Gift Card Giver

Awesome organization. Here's their story (yes, taken directly from their website. Why should I paraphrase when it's written just fine?):

THE STORY
Four friends had an idea to collect gift cards and give them to people in need. They went to a gathering and asked 8 people how much money in unused Gift Cards they had in their wallets and walked away with $50 in Gift Cards to help people in need. GiftCardGiver.com was born.

Gift Card Giver is a new form of giving. The Gift Card industry has risen to be a 60 billion dollar industry. Ever wonder how many gift cards are unused? More than 10%. That means billions of dollars are waiting to be used for good on Gift Cards.

How many gift cards do you have sitting in your wallet? We guess you have at least $5 of unused gift cards in your wallet or purse right now. What’s 5 bucks going to buy you? Five bucks in Gift Cards may buy you a pair of socks…but 10 people giving 5 bucks will buy a kid a winter coat or 1000 people giving $5 from may give that same kid a warm bedroom to sleep through the night.

CARD ME

It is very simple to get involved:
STEP 1: Use as much of your card as you want (or send a full card).
STEP 2: Write how much is left on your card using a permanent marker.
STEP 3: Place the card in an envelope and send it to us at:

Gift Card Giver
490 East Side Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30316

OUR COMMITMENT

We collect and distribute the cards to appropriate Non-Profit Organizations that can use those cards to help others. We have never used a card for ourselves and never will. Thanks for contributing. This is a grass roots campaign that has created a new form of giving and you are an important piece to the idea coming to life.

Check it out and the send them your unused Gift Cards! Visit www.giftcardgiver.com to learn more.

Card Me. The Story. from Gift Card Giver on Vimeo.

Orlando Union Rescue Mission

I spent my Saturday morning hanging out with some pretty cool kids at the Orlando Union Rescue Mission. The mission houses women and children who are going through a rough time and gives them the tools to get back on their feet. There is always a need for great organizations like this one, but especially in today's time, the need has grown stronger. The Rescue Mission is also Christ centered so not only are they receiving physical necessities like a warm place to sleep and food in their stomachs, but they are also being fed the everlasting Word, the true necessity. The Rescue Mission has worship, bible study, and more for both the women and the kids. This weekend was special, however. An organization based out of Texas called Spark Ministries had come to the Mission to host a 3 day Bible retreat for the women. What an awesome treat for them!!! I overheard how excited the women were about it and how some of them had looked forward to it for quite a while.

With the women at an all day retreat, that left all of their children needing care. The full time Staff members were on hand to help all weekend as well as some of the women from Spark Ministries, but with the amount of kids at the Mission, it just wasn't enough so City Church sent more volunteers. I opted to help out on Saturday morning and spent my time hanging with the toddlers in the nursery. It was certainly chaotic as there were about 20 kids ranging in ages 2 months to 5 years, with only 4-5 volunteers (sometimes as little as 3 of us), but it was also a very rewarding experience. I loved holding the 2 month old and having him cuddle up next to me. There were some adorable little girls too who were so timid! And, I even got the older boys to be excited about Beauty & the Beast and had half the room watching it at one point (not saying that I'm all for sticking kids in front of a tv to entertain them, but when you have that many and their running around the room like maniacs, you'll take tv!). Thinking about it now, I think one of my favorite parts was when I got 2 of the boys (about 5 years old) who were fighting a bit to shake hands and become buds. They smirked at me, shook each others hands, and then watched the movie pretty contently.

It was a pretty fun time but I definitely felt worn out at the end! I love kids and can't wait to have some of my own, but I'll take one at a time instead of 20 all at once, thanks. I'm excited to be able to spend more of my time down at the Rescue Mission. I think these kids are pouring into my life just as much as I am into theirs.

Anyway, if you're in the Orlando area and want a good cause to support, check it out. Give your money or give your time. Whatever you can give, the Mission certainly appreciates! I promise you'll be blessed by the experience.