The holiday season is here. And one aspect of the season – whatever your faith background – is reaching out to the less fortunate with a helping hand. But with all the the seasonal hubbub, how do you get your home ready for the holidays and find time to minister to others? In this post, I’ll share three ways you can help others without losing control of your schedule.

Multi-Task

The first strategy is to multi-task, which allows you to help a special needs family and meet your own family’s needs at the same time. Here are a few examples:

• Take baking supplies to the house of a family with special needs kids and do your holiday baking there. Leave some of the treats with them and take some home.
• Whenever you make a casserole, triple the recipe. Serve one casserole for supper, freeze one for later, and take one to a family in crisis.
• If your child has a classmate with special needs siblings confined in the home, offer to videotape the Christmas program so the siblings can later watch the program together.

Use Service Clubs to Serve

In this strategy, think of ways the clubs you or your children belong to could minister to others. Maybe you could:

• Suggest a caroling party for your club’s December meeting. Visit the homes of families with special needs kids and spread some cheer.
• Go caroling at a residential facility for special needs kids, if our area has one. Arrange to have cocoa and cider s and play games with the children afterwards.
• Adopt a family with special needs kids and help them decorate for the holidays. While your club members decorate and watch the kids, the parents could do their Christmas shopping.

Focus Your Fun

Think of ways to use the hobbies you love to get special needs families involved in the holidays:

• Organize a scrap booking party in the home of a scrappy mom who has a special needs child. You could do the same witha card-making party and work on Christmas cards together.
• If you have a nice camera and an eye for photography, take pictures of loved ones with special needs kids at home. The photos can be your Christmas gift to them.
• If woodworking or construction is your hobby, build a Christmas present that adapts furniture or alters something in the home so a child can be more mobile or care is easier.

With these three strategies and a little creativity, you can find ways to help families with special needs kids during the holidays without neglecting your own loved ones. If you have more ideas, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

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