#26acts - budget friendly ideas

[cheap traveler]

Have you joined in with #26acts? What are your budget-friendly deeds or ideas? Money is tight for us right now, so I'm trying to make our first acts free or cheap. (bonus comes after the 1st, so the ideas involving money will come then)

My first act: Donated 84 books to my children's school. Some will stay in the after-school program, the rest will be going to "books on wheels" which sells used books to the children for $.25

I am trying to find a volunteer program for my kids to get involved with me, but nothing in my area will allow children to help! They can't even walk dogs at the county animal shelter

Any ideas will be helpful!

 

[usnuzuloose]

How about making cookies for a senior home? Maybe the children can visit with some of them for an hour or so.

 

[danygirl]

kids don't have to volunteer formally to volunteer - is there an elderly neighbor who is alone this Christmas? they could make cards and bring them over. one year we picked out a tiny tree and set it up for our neighbors, then took it down after the holiday.

kids could go through old toys and donate those in good shape to goodwill or another group.

kids could collect canned goods and donate to the local food bank, or collect towels and blanets for the shelter.

a lemonade stand (or hot choc stand) to raise money to donate to a worthy cause.

 

[amberlynnhawkins]

How about sending cards to soldiers overseas? I'm sure you could contact your local National Guard and see if they could get you contact information. Or make cards to give to people at a nursing home?

 

[java]

We are heading over to the retirement center with some type of goodie. Not sure what yet. Thinking little hand creams? Or maybe something baked? I'm going to ask the center what they suggest. The kids are excited and want to dress up.

I had someone give me their garlic today in line at the grocery store when he overheard me criticizing myself for forgetting to grab some! So I received an act of kindness.

 

[scrapquitler]

Have you joined in with #26acts? What are your budget-friendly deeds or ideas? Money is tight for us right now, so I'm trying to make our first acts free or cheap. (bonus comes after the 1st, so the ideas involving money will come then)

My first act: Donated 84 books to my children's school. Some will stay in the after-school program, the rest will be going to "books on wheels" which sells used books to the children for $.25

I am trying to find a volunteer program for my kids to get involved with me, but nothing in my area will allow children to help! They can't even walk dogs at the county animal shelter

Any ideas will be helpful!

My kids made snowflakes to send to Newtown so the school will be decorated when they reopen.

How about taking them to visit some senior citizens at a nursing home or senior center? Picking up litter at the park or playground near home? make and send getwell cards to soldiers Walter Reed?

 

[sissy_ib]

My kids made snowflakes to send to Newtown so the school will be decorated when they reopen.

How about taking them to visit some senior citizens at a nursing home or senior center? Picking up litter at the park or playground near home? make and send getwell cards to soldiers Walter Reed?

Walter Reed medical center closed in 2011. But there are plenty of other places you can send cards to for wounded soldiers.

 

[scrapquitler]

Walter Reed medical center closed in 2011. But there are plenty of other places you can send cards to for wounded soldiers.

You are right...I did know that Walter Reed closed, but while I was typing this post, I tried to remember the name of the hospital whose address I saw posted somewhere earlier today, and Walter Reed was the first that popped into my head. Regardless, the idea of the cards for recuperating soldiers is a good one, I think.

 

[ORDisneyfans]

My Girl Scouts love to go Chritmas caroling at the local nursing homes! You could also decorate their doors for the holidays, make valentines for the seniors or veterans. Some troops make blankets for newborns or the humane society. Off to check out the site. I haven't heard of it bit am always looking for ways to volunteer and donate.

 

[Aliceacc]

There are lots of cold and hungry people. Go through your winter stuff and donate some hats and gloves.

Then go through your pantry and donate some canned goods.

Long Island, NYC and the Jersey shore still have lots and lots of people who lost everything in hurricane Sandy. http://inhabitat.com/six-things-you-can-do-to-help-hurricane-sandy-victims/blankets-brown/

 

[forloveofdisney]

Consider helping at a volunteer fire/rescue department in your area. In our area we take all the help we can get even from little helpers. If your area doesn't have a volunteer department (a paid department instead), the kids can write notes, draw pictures, and bake cookies for the responders. Your local law enforcement and 9-1-1 dispatchers would appreciate that too. These people will be away from their families, protecting and helping others, throughout the holidays and beyond. A little act of kindness helps make it just a little better

 

[MOREMICKEYFORME]

At Shaw's (grocery store) this week, they have Lindor truffles- 2 bags for $6.00. I sent my son to school with some to hand out with little notes that read: Tag! You're it! 27 acts of kindness for Newtown, CT. -Now go tag someone else in their memory!

