 | Marisa Honomichl is Vice President of Marketing and Development at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson. The Cosmosphere houses one of the largest collections of space artifacts in the world including the Apollo 13 space capsule. The mission of the Cosmosphere is “Honoring the Past and Inspiring the Future of Space Exploration.” This is accomplished through educational programming such as space exploration camps for students in the summer. Feel free to contact the Cosmosphere for more information on their camps and programming at (800)397-0330 or visit www.cosmo.org. |
Science
2010-11-01 13:31:00
Giving on a budget
Question: How does one give, without breaking one’s budget, this upcoming holiday as we reach out and donate to our favorite charities and organizations?
Answer: The need this year is greater than ever, but you can combine your holiday shopping and your holiday giving into one expense rather than two and give to your loved ones while supporting worthy causes. Here are some easy ways to buy great gifts that keep on giving:
Business gifts:
It’s always hard to choose appropriate gifts for the office but you can choose your favorite charity and make a donation on behalf of the person you’re gifting to and it will probably be more appreciated than just another fruit basket! If you like to give unique gift items, websites like the www.womensbeanproject.com or www.thehungersite.com, allow you to buy great gifts while benefitting very worthy causes at the same time.
Children’s’ gifts:
Buy tickets to a child’s favorite place to visit (zoo,museums) and then purchase a book, gift certificate or game from that organization to share in anticipation of your future visit. You can often go online with your local museums and zoos and make your ticket or gift store purchase and have it shipped to you or have it gift-wrapped and delivered to the person you’re buying for. Visit www.deepspacemuseums.org for combo tickets to the Cosmosphere and the Kansas Underground Salt museum.
Teaching children to give:
This is a great time of year to teach your children about giving back, and one great way to get your kids involved is through an angel tree or similar programs where you can choose to purchase gifts or clothing for a child or adult based on the information the organization gives you. Allowing children to help choose a gift for a child in need teaches them empathy for others and makes them consider more than just their own needs. Another way is having them choose food items at the store to give to a local food bank.
Family gifts:
A unique way to give is through naming opportunities at local organizations, churches or institutions that mean a lot to your family. You can have something as small as a brick paving stone or as large as a building named in honor of your family members.
Donating time:
When you don’t have much in the way of funds to give, another way to help is to donate your time. Most communities have a volunteer hotline where they match up your time and areas of interest with the needs of very worthy organizations. These are also great opportunities to get your children involved in hands-on giving activities. Regardless of your interests or your list of people to shop for this season, with a little creativity you can choose gifts that keep on giving well past the holiday season.
