We Brightened a Child’s Holiday! #DisneyCFK #CBias
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December 29, 2011 •
Remember how I told you that I was paying it forward this year? That I had received help with presents when I was little and now I wanted to help give back to a child in need? Well, I wanted to share what we bought!
I originally set out to fill a stocking with gender neutral Disney toys so that a girl OR a boy could receive it at the Sojorner Peace House. I was uncertain where to donate it and searched online for some ideas of local agencies. I knew it was too late to get a name from a giving tree, but there had to be toy drives going on still! When I saw the information for the Sojorner Peace House holiday drive, I knew that’s where I wanted to donate the stocking. They are an organization that provides shelter and assistance for women and children affected by domestic violence.
While I had my not-so-great childhood moments and memories, I could not imagine having to stay in a shelter after enduring and/or witnessing domestic violence in my home. Those children, to me, definitely need some extra hope during the holidays. It must be confusing and scary, right? I only hope the Princesses will help bring inspiration and comfort. And enjoyment too – I want them to have fun.
Shortly after I stuffed the stocking, I started looking around the house at some other like new and unopened items to donate. Once I got started I was on a roll and filled two medium boxes with toys, baby clothes, and personal hygiene items. All things that they could use at the shelter. I did have to remove a few things from my donation pile after re-reading the shelter’s guidelines. It seemed they only wanted new items. Some of the clothes were gently used, so I pulled them to donate elsewhere.
To see my complete shopping trip and all the Disney items I considered getting, please view my Google+ photo album.
I think next year I’ll have to do two princess stockings! It honestly felt really good to help them out. I wished I could hand it over directly to a child, but I knew that wouldn’t be fair. As it was, we had to drop off the holiday donations to the United Way. The shelter doesn’t freely give out their address (understandably so). I am a little bummed because I saw one of the volunteers taking my stocking apart. They had to sort out all the toys, so I couldn’t actually give the stuffed stocking to just one child. But that’s okay though – this means a few children should have received the Disney Princess toys from us and had a magical Christmas! Oh, it will be fun once Rissa can help me shop for toys to donate!
To see how you can get involved in helping children in your community, please visit Championsforkids.org.
This is going to become one of our holiday traditions. Want to join me in doing this each year? Putting together at least ONE full stocking to donate to a child in need?
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Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts are my own!
Tags: cbias, champions for kids, christmas, collective bias, disney, domestic violence, holidays, shelter, united way, Walmart
Great stocking gift! The Champions for Kids program is awesome!
What an awesome campaign! Thank you for sharing!
What an awesome stocking! I loved your album too! What a wonderful program-the champion of kidsdentistmel
It is such an amazing feeling isn’t it! i wish i could see the childs face as well when we gift to our local women’s shelter. Mainly for my son, I think it would be a great experience and life lesson for him.
Thanks for doing your part .momtosprouts
would have been an amazing gift if they kept it together, but so nice of you and your family to donate such great items! Even though we don’t have a lot of extra money, my girls love princess stuff and i think every little girl does!
so sweetm_bardos
Very special. Thanks for sharing and motivating us all.stillblondeaaty
Darcy – this is awesome and we definitely need to do something like this in our house next year!MamaDoesItAll
this is a great idea! I like to get involved with operation christmas child which fills shoeboxes and ships them overseas.
your idea of giving toys to a shelter is also very sweet and kind, definitely a great tradition to have!
I am sure that it was a bummer to see the stocking you made being picked apart, but I love how you see the glass as half full and know that it may help more than one child in need. Good for you!FoundtheMarbles
Well done, it is always better to give than to receive isn’t? I know your gifts were very much appreciated I’m sure.
What a blessing you are to those children (because they probably split it up for several kids)!
I can guarantee some mom really appreciated what you done! A couple helped us several years ago. They donated anonymously through my sons school. My husband was laid off and the principal had given them my sons name after they contacted the school asking if a child needed help this year with Christmas. A week before Christmas after worrying my son wouldn’t have gifts that year and praying for a miracle I got a call from the principal that she needed to see me. When I got there she told me about the couple and pointed to a pile of gifts that was for my son! They bought a bicycle,a coat, clothes, games and etc. They had spent a lot of money on MY son! I was in tears because I was amazed, shocked and SO thankful that someone could be so giving! And then to do it anonymously! WOW! There IS still good ppl in this world!!! Thanks to them my son had a wonderful Christmas that year! So I know what you did brought a smile to a child’s face as well as her moms!