Project Care.com: The HORRIBLE Holidays and Helping Others
By Kevin Caruso
For many people, the holidays are a wonderful time of year, with family, friends, food, fun, and fond memories; but for others it sheer hell. Indeed, for many the holidays are the WORST time of year – a HORRIBLE time that causes feelings of despair, loneliness, and depression.
Some will die by suicide.
But there is hope. We CAN reach many of those people who are hurting and need us.
How?
Take action. Find some of those people in your community and visit with them; buy them small gifts; tell them that you care about them – tell them that you love them.
So where are these people?
Everywhere.
One GREAT approach to helping people in emotional and/or physical pain during the holiday season is to visit children’s hospitals, senior care facilities, general hospitals, etc. – any place where visitors are allowed and where people need love and support.
You can call facilities in your area to ask about the visiting hours and rules, and then TAKE ACTION; visit children who are sick, give them small stuffed animals (if you can afford to), and tell them that they are special; visit people who are dying and tell them that they are wonderful people and that it is an honor to meet them; visit people who are in recovery and give them hope and support.
You are only limited by your imagination and your time. So find the time, exercise your imagination, and TAKE ACTION to help others.
Feel free to tell everyone that you are a Project Care.com volunteer – that can open doors for you and add credibility to your efforts; and you will be joining numerous others who are going out in force and representing Project Care.com during the holidays.
So what does it take to be a Project Care.com volunteer? The desire to care for others and, more importantly, the ACTION of caring for others. That’s it.
Visit people. Talk to them. Get to know them. Just start a conversation and talk about some POSITIVE things. And let them know that you care about them.
Start with something like this: “Hi, I’m a Project Care.com volunteer. I’m just stopping by to say hello and to see how you are doing.”
They may say that they ARE NOT doing well; so, let them talk; then use your common sense to offer encouragement, love, and support.
Many people will read this and think…yeah, true, people need help, but…(fill in the blank).
…I’m too busy.
…I don’t have the time.
…I can’t make much of a difference.
…I don’t know where these people are.
…I have never done anything like this before.
…I don’t have the skills to do this.
…I can’t afford to do this.
…This kind of scares me. I don’t know what to do.
…I already have too many obligations.
… [and a million other reasons why NOT to reach out to those in need in YOUR community]
You do not need any experience; you do not need to spend any money; you do not need any training; just use your common sense and GO. Period. As often or as little as you want. If you can go for just ONE day…GREAT. If you can do more than one day, even better. But please set aside at least ONE DAY during the holidays to help others.
And you will be exemplifying the love, hope, caring, and giving that the holiday season is SUPPOSED to be all about.
For those who will be taking action, thank you – you are the HEART of Project Care.com.
Also, please keep the survivors of the numerous disasters that we have encountered this past year in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the 911 survivors.
Additional information on many of these disasters can be found on Project Care.com or on the many Project Care.com disaster assistance websites, such as the following:
Tsunamis.com
KatrinaHelp.com
ThePakistanQuake.com
America911.com
And please visit Project Care.com:
ProjectCare.com
Thank you.
God bless you.
And may you and your family have a GREAT holiday season.
Take care.
With great respect,
Kevin Caruso
Project Care.com
Founder, Director
By Kevin Caruso
For many people, the holidays are a wonderful time of year, with family, friends, food, fun, and fond memories; but for others it sheer hell. Indeed, for many the holidays are the WORST time of year – a HORRIBLE time that causes feelings of despair, loneliness, and depression.
Some will die by suicide.
But there is hope. We CAN reach many of those people who are hurting and need us.
How?
Take action. Find some of those people in your community and visit with them; buy them small gifts; tell them that you care about them – tell them that you love them.
So where are these people?
Everywhere.
One GREAT approach to helping people in emotional and/or physical pain during the holiday season is to visit children’s hospitals, senior care facilities, general hospitals, etc. – any place where visitors are allowed and where people need love and support.
You can call facilities in your area to ask about the visiting hours and rules, and then TAKE ACTION; visit children who are sick, give them small stuffed animals (if you can afford to), and tell them that they are special; visit people who are dying and tell them that they are wonderful people and that it is an honor to meet them; visit people who are in recovery and give them hope and support.
You are only limited by your imagination and your time. So find the time, exercise your imagination, and TAKE ACTION to help others.
Feel free to tell everyone that you are a Project Care.com volunteer – that can open doors for you and add credibility to your efforts; and you will be joining numerous others who are going out in force and representing Project Care.com during the holidays.
So what does it take to be a Project Care.com volunteer? The desire to care for others and, more importantly, the ACTION of caring for others. That’s it.
Visit people. Talk to them. Get to know them. Just start a conversation and talk about some POSITIVE things. And let them know that you care about them.
Start with something like this: “Hi, I’m a Project Care.com volunteer. I’m just stopping by to say hello and to see how you are doing.”
They may say that they ARE NOT doing well; so, let them talk; then use your common sense to offer encouragement, love, and support.
Many people will read this and think…yeah, true, people need help, but…(fill in the blank).
…I’m too busy.
…I don’t have the time.
…I can’t make much of a difference.
…I don’t know where these people are.
…I have never done anything like this before.
…I don’t have the skills to do this.
…I can’t afford to do this.
…This kind of scares me. I don’t know what to do.
…I already have too many obligations.
… [and a million other reasons why NOT to reach out to those in need in YOUR community]
You do not need any experience; you do not need to spend any money; you do not need any training; just use your common sense and GO. Period. As often or as little as you want. If you can go for just ONE day…GREAT. If you can do more than one day, even better. But please set aside at least ONE DAY during the holidays to help others.
And you will be exemplifying the love, hope, caring, and giving that the holiday season is SUPPOSED to be all about.
For those who will be taking action, thank you – you are the HEART of Project Care.com.
Also, please keep the survivors of the numerous disasters that we have encountered this past year in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the 911 survivors.
Additional information on many of these disasters can be found on Project Care.com or on the many Project Care.com disaster assistance websites, such as the following:
Tsunamis.com
KatrinaHelp.com
ThePakistanQuake.com
America911.com
And please visit Project Care.com:
ProjectCare.com
Thank you.
God bless you.
And may you and your family have a GREAT holiday season.
Take care.
With great respect,
Kevin Caruso
Project Care.com
Founder, Director
