Holidays Filled with Heart

We always look forward to the holiday season but this year is extra important. With all the challenges surrounding Covid-19 and the changes we endured in 2020, spending some time at home eating too much turkey and listening to carols sounds incredibly comforting. We brainstormed some ways our members can lean into the holidays even if the budget is a little tighter this year.

1. Intentional gift giving: It’s not the quantity but the quality of the gifts we give that matters most. Instead of straining your resources and spending beyond your means this year, we recommend letting everyone choose one family member to buy one gift for this year. When we focus our energy on giving one intentional gift, it can mean more than an infinite number of casual gifts.
2. Get creative: True, most of us are not trained artists, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t create something meaningful for our loved ones. Instead of spending money on gifts, have an artist inspired holiday exchange. Write letters, make family crafts, and remind your family that gifts that come from the heart are always the most valuable.
3. Give to others: Instead of focusing on just our families this year, we could give with compassion to our neighbors who have suffered more than us. If you know of a friend or family member who recently lost their job, make their holidays brighter by asking them how you can best help them this season. You will never know just how much a home cooked meal or quality time will mean to them.
   
   If you are looking for ways to give this year, we recommend donating to the Fortera Foundation. The Foundation focuses on addressing the high rate of poverty among single parents by working to help eliminate barriers to success and increase the quality of life for single mothers and their children.