How do we know the kids are going to be okay?

We’re so very lucky here at Donate a Car Canada: we work with hundreds of charities who work directly with and on behalf of children. Their work is good work. Loving work. BIGhearted work. We’ll name some of them in just a bit. Before we do that, do you ever wonder what motivates someone to work for a children’s charity?

Sometimes we take action on a cause because we’ve gone through something. Maybe something frightening, or terrible. Sometimes we’ve experienced tragedy or trauma. Suffering can motivate us to take action for a loving cause.

But there is another motivator: curious and loving kindness.

And this is what we witness every day!

A little rabbit hole into the Goodness of children

Check out this sparkling example of curious and lovingkindness that we just discovered today:

The United Way is a charity long and well supported by car, truck, and van donors like you! If you have a local branch, they may already be on our list of charities (we serve six regional branches in Canada). Keep their work in mind if you wish to give where kids live and love and play!

There’s more. So much more!

Inspiring article by Dr. Merali says it all

The Gentleness of Children is Universal (Do read this full article? It’s joyfully challenging!) notes that, “At their core, they want to work together and help one another.” Dr. Merali’s opinion piece challenges,

“What if we were all to wear body cameras? The footage would not be as extreme as what we see in select police videos, but would it show kindness to all strangers and a willingness to help others consistently? Would it show a deep concern for the environment and other living creatures? 

Every time I now see a video in the news depicting a lack of care for others, I balance it with a video of a child engaging in more sensible behaviour. Doing this reminds me of the kindness we still have in the world. Children can instruct and inspire us to be better people, and we have a lot to learn from them.“

I wish I had stumbled across this deliciously hopeful article before the phone all I shared with my friend. It’s rich in promise. Our kids are going to be okay!

The United Way helps children be children

And that is just the thing we need. For our kiddos to be their own best, insightful, silly, generative Selves. Helping organizations know that there are 1,000 things that disrupt this sweetness in a child’s life. And they believe that our kids are going to be okay…sometimes they just need a little (or a whole lot) of back up from us grown ups.

So give the musically masterful kids at Doane School another listen.

Give Dr. Merali a deep read.

And then consider the children’s work that you have grown to love. ‘Not too familiar with who’s doing what in your area? Or where to even begin in choosing who to reach toward? We can help with that!

Visit our charities list and search, “children”. Be prepared! There are so many remarkable works to consider!

To give you a starting place, we noted the United Way branches spread across Canada. Here are the regional locations we already serve:

United Way of Central Alberta Society 

Chatham-Kent 

South Eastern Alberta 

Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry 

Alberta Capital Region 

Winnipeg

A practical place to start

Your donated car, truck, or van is one special way to give. Wherever you send your gift (did we mention that charities list is a bit hefty?), every dollar counts. The process here is friendly, speedy, and your gift goes exactly where you wish it to. If you’re ready to give, we’re just a click or a ‘call away!

The post The Kids are Going to be Okay | United Way appeared first on Donate A Car.

Project Warmth Society is a registered charitable organization that provides warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, outer wear and related items to the underprivileged and homeless. As well, Project Warmth is involved with school children, under its umbrella organizations Kids’ Koats, Pupils’ Parkas and Student Scarves. 

Project Warmth Comforts by Caring for Practical Need

In the past year alone, Project Warmth has distributed over 60,000 articles of clothing, footwear, outerwear, and more to families in need — often shopping to the specific needs of the most desperate. Their annual efforts include hosting Alberta Theatre Project’s, “A Christmas Carole” where they engage theatre goers with a silent auction that includes everything from edible treats to jewelry and more!

As you ready yourself and your family for winter’s grip this year, consider working alongside Project Warmth, your local shelters, and other comfort-bringing charities across Canada in an effort to keep everybody warm and dry!

The post Winter Whoolies: Project Warmth Society appeared first on Donate A Car.

Kids. They grip our hearts in a way no one or nothing else can. When we watch the news and see or hear anything that affects a child, there’s a part in all of us that squirms and churns. We want our future adults to be safe, to be raised well and to be productive and hopeful citizens. Some days it’s a little more challenging than others to impart life skills they can use for their lifetime!

We have many organizations focused on the health and welfare of our wee ones, from hospitals to wish granters, to the YMCA, to any help lines, to support for battered women or pregnant teens. Human lives are to be treasured and each of us can make a difference whether it’s in donating a vehicle to raise funds for one of these causes, or whether it’s the attitude and values we instill in our children.

A few simple steps each of us can take towards ensuring little lives become functional and emotionally sound adults can include:

Affirming positive experiences. When a kid does something well, tell him/her. When there’s a learning opportunity, use it as such instead of focusing on what’s not right. Putting a child on a pedestal isn’t healthy either. There’s a fine balance between encouragement and entitlement! One thing though, that children definitely respond to, is when they know you think they’ve done a good job, they want to do more of that. Even as adults we want to know when we’ve done good, right?!

Demonstrate kindness. Let them observe you being kind in a line up, like letting someone go ahead of you, or buying the car behind you their beverage at the drive through. It may seem simple enough, but the more you example those behaviours to them, the better chance they have at succeeding at being a thoughtful and caring adult. Don’t be a, “Do as I say, not as I do,” person!

Think about your actions and words and ask yourself if what you’re doing is something you’d like those young’uns in your life to be or do. You don’t need to be a parent to think this way. We all influence someone younger than us, whether we want to acknowledge it or not.

Ask questions. “What makes you think that?” “Tell me your thought process.” “Help me understand why you did it that way.” Allow their learning and growth to build on their own curiosity and mistakes.

Speaking of mistakes, allow them to make some! Our overprotective natures and our culture don’t want anything bad to happen, but sometimes it’s the only way. Kind of like the hands on the stove example we often use, learning experiences need to happen.

I’m not a parenting guru by any stretch, but when I think of how I responded to my ‘elders’ when I was a kid, I know what worked and what didn’t! Being a bully adult or a pushy dictator isn’t how we influence children to be their best, that much I know to be true! And as we often hear, these kids are our future…

Donate A Car Canada is so grateful however, when kids do need support and help (whatever the reason), that we have so many great causes and charities to support that truly do make a difference. A few years down the road it’s not just the child’s life that has benefitted, but an entire community and nation. Your dollars do matter. Every one of them.

The post Parenting: Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World appeared first on Donate A Car.