'Tis the Season

As we enter our first holiday season as a nonprofit, we are so very grateful for how young lives have been enhanced through your generous donations.  We could not have imagined in the short span of nine months that we'd grow from the spark of an idea to the tangible reality of children being connected to opportunities in the community. And, as we had hoped, we've seen a ripple effect of good deeds that range from local agencies rallying around a cause, to guardian angels taking care of the unique needs of a family of five.

In this public blog, we hold back on the details of those stories - always walking that delicate line between sharing the magic we see every day and letting young lives have their privacy. It is nearly always the case that great acts of kindness are sparked by stories of great need.   Because of this, when we write about children who have been given the opportunity to stand on a ski slope for the first time in their lives, we will share their excitement ("I can't believe this is happening to me!  I never thought I'd be able to learn how to ski!") but we won't share their full story without their permission.  Their stories go much deeper than skis and ski boots.  Not having the chance to learn how to ski is almost never about the logistics of a ski trip.

It's hard to explain the rewards that come from helping others because it's something that starts as a thought in the confines of the brain and then lands directly in the heart.  Remember the Christmas story of the Grinch who decided to return the gifts he'd taken from the Whos in Whoville?  The story says his small heart grew three sizes that day.  Imagine how much it would have grown if he'd actually purchased those gifts himself?

There will be many ways we can help others this holiday season and we hope your big hearts will find the opportunities that feel right to you.  At Kids Five & Over, we are putting a spin on the traditional Spirit of Giving campaign.  Instead of asking for funds that will support our organization, we are asking if you can help us to help our KF0 kids in THEIR spirit of giving.  Beginning December 1st, we'd like to provide each KFO sponsored child with a $20 gift card to be used on a random act of kindness from their own heart.  They may choose to buy food for the food pantry, visit the Giving Tree at Walmart to get a gift for a child in need, donate their money to a Relief Fund, or drop it in the Salvation Army bucket outside their local grocery store.  Whatever will fill their heart - grow their heart - is what they should do.

We are proud of our KF0 kids for their gratitude and kind thoughts about what KF0 funds have meant to them, but we believe deeply in the concept of paying it forward.  While we help our KF0 children find their niche in life, we also want them to know what it feels like to help someone else.  That's a tall order for children in financial situations that are out of their control.

Will you help us grow a new generation of children who learn that giving to others is an important part of a person's responsibility and that even when things are tough, finding ways to pay it forward can soothe a wounded heart?

Donations can be made on our website www.KidsFiveAndOver.org.  On the final check-out page, you can include a note that indicates the funds should be earmarked for the Spirit of Giving.  If you'd rather mail a donation, our mailing address is:  P. O. Box 4746 Portsmouth, NH 03802.  We will include in our thank you note to you, a list of how those funds were used.

Thank you for helping us as we help our kids grow their hearts.