Saturday a few friends and I went down to Children’s Aid in Toronto to volunteer our time for the day. I was super excited at the opportunity to do anything I could in my quest to #Savethekids. What is this idea of #Savethekids you ask? Something silly I have been making a priority in my everyday life. I want to save the kids, as ambitious as it sounds – I would like to do my part in helping to save the kids. Which kids? All the kids who need help, and need a fair chance at life. Why? Because I believe that every child deserves to be loved, supported every moment of the day. When they are unable to find that in their homes, I think there are ways we can try to help those kids. Whether they be abused children, neglected children, special needs children, at risk children. I want to save all the kids who need help.
I am volunteering with several children organizations and giving forth as much as I can. Who knows maybe one day #Savethekids becomes a movement?! Til then its my passion.
Saturay from 9 am until about 4pm we created holiday gift orders for about 500 kids in the Toronto area, through Chidlren’s Aid. We were given sheets that were wish lists, filled out by the case worker listing what the child or the children in that family would like to have for the holidays.
We were then instructed to go into this MASSIVE closet that looked like a toy store to pick toys to fill each order. It was great to know that Children’s Aid helped provide gifts for these children celebrating Christmas, Kwanza or their particular religious holidays, that wouldn’t be able to receive anything if it wasn’t for the support Children’s Aid received. It felt great to know that they would feel the love, all from the support their case worker was able to provide them, to the packages we were putting together, that would then be given to their caregiver.
At the end of the day I was exhausted but I felt great. I decided that this is something I would like to make a tradition in my life. As I sit back now and think of that weekend, there are a lot of children who will not be receiving gifts through Children’s Aid, through Sick Kids, United Way, or any popular toy drives.
When giving back, and looking for ways to gift kids in need think beyond what the popular sources are. I am not discouraging you to go to those outlets, I am thinking beyond what we may sometimes know. If you need any tips for smaller organizations that may need help – please feel free to let me know. I know a few myself.
#Savethekids
