Service Ideas: 10 Ways to Scrapbook and Serve Those In Need

giving back • my world • Mom It Forward Mondays • tips for giving back

by Jamie Moesser on January 30th, 2012 | No Comments »

We talk a lot in these Season of Service posts about using your talents to help others. We've talked about service through singing, through writing, and many other special ways to share. This week is for those of you who have a gift for crafting things with paper and glue.

Our Season of Service challenge is for you to serve through scrapbooking, but this encompasses not only what you can make with pictures, but anything creative you can make with paper, since "papercraft" isn't really a verb. Check out these bite-size ideas, and try and do just one of them this week.

10 Ways to Serve through Scrapbooking

Make 10 Happy Birthday cards (here's one version you could use) and take them to the nearest assisted living center, to be handed out by the staff on residents' birthdays.
Do a scrapbook layout on your best or hardest parenting moment.
Make a Valentine's box like the ones you used to make in elementary school, and take it to work or church or book club, and invite others to make Valentines cards to contribute to your local Christmas Box house or other similar children's charity.
Sell or auction off scrapbooking supplies or dummy scrapbook layouts and donate a portion or all of the profit to your favorite charity.
Offer to put together a small scrapbook or paper memorial for someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one. Pinterest and SplitCoastStampers have lots of ideas.
Make a card for someone who has inspired you, using this quote by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross: "People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."
Create a scrapbook layout about a difficult health challenge you've faced, and share it with others so that they can be inspired by your ability to put down on paper or put it into words your feelings about the situation.
Grab a bunch of old magazines or newspapers, some paper, glue, and embellishments, and help your kids make scrapbooks about issues they care about.
Make and send three anonymous thank you cards to people you've seen do good things recently. Once again, SplitCoastStampers and Pinterest are great resources.
Volunteer to teach a one-time class about scrapbooking at a foster family agency.

How Will You Give to Others This Week?

Have you ever done any of these things? How did it go?
What other acts of service have inspired you?
How have others given to you this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week’s challenge.
Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
Enter to win this week’s giveaway.
Join #gno this Tuesday and this Thursday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.