He loves the idea. He know that it should include people that you may overlook from day-to-day like the librarian, the lunchlady, etc.

We also have sheets of stickers and mini coloring books that were 2 for $1.00

 

[Schmoodle]

I have been so down this past week and have started pretty much every day with tears reading the news. I was so happy to see this 26 acts movement a couple of days ago. I think it is a wonderful thing to help people heal and show there is still good in this world. I am excited to see everyone's ideas. My kids and I will be dropping off 26 jars of peanut butter at our local food pantry this afternoon. I also thought I would pick up a small gift for a neighbor. He is an Aspie kid and has had a rough time this week. Someone took a video of him at school and posted it on Youtube with rude comments. He is a great kid and I feel so badly for him. I'm worried about all of the socially awkward, loner-type kids (my son among them). As if they didn't already have a rough time of it, I'm afraid it might be worse for them for a while.
After that, I'm not sure, but we'll keep going, so let's hear some more great ideas!

 

[cheap traveler]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

I plan to have my girls make snowflakes for Newtown, as well as thank-you or get-well letters for the troops (too late for xmas cards)

Tomorrow is our last day of school for 2012, so I think I'll get some small candies and attach notes to them (and get extras bc my kids will give them all to the kids)

Keep them coming

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

Someone on another thread suggested $1 scratch off tickets...

I did two cups of free coffee this morning for less than $4.

 

[kimblebee]

At Shaw's (grocery store) this week, they have Lindor truffles- 2 bags for $6.00. I sent my son to school with some to hand out with little notes that read: Tag! You're it! 27 acts of kindness for Newtown, CT. -Now go tag someone else in their memory!

He loves the idea. He know that it should include people that you may overlook from day-to-day like the librarian, the lunchlady, etc.

We also have sheets of stickers and mini coloring books that were 2 for $1.00

Thank you for doing 27. I do understand why the shooter is not remembered but not why his mom is left out.

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

The battered women's shelter here always needs coats, hats and mittens. Kids could make notes to hand out asking for donations and then gather the items up. They can go to the shelter and deliver them.

They can also take some gently used toys they are no longer playing with for the kids in the shelter. I think going thru their toys and picking some out is a good learning opportunity for them.

 

[danygirl]

Walter Reed medical center closed in 2011. But there are plenty of other places you can send cards to for wounded soldiers.

It combined with Bethesda Naval.
8901 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, MD 20889

so there you go, you can still send cards

 

[Neelloc]

The acts of kindness don't have to involve money or goods. They can simply be actions. Random or not, anonymous or to a loved one or friend.

My SIL wrote thank you letters to people in her life that she loves and appreciates.

You can hold the door open for someone, let someone go ahead of you in line, wish a stranger "merry christmas" or "happy holidays," call a friend to say hello, etc.

I had some extra holiday cards and I called a local nursing home. I filled them out and dropped them off today. They give the cards to residents who don't get a lot of mail.

 

[cheap traveler]

Sorry, my reply got cut short earlier by my boss

I live in a strange area. We have no retirement homes nearby, no elderly in my neighborhood (I'm in NY, so our retired folks all move to Florida LOL,) no shelters of any kind, only one soup kitchen (run by the salvation army) in the small city 25 mins away... It's really an odd area.

Today we sent cookies in to our after-school teachers, tomorrow my girls are going to give candy to the "forgotten adults" in their school - librarian, lunch ladies, custodian.

Thank you for the address to send cards for wounded soldiers! Going to get my girls on that this weekend, along with the snowflakes.

I was also thinking I could try to call the children's ward at the hospital about an hour from us, see if they could use any snowflake decorations. And next week I'm going to bake cookies for one of my suppliers at work.