Our family, like many, enjoys an array of special family filled traditions; singing Happy Birthday and blowing out candles on cakes; cooking turkey dinner for Thanksgiving; exchanging gifts on Christmas morning; and, many, many more. We look forward to these special moments; they bring an abundance of warmth, joy and comfort. But last Christmas, our family did something a little bit different than our usual family traditions…
It was about this time last year, and while joining my in-laws for Sunday dinner, the conversation turned to Christmas, and plans for the big day. My mom-in-law, Cindy, somewhat cautiously asked what we all thought of giving to charity rather than the standard gift giving we had always done. None of us had to think about this suggestion for even a second. We all loved the idea. So with the decision unanimously made to give to those in greater need, we took the next few days to research various charitable initiatives. We agreed giving locally was a nice idea and, for our family, would carry the most meaning knowing that people in our community would benefit. The decision was easily made to give the Gift of Good Food, and donate to help support a local family with fresh fruits and vegetables for an entire year.
It’s now one year later, and our family has decided to once again give the Gift of Good Food for Christmas. It’s incredibly heartwarming to know that every two weeks a family will head to the Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group to pick up their healthy food box, take it home, and cook-up a nourishing meal they may not have been able to enjoy without the Gift of Good Food Program.
For everyone reading this our family’s advice is this: try adding a new tradition to your Christmas and let it be the gift of giving to those in need. Your family will grow from the experience, and the memories of giving to others less fortunate will last far longer than any store bought item ever could.
Season’s Greetings to all,
Cary, Cindy, Jon, Britt, Markus (and Nina) Swoveland
