29-Day Giving Challenge, Day 1

I jumped into this last night, without much planning (actually, ANY planning) or thought about how I'd pull it off. I'm also working on a 101 in 1001 days challenge, and one of my to do items is to release 1001 of my possessions out into the world. It's not that I have lots of stuff, I really never felt like I needed things to feel better. But in the last year or so I've been thinking about how much you need, and I'd love to be simpler. I'd love to be able to move my stuff in one carload the next time I move. I'd love to know where everything is and to be able to enjoy what I have.

So when I saw this challenge (thanks, Melissa), it seemed like a good way to get started. I also work at a social service agency, and have been doing a lot of thinking about giving all year. I give time and energy and emotional currency at my job. Volunteers who I work with give all of that too, plus they give time that most people don't even realize that they have I feel that I give a lot through my job, but the world is full of need. I'm not able to donate chunks of money right now, and I don't feel comfortable doing other dreams of mine yet--walking around handing out sandwiches or volunteering at a shelter. I feel guilty about this, but I also know that I have to take care of myself so I can do good work. And I do good work, I know this.

This 29-Day Giving Challenge is going to be a gift to me most of all. I want to think in small ways to make a difference. It'll be a treat to think of little things that can change someone's live and make them smile--so many of my hours are spent at work trying to think of the big picture. I'm really into the idea of details right now.

So, unprepared, I jumped into day 1.

Day 1 was coupon day. I went through my collection of coupons, and pulled out some special ones to pass along. Four coupons for organic special tea went to a new volunteer at our office. She's volunteering 15-20 hours a WEEK, just because she's awesome. Coupons are a small thing, but when she found them on her table she came and found me and asked, "Did you leave me these? I knew it must be you! I need some tea, too, I'm just about out of my favorite kind!" She was happy with these little slips of paper.

Two other coupons I left on a table in the lobby of our apartment building, for discounts to a Bike Locker, which is a bike center nearby that will allow you to store your bike and get maintenance and other good stuff. The landlords at my building are making people take their bikes off of the property, if they've been stored on the stairs or in the hallways, and our apartments are so TINY that a bike really takes up the entire living room. So I hope some of my neighbors can use these coupons.

Two coupons for Goodwill were mailed to one of my clients, who loves shopping at thrift stores. It's a fun necessity for her. She's a low income single mom raising 3 kids, and she's disabled, so she deserves any joy that the two bits of paper can bring her.

And six more coupons for free grocery bags went to a coworker, who's working on gathering reusable grocery bags for all of her clients. Even though the bag tax in Seattle seems to be on hold, her clients are worried and upset, so this coworker wants to ease their minds with some grocery totes.

It wasn't huge, and it didn't make a ton of space in my apartment or anything, but I feel good about making this small gift to the universe today.