JustServe: Give time this Christmas

I help lead a local Junior Girl Scout troop. My oldest daughter attends with some of her ten and eleven-year-old peers. These young women are preparing to enter middle school soon and will encounter trials I never experienced as a kid. Sometimes I wish I could protect them from the ugliness in the world. But sheltering our children will not prepare them for life as adults. As a youth leader and a parent, my role is to provide them with opportunities to try new things, lead others, and learn from failures.

Instead of doing a gift exchange with each other this Christmas, our troop decided to do a service project. Gift exchanges can be fun—or, in my experience, they provide learning opportunities when someone else ends up with a coveted toy. But how can we help our children turn their attention from the gifts they hope to receive this season to the talents and time they can give?

A family in our troop provides an uncommon example of Christmas giving. They decided years ago that instead of spending a lot of money on gifts for their children, they would take their kids Christmas shopping for a family in need. Each year they discuss who to buy for and why. They have donated to families through the women’s shelter, Special Santa, or helped neighbors in need.

The first time the kids realized they were giving away all the toys in their carts, they were sad for about ten minutes. Those feelings melted away when they delivered their donated gifts. When I asked about this tradition, their mom wrote, “The joy in giving truly is palpable and contagious. It erases selfish desires and puts into perspective our own very blessed life. If people were crying over socks and shampoo, you can’t help but feel extra grateful for many of the things we take for granted. My kids wanted to go back to the store and get more stuff after our first drop-off and ever since then, they’ve been hooked.”

“We still have fun traditions like Christmas pjs. Instead of individual gifts, we have one family gift we can enjoy together to encourage good memories. Shifting our focus away from ‘stuff’ that may be forgotten in a month has made the holidays more joyful. We are blessed all year long and this is how we’ve decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ—by helping others as He would.”

Any Girl Scout knows that community service helps those in need. From gathering food for the hungry to making wigs for the Magic Yarn Project, service opportunities connect community members for good. But we also know that when we serve others, we feel good. These feelings of peace, joy, and optimism come as blessings as we turn our lives outward in the service of others.

In a 2018 research brief, Laura M. Padilla-Walker outlined the benefits for teens who serve strangers. Studies show that 11 to 14-year-olds who engage in “high levels of service report feeling better about who they are.” Self-esteem, gratitude, and hope were all reported at higher levels among youth engaged in high levels of service.

Padilla-Walker wrote that researchers speculate that consistent service may help teens shift their focus from their own problems and to increase their sense of gratitude for what they have. “They also gain self-confidence by helping others and seeing that they are important and needed in their communities.” They also tend to be less involved in problem behaviors (see this brief at http://shorturl.at/lntwG).

Jesus taught us to love and serve one another. God is mindful of our needs and our strengths. If we ask, He will inspire us to act. James taught that “Every good gift…is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights.” The best gifts are those of inspired service and acts of kindness. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (KJV James 1:5, 17, 27).

This Christmas season, give the best gift to your children. Make time to serve together. Find local community service opportunities at JustServe.org. The JustServe.org website and mobile app list volunteer opportunities in your area. Whether you have young children, teens, or are looking to volunteer alone, you can find local non-profits who need your help.

The Palmer and Wasilla Public Libraries need committed volunteers to help shelve books. Mat-Su Senior Services seeks drivers to provide transportation for seniors. Join or help with indoor toddler playtime at the Mat-Su Borough gym. Collect food donations, baby supplies, or clothing. Help at the recycling center or animal shelter. Become a mentor for Special Olympics, SetFree Alaska, or Big Brothers Big Sisters. Ring bells for Salvation Army. Donate to or volunteer with Special Santa.

Whatever your interest and skill set may be, there is a place for you to serve.

Amity Condie has lived in Palmer for 15 years. She enjoys skijoring with her dogs and family. She likes to make spreadsheets and read. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.