Today I was driving to work and was listening to Chumfm. Roger was discussing that today was the launch of this years Christmas wish campaign and how you can bring a toy to the station or to any of the 190 branches of RBC in the gta or cash is accepted as well. I know that other stations have their toy mountains, and doctor’s offices and everywhere we turn there are some sort of gift drives that will start to pop up for the next five weeks leading up to the holidays.

I would like to bring up another type of donating that doesn’t just happen for the five weeks from now until December 25th. This is something you can do any day of any week of the year.

I have to admit, until a friend of mine did this a few years ago, I hadn’t really thought about it, but now I just want to pass it on, and have people I know talk about it in their offices, companies, amongst friends, etc.

What I am talking about is simple – the next time you go to buy your coffee at Tim’s, Starbucks, or your shampoo, or pick up a perscription at Shoppers drug mart – buy a gift card – and donate it to The Hospital for Sick Kids. (http://www.sickkids.ca/VisitingSickKids/main-street/index.html)

You are going to ask me – why does that help? Why is that a donation? To whom?

– think about a parent that may need a toothbrush or tooth paste after they have spend the night with their sick child at the hospital.
– think about the child that may want a treat while they are waiting for the doctor to see them.
– think about that parent that has been up all night and just HAS to have their coffee – either from Tim’s or Starbucks.
I can go on and on about the different scenarios, but you get the point.

The reason for those three stores is because they are onsite at the hospital.

I have brought this up at my Hadassah chapter exec meeting in the summer and we have added a gift card drive to our annual Chanukah party and gift exchange. I hope that we raise hundreds of $$$$ worth of gift cards to deliver to the hospital. The key is to get small denominations ($5) so that they can hand them out to families in need in small ways. The more small cards they have, the more families they can give a gift to.

Please discuss this with your teams in your companies, with the friends you meet at Starbucks or Tim’s for coffee, any social group you are part of. Make it something you start as a new tradition in your family. Buy them with your kids and then make a trip to the hosptial to deliver your gift of holiday cheer.

Help a family, help yourself – remember Tikkun Olam!

TIKKUN OLAM – Repairing the World
– Taking responsibility for the material, moral and spiritual welfare of a society at large, Jewish and non Jewish.

A few years ago I brought some Kosher food to Beth Tikvah. They had a wooden cupboard in the foyer and it was called “Mother Hubbard’s Kosher Cupboard” which I thought was a great play on the child story about the cupboard being bare and how we should help the community that needs help by filling the cupboard with food.

On Kol Nidre night, the shule does a collection for the food back and I always bring a bag to donate at that time as well.

Once a year they also call and ask if we can make a donation and it can be picked up from your house. I have to go shopping anyways, so what’s a few more items if they will pick them up from my house. The pick up was today.