_____1. Write notes of appreciation to: Sunday School and Primary teachers, school teachers, home teachers, visiting teachers, relatives, neighbors or friends. (This could be done once a month following FHE.) (We've done for other's and other's have done for us as recently as after we gave our talks in our Ward following coming back to the Ward we left before we served our Mission to Brasil.)
_____2. Offer to baby sit for someone free of charge, giving a specific time and day when you could do this. Young parents going to the Temple really appreciate this.
_____3. Buying plants or seeds? Get a few extra and give to someone who doesn't have their own transportation. Involve your family by offering to do some of the planting, too.
_____4. Invite another family to dinner or to go on a picnic.
_____5. Surprise someone by cuttng grass, trimming, or watering without them knowing who did it. (As a family we rented the necessary equipment & put in a sprinkler system without being asked.)
_____6. Bake goodies together, put on someone's doorstep, ring bell and run! (We've done this as a family usually during a holiday but it would probably be even more fun to do it just to be doing it. As empty nesters we've done this for new families who've moved into our neighborhood's or newfamilies in our Ward's.)
_____7. Someone moving? Offer to help pack, babysit, or provide meals. (I've done this in the past and it was so much fun. I didn't even ask, I just showed up with boxes, tape and packing paper, a meatloaf for them to pop in the oven with some potatoes to bake, salad and TX Sheet Cake which made it all the more fun.) One family paid me back when we moved from 9202 by both her and her hubby coming over with boxes, paper ect.( but they showed me how they broke down their boxes after their move, straightened out their paper and bubble wrap and then placed it inside individual broken down boxes and tied it all together in bundles with string....already to take to some one elses to help them move) NEAT IDEA that I've used but we gave all our boxes away our last move to craigs list and neighbors and church member's moving so we had to start fresh all over again - bummer!
_____8. Share your garden producer, fresh or canned. (When I was RS President I'd let the women who had too much produce bring it to RS with plastic grocery bags and let the other Sister's take what they could use.)
_____ 9. Use your talents to help others...car repairs, wall-papering, sewing, baking bread, home decorating. etc. (I have friends who bake, bottle, dehydrate, can and they make big batches and trade off with other's who share the same talents so that all can have a variety.)
____10. As a family, write to a missionary once a month.
____11. Share a good book with someone. Offer to take a friend with you to the library the next time you go. (I have friends that meet quarterly to celebrate birthday's that have happened since our last luncheon and we bring books we've read to exchange with each other. When we were raising children I've had friends exchange clothing that wasn't worn out that kids had outgrown.)
____12. Get permission to plant flowers, weed or help take care of the church grounds.
____13. Grandparents: Rotate personal visits with your grandchildren. Invite them one at a time to your home and really get to know each other. (We have done this one for many of our "Grand's" and it is so much fun to read, play games, swim and cook together and just form a special bond one on one.)
____14. Plan now so that you can serve later. Save now for that mission for your children and for you and your spouse. Serve others while serving the Lord. (It was wonderful helping our children prepare to serve their Missions and we as a couple especially enjoyed serving a senion couples CES Mission to Brasil. We worked with the youth 13-30 in Seminary, Institute and The Perpetual Education Fund programs. Eternal Friends were made.)
____15. Sign-up to help deliver food to shut-ins through local programs such as Meals on Wheels.
____16. Be a Red Cross volunteer and help out the needy and the elderly who need transportation to the doctor.
____17. Volunteer your time and talents to the schools, community, youth programs. ect. (We've done this especially when we helped over 100 Scouts become Eagles - we as a family took an active role in many Eagle Projects.)
____18. Going shopping? Take a friend along or do errands for them if they can't go.
____19. For a Missionary's birthdahy, send the following to him: Cake mix, frosting mix, candles, party hats, balloons, noise makers, games (such as pin the tail), and prizes. All he/she has to do is bake the cake and invite the Elders/Sisters to help him celebrate.
____20. Sponsor a neighborhood potluck dinner at your home to build more friendly feelings. (Many year's ago we closed off our cul-de-sac and wheeled out our barBQ and everybody brought side dishes and the meats they wanted and we sat on our lawn chairs and watched the kids play in the street on their trikes, bikes and play with balls.)
____21. Share a special family home evening with another family.
____22. Let your small children take flowers and a homemade card to their teacher.
____23. Don't be afraid to offer condolences through word ( a written note that says you care) and deed (food and help in their home).
Perhaps during the Holidays:
____24. As a family, put on a program for folks at a rest home. Use musical instruments, read poems, sing. ect. (We have done this many many times over our 50 year's of marriage with our family. )
____25. Prepare some Christmas carols or a skit for the elderly and shut-ins in your Ward. Go around to their homes to put it on.
____26. Invite a family to Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner, especially those who may not have any relatives nearby. (We've done this for a large family who lost their mother just before the holidays and it was so enjoyable for all concerned.)
____27. Make favors, placemats, decorations, ect. and take to the hospital.
____28. Help your grandchildren make a gingerbread house, cookies, toys anonymously.
____29. Adopt a needy family and give gifts of food, clothing, toys anonymously. (This is a great project for several families to do together. ) (We've done this as an extended family many, many times just before Christmas and everybody young and old saw or felt true joy from afar.)
____30. Pledge to attend the Temple at least once a month during each year. (Going thru with the whole family with our youth doing the baptisms for their own ancestors and then the adults doing the rest is a blessisng beyond
measure.)
No comments:
Post a Comment