Whenever the holidays rolled around my parents always reminded my brothers, sister, and I that “It’s always better to give than to receive.” As a kid, I’ll admit, I always thought this statement was funny. It was always better getting presents than giving them, and it was hard for me to understand what my parents meant.
Growing up, I can’t remember a Christmas where Santa didn’t bring me the must-have gift I asked for – no
matter how outrageous. This still amazes me today. My parents had five children to make happy, and yet no matter how tough times were my parents still managed to make Christmas magical for all of us.
Even more amazing is that the people at the Central Union Mission in Washington, D.C. do the same thing year after year, only for more than 2,000 children of all ages. However, they can’t do it alone – they rely on the generosity of the community around them to help make the holidays magical. That is what the D.C. Tweet Drive is all about – taking the time to give back to the community and help make the holidays magical for those less fortunate than ourselves.
On Wednesday, December 22, join us at BlackFinn American Saloon from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to celebrate the holidays and give back. We ask that you bring one new toy or article of clothing for a child aged infant to 17 years (Note: The Central Union Mission is in the most need for gifts for older children) and then spend the evening in the company of good friends. I know I’ve been lucky to experience many special holidays throughout the years, now what makes the holidays special for me is knowing that I’ve helped make it magical for someone else. Now I see the truth in my parent’s words – it truly is better to give than to receive.
The Tweet Drive is a nationwide toy drive happening in 25 cities across the country, each doing a little part to give back to their community. You can visit www.tweetdrive.org for more information about the nationwide initiative, or follow us at @DCTweetDrive for updates on our local toy drive.
[Note from Mike: The following guest post is from my good friend and OFFICIAL Buzz Kids Reporter, Cole. He's only 3 years old, but he has an amazing understanding of the importance of giving to others. You can see below that Cole and I share a passion for snow angels, but I had no idea that his musical tastes were so fabulous, too! Seriously...The Beatles! Cole is an AWESOME kid!]
Dear Mr. Schaffer,
Ever since I saw the video of you making a snow angel for 12for12K I have been trying to find ways I can help do something nice for someone else and teach others to do good too. At school I was the door helper and helped my teacher and friends by holding the door. I am trying to teach my baby sister Lauren to share. Mom says that whether you are big (like Mike) or small (like Lauren) everyone can do something to help others. And that is what 12for12k is all about…doing something.
I wanted to make you another angel, but there’s no snow. I tried anyway, but it didn’t work. I was a little mad about that, but mom showed me a concert on the 12for12k site. I did a holiday concert at my school and mom said that even though it’s not winter, I can still do a concert!
So here it is… my own concert for 12for12K. The song I chose is “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” by The Beatles. I like to sing it to my baby sister and it makes her laugh. I hope that everyone who hears my concert will smile. Maybe if I can make some more people smile, they’ll visit 12for12k and help bring some smiles to those who need one.
Thank you for letting me come play on your blog.
Sincerely,
Cole
Age 3
Note from Cole’s Mom & Dad: The 12for12K Challenge is a combination of social media awareness and fund-raising that aims to change the lives of millions worldwide. In our home, 12for12K reminds us that there are many important causes and that while we can’t do everything, we can each do something. We hope you’ll take a moment to visit the 12for12K site, and consider making a donation and using the power of your voice to reach out through social media and spread the word.
[Note from Mike: Cole has done snow angels and a music video - what are you doing to raise awareness of important causes?]
Last weekend, during the #Snowpocalypse2 in Washington, DC, my good friend Heather Dueitt dared me to do a Snow Angel. I did it, but in the name of the phenomenal 12for12k charity, which uses social media for social good [since I'm much closer to 30 than to 20, these days it takes a dare to do a snow angel ]. As the winter weather has returned to the East Coast (we’re calling it #Snowdiculous here), I got this letter from our newest OFFICIAL Buzz correspondent Cole…and I am honored to share it with you!
Dear Mr. Schaffer,
My name is Cole and I am 3. My mom showed me the video of you making a snow angel for 12for12k. I know all about 12for12k! It’s about doing something good for someone else every month. And mom says that whether you are big (like Mike) or small (like my baby sister) everyone can do something. So here it is… my first snow angel ever! And maybe anyone who likes my angel can visit 12for12k and help do a little good.
Thank you for letting me come play on your blog. And for helping me make my first snow angel.
As part of WordPress.com’s new affiliation with SocialVibe.com, this blog now helps a terrific charity.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I pretty much take a bottle of water with me everywhere I go. It’s a thing, I dunno.
Well, with this in mind, I am proud to announce that readers of this blog will help charity:water, a non-profit organization that brings clean drinking water to developing nations. According to their website, one billion people, or one out of every six people on the planet, do not have access to clean drinking water.
From their site:
Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Many people in the developing world, usually women and children, walk more than three hours every day to fetch water that is likely to make them sick. Those hours are crucial, preventing many from working or attending school. Additionally, collecting water puts them at greater risk of sexual harassment and assault. Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water. Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.
If there is something I can do on my little corner of the Internet to help even one person facing that situation, I’m more than happy to do it.
When I was a kid, I collected baseball cards. In fact, my parents still have them in their house! I tell them it’s the college fund for their grandchildren! For that reason, I am thrilled to have Upper Deck sponsor this initiative.
Please help out and click the banner on the right. You’ll be saving lives around the world.
]. As the winter weather has returned to the East Coast (we’re calling it #Snowdiculous here), I got this letter from our newest OFFICIAL Buzz correspondent Cole…and I am honored to share it with you!
