Besides classes and stamping events, I have discovered how much I enjoy organizing service projects with my Stampin’ Up business in our community. Three to four times a year I enjoy packaging up my excess cards from Paper Pumpkin and examples for my card events and taking gift packages to the hospital staff or nursing home care givers. I also have given presentations to local groups such as women’s clubs sharing how I came to join Stampin’ Up and how I use my business as a service to others.
As a member of a Lutheran benevolent organization called Thrivent, I am able to write grants up to $250 year. In fact, most everyone connected with Thrivent can do so! These grants are to be service minded opportunities or educational opportunites to share with others and our congregation members utilize them regularly for all sorts of opportunities – fund raisers for our youth, meals for members who are home bound, coats for children in need, blankets to send to Lutheran World Relief, college gift boxes, and our Blessings card ministry at our church.
Sometimes I complete the service activity myself, other times I ask for help as I did with the girls above. In less than 90 minutes we assembled and stuffed over 200 boxes and had fun doing so. Sometimes I have ladies at my church help, other times I’ve called in a couple of friends, have had teachers help after school, even had a group of home schooled students looking for a service project to add to their curriculum. Plan a worthy activity, send out word and I guarantee you can find volunteers to participate!
We have stamped cards for hospice families, breast cancer patients, Ray of Hope families, Veteran home residents, and even sent greeting cards printed with native languages to our missionaries in Botswanna to share in their ministry!!! I know of other groups that send cards to St. Judes, the military, and Ronald McDonald houses – the opportunities are there, you just have to open your heart to them!
I have team members and customers who have found the joy of sharing their talents with others, by sending cards to residents, creating table center pieces, and creating treats to share with veterans and church members most holidays. So look for ways to share your talents with others – the smile on the recipients’ faces equals the smile you feel in your heart.
Until tomorrow, keep crafting, share your talents, and God Bless!!!
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