10 Ways to Serve by Washing

1. Google whether or not your favorite body wash is manufactured by a company that does animal-testing, or look at this list to find companies that don’t.
2. Offer to wash some of the toys in your church’s or community center’s nursery or day care.
3. Donate $1 to Share Your Soles, enough money for them to wash 30 pairs of donated shoes, which they then send to impoverished countries where shoes are a luxury.
4. Wash out some cottage cheese containers, cut a quarter-sized hole in the lids and put them on the containers, then gather some fuzzies and a few toddlers or preschoolers, and let them have fun stuffing the fuzzies into the containers. (Idea: Pinterest)
5. Visit ProjectLaundryList.org to find out how best to cold-wash or line-dry your clothes to save energy.
6. Wash your neighbor’s car or the outside of one of their windows.
7. Put six quarters in the coin dispenser of your nearest self-serve car wash.
8. Host a reverse garage sale for your neighborhood: gather their used items, wash them, and take them to your local Salvation Army.
9. Donate $5 to Ms. Jimenez’s classroom at Validus Prep Academy in an impoverished area of New York City, so that she can buy a washing machine and dryer for her students, many of whom don’t have access to them at home.
10. Sew a pillowcase, wash, and dry. Put it in a ziploc bag and send to ConKerr Cancer.

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 Wednesday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.

What fun ways can you serve others this week?

One day, I brought a friend downtown to serve the homeless with me. I serve in another state where I help a homeless ministry. He said, “I see a lot of obese homeless people in America!” He is right, especially because there’s a misconception about what food is available and what’s not.

The truth is, homelessness is more about addiction and lack of coping skills than it is about economics. If you’re homeless, you can eat really well because there’s a lot of giving taking place. Churches, individuals, and various groups give back by providing food, donations, and food banks. But at the core of despair, poverty, and life on the street is a negative cycle of addiction that often stems from the way they were raised, or a lack of coping skills after a tragedy.

One of the best things you can do to alter someone’s life radically is give an hour of your time or a kind word. This is a proven truth that I’ve seen four times in the past year with homeless people who are now off the street living really productive lives. We did not give them food or money. Well, unless you count the popcorn I bought at the movie theatre when we took five homeless guys to see The Book of Eli.

Today I feel like a proud little sister, watching Nathanial publish his first book. On the cover shown below, that he designed himself, is a photograph of the man he once was when he slept on the street and the man he is today, reaching out a helping hand.

People are hungry, people are depressed, people are struggling. I write about this a lot in my own blog and recently wrote a post called addiction nation about the habits even normal people form, like overeating, over spending, drinking too much, or addiction to other things that might fill that empty space. We live in a nation addicted to everything.

After years of service in orphanages, homeless shelters, or food banks, I can honestly say that you don’t know what someone is going though until you walk a mile in their shoes. It might be someone in your neighborhood whose struggling with a problem, or an addiction, or it might be someone downtown under a bridge.

How can showing love and giving of your time help those most important in your life? How can love and time help to better those in your community?

Tammy Kling is a life coach, advocate for the homeless, and international author of 29 books including The Compass. Tammy is also the founder of Write it Out, an organization that helps gang members, the homeless, and those living on the street write out their hopes & dreams via writers workshops, free journals and various other resources. She’s also the mom of two boys, an avid trail and mountain runner, blogger, and adventure travel writer.

Now, as a stay-at-home mom raising two young boys, I’m making it my business to acquaint them with the many and diverse needs there are in our community, and the simple ways that they can give. In doing so, I’m drawing upon that same graduate-study research to help educate my efforts in raising giving children because, in many ways, nonprofit donors and kids are not that different. This can educate your efforts as well.

For instance, a 1996 article in the journal Nonprofit Management and Leadership (Mount, vol. 7, no. 1, Fall 1996) identifies four primary reasons that people donate:

1. Involvement, or the belief that one is part of a greater whole and that making a donation will help effect change for others.
2. Means, or a donor’s feeling that they are financially secure and able to share.
3. Self-Interest, i.e., to get a tax-deduction or recognition
4. Predominance, or the fact that donors tend to give most to large nonprofits, schools, or causes.

A 2010 survey by Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy showed similar motives, with “being moved at how a gift can make a difference” still leading the list, but with the addition of “giving to an efficient organization.”

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like these motives would have anything to do with our children. They don’t have vast sums at their disposal or need tax deductions, and they tend to be fairly self-interested. But they can surprise you.

Recently, I collected pink lids from Activia yogurts and had my 8 year-old son enter the unique codes found on the underside of each one at CupsofHope.com. For every code entered, Dannon donates 10 to 20 cents (depending on the product) to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. I explained to him what breast cancer was, that it can take moms away from their sons, and that by entering the codes, we could help some of them. We entered 16 codes, then I asked him to calculate how much of a donation that would make. His eyes went wide when we finished and I told him that he’d just helped some boys not lose their moms to breast cancer. Whoever says kids can’t be motivated by a feeling of “involvement”?

And whoever said kids can’t be motivated by self-interest either? We should not discount that reason when trying to motivate our kids to give because, while it may not be the noblest of motives, it still prompts a good share of the gifts with which many noble things are done in today’s nonprofit world. For adults, this means giving so that a plaque can be put up in their honor, or so that they can claim a good tax deduction. For kids, this means giving (with sums that, while not as large, are clung to just as tightly as adults) for that plaque on the fridge, or the candy they’re offered afterwards. So, to the parent that wonders how to motivate their kids to give, I say: think about what motivates you to give of your money or time, or what would motivate you if you had lots of money, and just translate it to their level. Research says that’s okay.

