By Anne Llewellyn, RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN
Editor-in-Chief of Case in Point Magazine and the Case Management Resource Guide

Today’s economic news has all of us tightening our belts this holiday season. Families across the country are preparing for a more reserved, even frugal, season of celebration. Yet this may turn out to be one of the bright spots of the current crisis. The decreased focus on consumership may help us all come back to the basics and realize the true spirit of the holiday season.

This past weekend I met with a group of friends who came up with a practical way to give back to those in need. One of the women in our group is a social worker with the Broward School System. In her work she identifies children who are having trouble in school. In the course of her investigation, she learned that many of the students come from families who are facing difficult times due to the downdraft of the economy.

Acting out is one way that the children deal with the uncertainty they see within their families. In response to these families and to their situations, she asked us if we would “adopt a family,” so to speak. The goal would be to understand the basic needs of the families and share the information with the group so we could help them through their difficult times.

Donna identified seven families that our group could help. Each family had several children. To get an idea of what each one needed, she asked the participating families to create a wish list. As a group, we reviewed the various lists and then broke off into pairs and set out to the mall to see how creative we could be in purchasing the requested items.

Teaming up in groups enabled us to share expenses, which made the project reasonable. In addition, we agreed to contribute to a general pot that would be used to purchase gift cards from the local grocery store so each family could purchase the fixings for a holiday dinner. With a little creativity and teamwork, we found a way to help ease the plight of our neighbors.

Today, there are numerous ways to celebrate the spirit of the holiday by giving back to those in need. You can check with your local schools or talk to the pastor of your house of worship, as these institutions often have a program to assist families. Another area of focus are the not-for-profit agencies in your local community that provide services for those in need. Such services may include homeless shelters, children diagnostic centers, or food banks. Many have programs that collect clothes or toys for children so they can provide some cheer for those who come to them for help.

The difficult economic times are impacting all of us. But if we come together, we can all find a way to share the holiday spirit.

Have a great week!