As the air becomes crisp and we see the vibrant falling leaves around us, often people of faith turn their attention toward giving. Even while we get caught in the frenzy of holiday decorating and menu planning, we think about how to share the abundance of the year and how to teach our kids to give. As the children in our lives construct their holiday wish lists, we wonder how we can enliven them with a spirit of generosity. In a time of rampant consumerism, when boys and girls are bombarded with advertisements enticing them to dream about what sorts of presents might wait for them under the tree, we wonder, how do we teach kids to share? How do we remind them of those who don't have as much?
As we were trying to nurture a bit of generosity in our congregation, we talked to Chef Steve Badt of Miriam's Kitchen. Miriam's is located in the basement of our church. They provide a hot, nutritious breakfast and dinner as well as a full range of social services to our homeless guests in Washington, D.C. During this time of year, the children in our congregation actively support Miriam's through Fannie Mae's Help the Homeless Mini-Walk and by having a Thanksgiving fruit collection. In the spring they'll continue their support as they plant an herb garden for Miriam's. The staff at Miriam's is innovative and insightful and Chef Steve (who is also a dad) is particularly gifted in understanding how to get children excited about the important work of sharing. He gave us some wonderful ideas.
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