What steps do you take to make sure your children understand the importance of giving back?

Photos courtesy of Keerati and David Castillo Dominici.

Since there are so many organizations and companies in need of support, keeping your donations organized and hassle-free can be difficult at times…until now. GiveBack.org is a website that was created to empower people to give back to the causes that they care about the most. At no cost to you or the charities you choose to support, you can manage all giving through one account and you can give to any charity any amount and 100% of the donation goes directly to that specific charity.

Create Your Foundation

Once you create an account, you can then “Create Your Foundation” by finding charities that are near and dear to your heart. As soon as I entered the site, I searched around for charities that spoke to me. The animal lover in me came out when I saw the Humane Society of the United States. With two rescued and adopted dogs sitting by my side, I immediately added that to “My Charities.”

Fill Your Foundation

Once your charity choices have been made, you can add funds to your foundation using a credit card. GiveBack.org also allows the option to earn up to 15% of each purchase when you shop at their merchant partners. In other words, they make it incredibly simple to add funds to support your favorite charities. I had $5.00 already in my foundation just for creating an account and an additional dollar amount in my foundation thanks to the kind people at GiveBack.org. After selecting my charity, I clicked the “Donate Now” button and 100% of my donation went to the Human Society of the United States. It was as simple as that.

Increase Impact

When it comes to charities, word of mouth is key in spreading the message. GiveBack.org has made it super simple to post updates on your charities on Facebook, tweet about your donations on Twitter, share stories with other members and build awareness and support for your favorite charities.

If you’re all about charitable giving, this is the site for you. It will help you manage all of your giving in one convenient location that is accessible 24/7. The site also provides one simple report for your IRS tax returns. What’s not to love? When you decide to give back this holiday season, GiveBack.org is the place to visit for all of your charitable giving.

Join @mygiveback‘s #gno Twitter Party on Thursday, November 18 (9-11 p.m. ET) to chat easy ways to give back!

What is GiveBack? from GiveBack on Vimeo.

* GiveBack.org provided the donation; however, all opinions are my own.

GiveBack.org allows you to set up your own personal giving foundation in one easy step.  It allows you to do all of your giving in one place without hassle or any complexities. It makes giving back to your communities easier since it manages all of your giving through one account. This site is loaded with features to make giving to charities an enjoyable and easy experience. Plus, it allows you to connect with others and share stories all while raising awareness for your charities.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about giving back. There will be one Grand Prize winner and four Runner-Up prizes:

One Grand Prize:

• $250 will be placed in winner’s GiveBack.org account that can be donated to any charity of the winner’s choice (registered in the U.S.)
• $50 gift card (Ideally to use toward a purchase from shop.GiveBack.org where up to 15% of your purchase is donated back into your GiveBack account by participating retailers.)
• Mission Skin Care gift package

Four Runner-Up Prizes:

• $100 will be placed in winner’s GiveBack.org account that can be donated to any charity of the winner’s choice (registered in the U.S.)
• $25 gift card (Ideally to use toward a purchase from shop.GiveBack.org where up to 15% of your purchase is donated back into your GiveBack account by participating retailers.)
• Mission Skin Care gift package

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

1. Follow @MyGiveBack on Twitter.
2. Visit the website https://www.giveback.org and tell us that you’ve set up your GiveBack account and leave a comment on this post letting us know what you did.
3. Tweet the following:

• RT @MomItForward – Join @MyGiveBack #gno Twitter party on Thur 11/18 (9-11 pm ET) 2 chat easy ways to #GiveBack http://bit.ly/9znL0P PLS RT

• RT @MomItForward – GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 chance 2 win $250 to #GiveBack 2 your favorite charity & $50 for you! http://bit.ly/diOsYj #gno PLS RT

Optional Entries

The following extra entries are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each one that has been completed. Leave a separate comment on this post for each entry completed.

1. Like the GiveBack.org page on Facebook (http://facebook.com/mygiveback)
2. Share the GiveBack widget to your Facebook page- click ‘Share’ & post to your favorite places http://giveback.widgetmatic.com/230

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Friday, November 19. See all terms and conditions here.

Party Topic

Join GiveBack.org and our panel of experts as we discuss new and easy ways to give back during the holidays. The party will be held on Thursday, November 18 from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT). Click here to see details about the giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Party Details

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Thursday, November 18 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #GiveBack.)
• Topic: New and easy ways to give back during the holidays
• Who: Brand Panelists: @mygiveback, Stephen Paletta (Founder of GiveBack) @spaletta, Johanna Zeilstra (President, GiveBack) @johannazeilstra, Community Panelists: @barbarajones @faintstarlite @mommyniri @lovethatmax @lisaleonard @twincident, Moderator(s): @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee and @MomItForward
• Party Favors: Click here to enter for a chance to win $250 to give to charity and $50 gift card for you and more!
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

RT @MomItForward – Join @MyGiveBack #gno Twitter party on Thur 11/18 (9-11 pm ET) 2 chat easy ways to #GiveBack http://bit.ly/9znL0P PLS RT

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

Visit Hands On Network to learn more and to find volunteer opportunities in your community.