The ART of Giving ~ Kids can help the poor this Christmas!

The holiday season is a time when we all like to give a gift to friends, or do I mean receive a gift? Ya know, I’m not sure! So often our hearts do desire to receive rather than give. But Jesus tells us to give. Not only does He tell us to give, He tells us to give without thought of receiving:

 Jesus said ….”When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12-14)

Giving with no desire to receive can be hard for us and it’s even harder for kids. At Christmas time, kids often make and/or give a gift to a sibling or a friend and assume that they will get a gift in return. The hardest and most sacrificial giving is to give and know that you will receive nothing. If you can learn to give with no thought of what you will receive then you have mastered ”the art of giving”!

This Christmas season I wanted to create a way for kids to help the poor, so I contacted Cross Catholic Outreach and asked them to assist me in creating an on-line art show to help empower kids to raise money for the poor while using their artistic talent!  

This event is similar to a ”walk-o-thon” but kids create art instead of walking, so I like to call it an ”art-o-thon”! Any child can create a work of art, take a picture of it (or scan it), and send the picture in an email to mpotter@crosscatholic.org . The name and age of the child who created it should be included in the email or written clearly on the image.  

Then, once the image is visible on the Art Slide Show the child may ask family and friends to donate on behalf of the their artwork.

Here are the works of art that kids have already added to the on-line art show:

Can’t see it? Click here  Or view the images on Flickr.

 Those donating can write the name of the child, who has created their favorite art work, in the comment box when making the donation.

 They can donate by clicking on the donate button on the Cross Catholic’s Art of Giving web page:

All proceeds will feed impoverished children and families in El Progreso, Honduras at the Prince of Peace Nutrition Center. In Honduras, one in every four children suffers from chronic malnutrition and are in desperate need of life’s basic needs.

This event runs till Dec. 31, 2013. After all the donations have been tallied up, the young artists will be able to see how much they have raised to help these hungry children! 

Who can create the art? All kids, from toddler to teen! This project is just a fun and easy way for parents, teachers, and youth group leaders to help teach kids the joy of helping others who are in great need. Kids can learn that giving is more important than receiving. They only need to create a work of art and ask grown-ups for support! Parents, teachers, and youth groups leaders, please use this opportunity to reinforce what you have already taught your children about how to love their neighbor. This would make a great service project for high-schoolers, youth groups, or Little Flower’s Clubs, too!

How should the young artists ask for donations? During the Holiday season, they can talk to family and friends about the event and ask them to donate. The kids can also create a letter that explains the event and request donations. They may like to copy it and send it out in the mail or by email . If you like, you may use the letter I made for my kids. Click here to view and/or print our letter. It might be a good idea to add a letter or note in your Christmas cards as you send them out!

Who can donate? Anyone! Please, join in and help encourage these kids while saving the lives of starving children! Simply, choose the child/art you like and make a donation to Cross Catholic Outreach. Be sure to add the artist's name in the comment box when you donate, so the kids can see they are making a difference!

Where do the donations go? All the donations go to Honduras, where one in every four children suffers from chronic malnutrition. But with help from Cross Catholic Outreach, one local parish is making a difference. The Prince of Peace Nutrition Program, a ministry of Las Mercedes Parish, provides meals for hungry children in poor Honduran communities, educates their caregivers on health, hygiene and nutrition, and ensures that the most severely malnourished children are able to see a doctor and get the medicine and vitamins they need.

How do I find the artist’s name?

The child’s name can be found on Flickr: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/109073631@N02/

To see the name of the artist, hover over the art work and a tab will pop-up at the bottom of the picture. That tab lists the name of the artist who created the work of art.

Please help support this event in any way you can, through creative art or with a donation!

I have asked a number of wonderful Catholic bloggers to help me host this event:

Jennifer from Catholic Inspired 

Pete from The Catholic Book Blogger

Jen from Enter Under My Roof

Chris from Campfires and Cleats

Monica from Equipping Catholic Families

Birgit from Designs By Birgit

Jen from Happy Little Homemaker

Nancy from Do Small Things with Love

They are helping to spread 

awareness

 of this meaningful opportunity!

Please be on the look out for future blog posts from them and myself. Next week we will also be posting about our children’s art. Then we will be giving all other bloggers the opportunity to join in a link-up and share the art that their kids have created for this event!

Thank you for your time and please pray that God will help guide us all as we learn the art of giving.

God Bless.

~JenMarie