Christian Charity That Is Outside The Box

photo by elvissa
How about some ideas for helping your child develop a charitable heart that may be a little outside the traditional realm, but lots of fun?

Go diving for coins. Into your furniture that is. One day this past week, I pulled all the cushions off my living room furniture just to see what I’d find. I found: a corn chip, a pistachio nut shell, a guitar pick, a file label insert and 41 cents. And lots of dog hair. The same day I also found two dimes in the washer and a penny on a bedroom floor, making a grand total of 62 cents, and I wasn’t even looking hard. Collect all your coins for a month, then donate them to your church’s benevolent fund or ministry of choice.

Pick up trash. One lazy Sunday afternoon while my husband and I were taking a drive, we wandered a bit into the country. I could not get over the amount of aluminum cans and plastic bottles I saw lying on the side of the road. This trash is worth money if you have a recycling center near you that pays. Spend the day picking up trash along the roadway or in your local park, turn the useful stuff in for cash and donate that to your church’s benevolent fund.

Donate used devotionals. Does your family have books and devotional materials that you no longer use or have outgrown? There are plenty of ministries that operate on a shoestring that would find your castoffs a treasure trove of useful resources. Bundle them up and send them off. (If you need the name of someone to donate to, I have a friend in Kenya who has been asking for materials for the orphanage he directs. Let me know and I will forward his address and mailing instructions to you.)

Recycle old eyeglasses. There are many in the world who suffer from poor vision but who don’t have the means for obtaining eyeglasses. There are two organizations who accept old eyeglasses, the Lion’s Club International and CrossLink International. Your child and you can organize a local drive to collect old glasses and drop them off at any of the collection centers near where you live.

Go caroling. Who says caroling has to be done only at Christmas? Are there nursing home residents or shut-ins who would love to hear some classic oldies but goodies from a bunch of families gathered together for that purpose? Bring some cookies to share or simple floral bouquets of fresh picked flowers, and you’ll have an avalanche of smiles from everyone.

All of these ideas are simple and inexpensive, requiring some time and minimal effort to carry off. What other ideas can you come up with that would be a little out of the box but provide good exposure for developing charity in your children?

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