Written by contributing blogger, Sonia Sahota.
When you think of birthdays, a family or friend gathering comes to mind, or a lavish party with enough food to feed an army. Don’t forget the triple layer cake, plenty of balloons and sparkling champagne to get your night started. This year, I decided I want to celebrate my birthday a bit differently. This year I want to make this day about giving back and someone else in need. Every year, my friends, family and I celebrate my birthday with weekend long festivities. Imagine a group saving money on these festivities and putting it towards an underfunded organization. The combining efforts of a large party can provide a huge difference in someone else’s life. There is plenty of room to incorporate giving back into your special day.
Here’s a few thought starters for you to get the ball rolling….
Pet Parties at Shelters – Host your birthday party at local animal shelters. Some animal shelters allow children and adults to come in, take a tour and celebrate their birthday by playing with the animals. Instead of asking your guests to bring gifts, they can bring treats, food, bedding, and more. Contact your local shelter to see what you and your guests can bring! This is a wonderful way to open your family and friends eyes to volunteering at your local animal shelter. Every animal deserves to have a home and until they do, spending time with the animals provides them with the love and care they need.
Giving Gifts to Local Organizations – Plan your next birthday with chocolate cake, activities just as you normally would but add a little something extra by asking your guests to donate food, necessities, or money to local organizations. This gives your family and friends the opportunity to give back to the community while celebrating your special day. You can have donation boxes set up for guests to leave their donations in. Make it festive by decorating the boxes with birthday streamers, glitter, and anything else you can think of! Who says, you can’t have your cake and eat it too?!
Soup Kitchen Gala – Plan a day to go down to your local soup kitchen and cook a delicious meal for those in need. Spending time cooking with your loved ones is a great activity to do together. Let your creativity shine! Contact your local soup kitchen representative to plan ahead – this way you can make sure to choose the day that works best for you and your guests. If you cannot make it down to the soup kitchen, host a dinner party in the comfort of your home. Ask your guests to make a kind donation to your soup kitchen of choice. You can collect all of the donations and bring them to your local food bank.
Now that you have some creative juices flowing…
Let’s toast to celebrating our birthday this year by giving back to an organization, someone who spends their day helping others, shelters, etc. What a world of difference we could all make this new year?! Cheers to 2017 and paying it forward.
Share your story with us and how this experience makes you and your loved ones feel. We would love to hear about your inspirational journey! I will do the same and share my experience this spring. Looking forward to hearing from you all!
#RadiateDaily #PayingitForward
image source: pixabay
