97. volunteer at an orphanage

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this month of thanks is the perfect time to post about this item from my big list.  i know there are people who find my daily gratitude posts excessive but i truly feel blessed and don't find it to be a chore at all.  if anything, i feel like i should really be doing it everyday of the year.  but i also understand that vocalizing or sharing something that you're grateful for every day is not easy for everyone, and i don't judge people for that either.

i like to use the daily gratitude posts as a reminder that there is more to be thankful for than thanksgiving dinner.  i know a lot of people that look for ways to express that and share the blessings they have.  everyone can't afford to donate a ton of money or even time to a cause but i do believe there are lots of ways to give back.  pick a cause that means something to you.  maybe your sister has diabetes, your grandmother is a cancer survivor, your brother is a special olympian or your best friend is a Big Sister or Big Brother.  maybe you can only donate 5 dollars or old clothes, maybe you can participate in or volunteer at a 5K, or maybe you can just spread the word about a charity to your friends and family.

when i have the time or money, i try to volunteer.  when i had (made) more time, i was a Big Sister.  that regular commitment became too much for me so i volunteer my time and money when and where i can.  one volunteer opportunity that i've been wanting to do for awhile is to volunteer at an orphanage.

if you're not familiar with my story, there's a reason this particular cause is important to me.  you can read about my adoption and return to the orphanage i came from here.  spending time at the orphanage that i came from, giving love and attention to those precious babies, and donating a few supplies was an incredibly rewarding experience that i plan on repeating.  we don't really have orphanages in our country anymore since the system favors foster homes and setups like that.  but if you are close to an area where there are still orphanages (mexico, korea, africa and the soviet union are just a few), any bit of time or money is greatly appreciated!