My sister’s downstairs workshop where she creates holiday pine sprays adding ribbons and small decorations.

Article & Photo By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

Recently, I overheard a conversation while at McDonalds about donation fatigue. The exchange was about the seemingly constant request for donations – so much so that it had negatively affected the desire for these folks to toss coins into the Salvation Army buckets, that are a part of the Christmas season landscape.

Granted it does seem as if the requests are endless – everywhere one goes – from the grocery store (where any number of families may be putting nickels together to place food on their own tables) to newscasts asking viewers to help with collection drives. Last year near where I live, an enormous and certainly costly light display by a private resident, added a request for donations of  non-perishables for those who came by to look at the set-up.

With the number of natural disasters that have plagued folks all over the United States through 2017, the needs keep growing – far  beyond the annual holiday toy drives, coat drives and red bucket drives. There are many worthy causes and much genuine need.

With that in mind, here’s a simple idea to help avoid donation weariness. Wish those in a position to do more well. Then pick one or two charities and make a small donation of money or items. Or, give the most precious gift there is – give of yourself. Bake cookies to send to our troops or volunteer to read to children. Each Christmas my sister Candy creates her own holiday sprays to place on family member’s graves, as well as, a few graves of strangers that would otherwise go unnoticed. She turns her downstairs into a holiday workshop – it has a wonderful pine scent aroma -then puts together her own sprays with ribbons & small decorations. It is a beautiful gift of love – done quietly without fanfare.

Rather than allowing yourself to become donation weary, do something meaningful to you. Consider making it part of your holiday traditions.