The 30 Days of Giving Challenge

 

Before 2021 started, I was ready for another blog project. I ended up with two blog projects, with this one, The 30 Days of Giving Challenge, scheduled to end anytime in November, up until Thanksgiving.

 

Every Thanksgiving, I either focus on the “thanks” part of the word, in which I take time to be thankful for things in life (including my life!), or the “giving” part, where I do some giving to others. This year, I wanted to focus on “giving” so this challenge was the perfect way to do just that. I turned it into a blog project because my blog is the best way to document things I’m doing or going through. All the same, I am thinking of turning this into a book, because I have learned that giving is not so much a seasonal thing for us to do, but more of a habit to develop. It’s a good idea to give to others and to help others whenever and wherever we can. We all need to help each other out! For this particular challenge, I decided that I would give either my time, money, items, or just being there for someone.

 

I have heard of people attempting to do “30 days of giving” in November. However, I wanted to put this post on my blog before Thanksgiving. So I decided to spread it out over the months.

 

I am so thrilled and very thankful that I was able to complete this blog project. I completed the 30 days of giving challenge! YAY!! Of course, even after today, I will still be giving in whatever ways I am able to. I am still signed up to volunteer for a neighborhood cleanup, after all! Just a matter of when it’s going to happen again.

 

January:

 

1/7: My former boss was having surgery and a call was put out to bring meals during her recovery, using MealTrain. Since we were all still practicing social distancing, I sent her family a dinner and dessert from Pizza Hut.

 

1/31: I “donated” through the Click to Give website.

 

February:

 

2/4: Sent a Valentine’s Day e-card to a patient at St. Jude Children’s Hospital. It was free of charge.

 

2/9: Donated $15 to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust when a friend set up a donation drive for this as a gift for her birthday.

 

2/25: Gave my change from a McDonald’s purchase to a lady panhandling on the street.

 

March:

 

3/20 and 3/21 (a weekend): Helped my friend Crystal pack up her dad’s belongings for either sale, donation or sending to the dump, as well as doing a little cleaning in her late father’s house.

 

3/31: My friend’s son was having a fundraiser for his school. They were selling candy, so I bought some of the candy.

 

April:

 

4/7: So there was a book that I wanted to buy for some time. Not only did I want this book, but I needed it for my research. I also wanted to include this book in my private library (which is actually a very small collection of books that I use for my writing!). Unfortunately, this particular book was a little bit out of my budget. And when the time came that I had extra funds available to buy the book, I was dismayed to see that its price had gone from $40 to $90! That was way too much! Several days later, I happened to discover an opportunity to buy a used copy of this book at a price that was more affordable. And the best part was that my purchase benefited the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation! How cool! So I ended up performing an act of giving just by chance. It’s a good thing I held out for a better price!

4/8: We had some extra food in the house and donated it to a local food pantry.

 

4/9: My friend’s daughter was trying to raise money to pay for a trip to Europe. One of the ways she did this was by selling artwork that was donated to the cause by her aunt. Let me just say I have a soft spot for supporting local artists. So I bought one of the paintings. I was thrilled to not only be able to support a local artist but to also help out someone trying to get the money together for her trip.

 

 

4/15: We had some extra perishable foods that we did not need and I didn’t want it to go to waste. Fortunately, I was able to locate someone who needed the items, so we donated that food box to this person.

 

4/20: I was browsing on the Internet and came across a very cool Star Trek face mask. Even better, I learned that purchasing this mask meant that the retailer would donate 100% of proceeds to the Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Yes, I bought the mask.

 

4/21: Donated a bag of food to a local food pantry.

 

May:

 

5/4: Bought a bunch of candy bars from a friend’s son who was selling them as part of a Boy Scout fundraiser.

 

5/31: Sent a free military care package to a soldier through the Crown Royal site.

 

June:

 

6/1: Normally, each month, I have a bit of money set aside that I usually spend on something that I want or need. This is usually a book as well as some other item (a movie, item of clothing or something that I just like or want to have). This month, though, was different.

 

Last month, my youngest, Jax, was introduced to guitar playing. His friend has a guitar and taught him how to play. They often got together for some guitar sessions, using the friend’s guitar. This was like a switch had been flipped on for him; he discovered that he LOVED playing guitar, wanted to learn more about how to play a guitar, AND he wanted to have his own guitar. We had gone to a guitar store and, after a while of trying out several guitars and talking with the store owner, he found the guitar that was just right. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough money to buy it. So I gave him the money I normally spent on myself and that plus a bit more we managed to obtain made it possible for him to buy his very own first guitar. He was just so thrilled!

 

He loves that guitar and spent some time playing it after he got home. This made me feel so happy that I was able to help him out to get a guitar – something that he REALLY wanted – that I decided that, from now on, I would use my little monthly “wish list” money to help out someone else or donate it to charity. This way, it would be put to better use! As for me, hey, there’s always my birthday and Christmas! I am satisfied with what I have now.

 

July:

 

7/2: My friend’s sister’s cat fell ill after eating something she wasn’t supposed to and they had to do emergency surgery and thankfully she was saved and they were left with a large vet bill to pay. Friends and family helped out but that money needed to be paid back. So I “paid it forward” and helped them out with what little money I had set aside for book money each month. (No harm done! I have enough books! I’m good!)

 

7/2: I also used a portion of that extra money to chip in to pay for my eldest’s education fund.

 

7/22: Donated a box of food to the local food pantry.

 

7/28: Donated gently-used children’s books to a school (Arts & Technology Academy).

 

7/29: Donated books that I didn’t want anymore to the Little Free Library.

 

August:

 

8/11: Donated a box of food to the local food pantry.

 

September:

9/30: Packed up a lunch and left it at the local food pantry.

October:

 

10/18: Donated gently used adult books to the local Little Free Library.

 

10/23: A fellow author asked me if I would do a beta read of her manuscript. I said I would be happy to. I liked her book very much!

 

November:

 

11/2: Donated to the UCANN Take a Bite Out of Hunger Food Drive hosted by KEZI. (Donated online)

 

11/5: My bank is hosting a canned food drive during the entire month of November, to benefit FOOD for Lane County. So I threw a bunch of canned goods into a bag and donated them.

 

11/11: Donated to the Petco K9s for Warriors.

 

11/12: Drove a friend to see their therapist. Also gave them a ride home.

 

11/13: For two days, the Stuff the Bus event was taking place in Lane County. This event is a partnership program meant to assist low income families. It is sponsored by FOOD For Lane County, Lane County Toys for Tots, Walmart and Lane Transit District, as well as local radio stations 104.7 KDUK and US 101. I donated a dump truck and had the pleasure of meeting US 101 volunteer for the event, Val. We chatted briefly and she told me they do this every year. Today was the last day of this two-day event. Yesterday they were in Springfield (at the Olympic Street location) and today they were in Eugene at the Walmart located on Green Acres Road. Special thanks to my oldest, Centauri, for helping me to make this possible and to my youngest, Jax, for helping me pick out the toy to donate. I am so happy I got to make a donation! And big thanks to Val at US 101 for taking some time to chat with me. Thanks to Val and Jeff for taking the time for a picture!

 

My new buddies, Geoff Owens of KDUK and Val Steele with US 101