Game Day Challenge: The Day My Daughter Found Her Heart #OdwallaCFK

Sometimes we get more than we give by giving to others.  For us, this was one of those times.  I love giving and have felt honored to be a part of the Champions For Kids Movement over the past few months.  As I told you late last month, we are participating again for the month of April with the help of Odwalla Juice. 

And although this giving mission started out much like the others, it delivered so much more than I ever expected.  We would GATHER (from Walmart which was easy but then from people we don't know within this community, which proved to be a challenge), LEARN (which turned out to be another huge personal obstacle, and a rewarding one) about the needs in our community, GIVE (which was easy), and SHARE (which is what I am doing here). 

Let me explain.  The gathering started out fabulously!  We went to Walmart and the babies and I were off to a great start.  We were on a mission to HELP THEM PLAY.  Yes, children of less fortune in our area should get outdoors, have fun, be active, and PLAY.  We bought fun supplies and we would collect gently used sports equipment from the people in our community to build our giving package.  This would be fun!  It turned out to be an exercise in futility.

The people in The Woods are not as giving as I had hoped.  They "gave at the office", or they "just moved", or they "already donated".  Bug and I were getting discouraged.  The important part of this equation is that BUG was getting discouraged.  I couldn't have that.  I reached out on Facebook, asked some friends, and got a few items to add to our care package.  We received some baseball mitts, some baseballs, and a few other items.  It wasn't a total loss!  Our kit was happy!

Bug was happy!  We went back to Walmart and bought a few more items ourselves including a first aid kit since being outdoors never comes without boo boos.  We got a pretty polka dot bag that Bug thought would be wonderful since I explained that these people didn't have much more than the shirts on their backs.  We had chosen the Montgomery Women's Center because no matter how hard I try, I can't shirk my past, and I know that the battered women and children in any community need our help.  The kids in these shelters may not have been physically abused, but the emotional scars run deep and the the healing will be a long, hard road.  A few bubbles, some outdoor games, some refreshing Odwalla Juice, and a little sidewalk chalk will be more uplifting than any of you may ever know!

But it only got better on a personal level from here!  My Bug, the little selfish "mean" one in the bunch...well her heart grew 3 sizes today!  She realized that we had not been successful in our drive.  She decided, with her 5 years of wisdom, that SHE could make a difference.  She and I (on her insistence) went through her drawers and found all of the summer clothes that no longer fit her.  "Mommy, if you're going to play outside, you need pretty clothes".  She was right!  The whole bottom of our bucket was full of clothes.  She even dug through their toys and found balls and other outdoor toys that they don't use often.

HER donation had grown and SHE was proud.  I was proud of her and my heart grew just a little bit more today as well!  We had done all that we could at this point, although we do have the promise for more items and we will gather them as they come in and bring them to the shelter.  But for now, we were content with what we had.  If Bug is happy, I'm happy, and I assured her our recipients would be happy!

We loaded our loot into the car and headed for our destination!

Bug had her bag with snacks and Odwalla Juice in hand, and I carried the tub full of fun goodies.  Bubby was just along for the giving train ride!  The United Way does amazing things but I had no clue they supported Women's and Childen's Centers world wide!

It was a good day, it was a good week, it was a good month.  My Bug, the selfish one, learned the value of giving.  And on more than one occasion at Walmart, I heard her tell her brother, "No Bubby, we can't buy for us, we are buying for the kids that don't have anything this time!".  She listened.  She's been listening all along!  

Teach your kids this lesson.  Giving doesn't stop with our generation.  We can change the world, one child at a time, by teaching our own children the lesson of giving.  Will you be a Champion for Kids?  

You can learn more about taking the Odwalla Game Day Challenge by connecting on Twitter and Facebook.  Today, this week, this month, MY child made a difference in the lives of other children.  These children needed her, and she was up for the Game Day Challenge, despite the set backs.  Are you?


Disclosure:  I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  #CBias All opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own.