What are you doing for Christmas this year? If you’re like me, you’re preparing for travel, spending time with family and opening up some presents that you may (or may not) ever use.
My family and I will be doing a lot of the same… But for the last few years we’ve been doing something a little different.
Random Acts of Kindness. Each year, we donate money to help struggling families get Christmas presents for their kids.
You can read about it on the donation page here: Donation Page
Or read the whole story below.
Growing Up Po’
As you may already know, I grew up broke.
It sucked, I hated it, and there were some tough times – but somehow… we always made it.
The Darras kids at Christmas
At the end of one particularly hard year, my Mom realized she had no money for Christmas. We’d moved out of our house with Dad and were living on our own.
She was totally screwed and had no ideas what she was going to do.
A few days before Christmas, someone came to our door with a car full of presents for the entire family. She didn’t know them, hadn’t asked anyone for help – they just kind of arrived.
When Christmas morning came – all of us kids woke up to a pile of presents under the tree. And we excitedly ripped open every one.
It was a legitimate Christmas miracle.
Giving Back
For the last 3 years my family and I have been donating money to help families pay for Christmas gifts for their kids. To be on the other side of this experience is probably the best feeling I get all year.
Mom calls it “I Remember Zachary Random Acts of Kindness Event” and we do it in the name of my youngest brother Zac who passed away around Christmas time in 2010.
She encourages people to do little acts of kindness for strangers.
For example, yesterday someone stuffed some cash and nice note and stuck it in the RedBox machine when they returned their movie. They posted all the photos in our little Facebook group.
Little things like that.
We also do things as a family. For the last 3 years we’ve secretly gone to Walmart and paid for toys and gifts that people have on layaway. It’s a blast – and we normally broadcast the whole thing on Facebook with videos and photos.
This year we wanted to do something a little different.
Help In Crisis
This year, we are donating money to Help In Crisis, an orgainization in Oklahoma that helps struggling moms with kids. Some are on the run from abusive marriages and have nowhere to go.
Help in Crisis makes sure each of these little families has Christmas presents for their kids. These kids would otherwise be totally screwed.
Imagine your mom and your brothers and sisters are on the run from a bad marriage… you’re living in motels, sleeping in the car and staying in shelters. Christmas comes… and someone shows up with truck full of presents for you.
That would probably feel pretty damn good.
That’s what we’re trying to do.
You Can Help
Last year – so many people were inspired by our work that they asked how they could contribute to our cause. So we setup a little donation page and started accepting donations.
This year we are continuing that tradition. If you want to pitch in, you can go right here:
It doesn’t have to be much. Even $5 helps.
But no pressure. If you don’t have extra money to spend don’t donate. Keep your cash and use it for your own needs.
Idea: if you can’t donate $$ you can always donate a “Share”, use the share buttons at the bottom of the post to spread the word
But if you’re a baller – feel free to smash that thing with as much as you want.
Merry Christmas
If you’re anything like me, you realize that Christmas is over commercialized to the point of insanity. It’s ridiculous.
But for kids – the presents are the whole thing. And like it or not, if Christmas morning comes and you don’t get a gift… that shit will stick with you for your entire life.
That’s why we do it.
Have you ever had a rough Christmas? Share it in the comments below, I’d love to hear your stories.