already connected to a scrip program supporting your local schools or favorite nonprofit consider supporting the Georgetown Child Life program through the Giant Bonus Bucks program. The thought of spending the holidays away from home in a hospital is difficult for many of us to imagine, but for some it is a constant reality. Having a few toys around sounds like a good thing.

And if all else fails, just count birds

Seriously! You can join the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy at their 13th annual Christmas Bird Count on December 27, 2009.

The Monroe Technology Center in Leesburg is holding its fall plant sale this week!

I am a failure as a gardener, but the plants I bought at MTC’s spring plant sale held up better than the rest of my attempts. I have found the students, staff and volunteers working past plant sales to be courteous and helpful. Most importantly I enjoy the feeling of community I get from buying my plants at a local high school rather than a large overwhelming box store and my kids love pulling the wagons around and helping me choose a couple plants.

Don’t forget to bring cash or a checkbook!

While you are in the neighborhood I highly recommend a stop at the Rust Nature Sanctuary at the end of Children’s Center Road. It has been beautiful lately!

Here’s the scoop as shared on their website and mailing:

Monroe Technology Center (MTC) will hold its annual Fall Plant Sale from Wednesday, September 16th through Friday, September 18th. The hours of the sale will be

•  10 am — 8 pm on Sept 16th
•  10 am — 6 pm on Sept 17th
•  10 am — 5 pm on Sept 18th

Proceeds from the sale will go to scholarships for MTC students.

Plants for sale include:

• Mums
• Hardy Winter Pansies
• Fall Perennials
• Trees
• Shrubs

MTC is located at: (map it)
715 Children’s Center Road
Leesburg, VA  20175

Just popping on to my neglected blog to share info on an upcoming book sale that has been passed along to me…

Come buy used children and teen books, videos, and music at the Ashburn Library Advisory Board (ALAB) sale on Sat, June 27th, 10 am to 4:30 pm at Ashburn Library ( 43316 Hay Rd ). Prices from 50 cents to $2.

We need donations! Used books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and software donations will be collected June 24–26 during normal library hours. Only children/teen materials, please.

ALAB will also be holding a silent auction from June 22 to July 2nd. Bid on a variety of items generously donated by local businesses. The silent auction bid sheets are in the library foyer. All proceeds support library programs.

Contact Douglas Nelms at alab_volunteer@yahoo.com if you would like to volunteer to help with the book sale on June 27th or the set-up for the sale on June 26. Thanks in advance for your support of our library!

GreenerLoudoun is a blog for all you local folks interested in greening your lives. It covers a wide range of topics — from information on reuse and recycling, to how our choices affect local wildlife, to educational events suitable for children. The blog is interspersed with fascinating photographs, as well.  Have a look!

Reston Interfaith, Inc.
11150 Sunset Hills Rd. Suite 210
Reston, VA 20190 (map it)
(571) 323‑9555

 

I don’t have much experience with this group, but I am on their mailing list and know they do good work so thought I’d put them out there for folks who are looking for a place to donate or volunteer.

It has come to my attention that I am not the only one who wishes we had a Trader Joe’s in Loudoun County. Apparently there is a grass roots effort to attract them to a new shopping center in Ashburn. Hooray! To join this effort all you need to do is fill out Trader Joe’s location request form.

You can fill out as you like, or complete as the masses have suggested:

City: Ashburn
State: Virginia
Comments: Village Center at Belmont Greene

5/26/08 UPDATE: Another local blogger has done some digging on this topic. Here’s what she discovered.

www.givelife.org
1–800-GIVELIFE

It can be hard to find ways to give when we are juggling motherhood. A kid free hour on the weekend that involves resting and eating cookies is not a bad option.

The Red Cross actively pursues my husband. They track his donation dates and as soon as he is eligible again they call persistently until he schedules a new appointment. Since they want nothing to do with me (lived in the UK, must carry mad cow disease!), I figure I can help by reminding you to give blood. So, please, schedule an appointment at a blood drive near you!