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Moms take up “29 Gifts” challenge

Posted Nov 16, 2009 by Beth Gaddis

Updated Nov 16, 2009 at 12:11 PM

I got an e-mail last week from a friend of mine that really moved me.

“I have a friend on FB who is spending the month of November doing random acts of kindness,” it read. “Today she sponsored another child in her daughter’s class by paying for his/her field trip.”

It got me thinking about how easy it is to make a difference, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.  It also got me thinking about how one person’s Facebook post or tweet or blog can inspire a movement.  And that’s what happened here. 

Stacie Goucher, a 35-year-old mother of two from Spring Hill, was at her mom’s house this month when her mother handed her an article in The Tampa Tribune. It was an interview with Cami Walker, a multiple sclerosis patient and the author of “29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life” (Lifelong Books, $20), who changed her outlook – and her health – after a friend told her to stop feeling sorry for herself and to give away 29 gifts in 29 days.

“I read the article and thought, gosh, that’s the easiest thing to do, and it’s such a simple thing to do,” Goucher said.  “I started posting what I was doing as my status on Facebook, and then other people started posting what they were doing.”

Goucher’s friend, Denise Mestanza-Taylor, saw the posting and joined the movement.  (Read her blog.)

“I’m all about charity, and I jumped on it,” said Mestanza-Taylor, a mother of two from Land O’ Lakes and the founder of a mommies club with about 80 members.

The good news: The gifts don’t have to cost anything.

“I put a note in my husband’s lunchbox.  We’ve been together for 14 years and I’ve never made his lunch,” Mestanza-Taylor laughed

“It’s really awesome,” Goucher said. “I wasn’t really expecting the reaction.  I think my first post got 20 comments.  I don’t have a lot of money, so I do things that don’t cost a lot but just are simple things.”
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Examples include: write a thank you note to your child’s teacher, let somebody go ahead of you in line or go online to www.letssaythanks.com and send a free card to one of the troops stationed overseas.

Mestanza-Taylor’s kids are inspired to make a difference, too.  She’s very creative and designed a paper cornucopia for them to “fill” as they did good deeds.

“I cut out the shapes and all my oldest has to do is write what she did. She had some shoes for just one week, and then they didn’t fit.  She had a friend come over, and they were playing dress-up and she gave them to her friend.  I had completely forgotten, then later that evening she said, ‘I gave Ellie my shoes, I should write that down for my cornucopia.’  She’s 8 so she can think of these things. 

“My youngest is also getting involved. The other day she collected the baby dolls she doesn’t play with anymore and said, ‘Mommy, we can give these to other kids,’ ” Mestanza-Taylor said.  “All I told them was when we’re done with this, we’re going to laminate it and you can use it as a placemat.  I didn’t promise them movies or Build-a-Bear.  That’s all it took.”

Personally, I’m not sure I can do 30 good deeds between now and the end of November, but I can definitely make the commitment to attempt it between now and Christmas.  So that’s my goal.  What’s yours?

Here are some ideas:

• Participate in Operation Child Child (fill a box or shipment of a box).

• Bring a meal to a fellow mom.

• Buy a Publix brown bag of food at the checkout.

• Donate canned goods to a food drive.

• Donate toiletry items to Metropolitan Ministries.

• At the Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts drive-through, treat the person behind you to a cup of coffee.

• Pass along unwanted coupons to a friend.

• Leave unwanted coupons on the shelves at the supermarket.

• Give you receipt coupons to the next person in line at the checkout.

• Recycle old running shoes at the Running Center on Dale Mabry Highway.

• Donate $1 to Miracle Children’s Network at the checkout.

• Recycle old cell phones.

• Purchase a Scholastic gift certificate in the book order form for your child’s teacher.

• Donate old books, magazines, videos or CDs to the library.

• Donate items to Goodwill.

• Drop some coins in the tip jar at any food service place.

• Send a love note in your children’s and spouses’ lunchboxes.

• Purchase a carwash for the person in line behind you.

• Frame a favorite picture of you and a friend/loved one as give it as a gift.

• Call an old friend to catch up.

• Take a friend to lunch.

• Patronize restaurants holding fundraisers

• Take baked goods to a neighbor.

• Babysit for a friend so she can enjoy a pedicure or date night with hubby.

• Send an e-card, card or a care package to troops deployed overseas.

• Volunteer at your child’s school.

• Print out some of your favorite photos for a friend.
 
• Buy a newspaper from a street hawker and tell them to keep the change.

• Visit a retirement home.

• Give blood (if you physically can).