THIS IS THE DAY!!!!! THIS IS THE DAY!!!!
This is the day when people all over the world log on to their computers (energy portals) and release senseless, lavish, radical love into the world by meeting the holiday needs of total strangers.
We participate in Holiday Hands to be good. We participate to help others. We participate to change another family’s life. And then somewhere during the process we realize that the family that was changed by this offering of love was our own family. Because when we act out what we want to believe- when we not only SAY LOVE WINS but we DO LOVE WINS . . . when we not only BELIEVE THAT WE BELONG TO EACH OTHER but WE MAKE THAT SO . . . WE BECOME THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.
We do that TODAY!!! Today we stop wishing for a kinder, better, more magical world and start creating one. The way we do that is to tap a stranger on the shoulder and say – Hey, friend. I’d rather my kids get three holiday gifts and your kids get three holiday gifts, than my kids get six gifts and your kids get no gifts. We let our families watch us do this. We show our children the families we’re helping.
And then we can show our family — not just tell them – what love is. We can show them what grace is. Grace is undeserved love. And so sometimes the best way to PUT GRACE INTO MOTION, TO MAKE IT COME TO LIFE, is to love strangers. Strangers who haven’t earned our love and never will.
Because that quote we all love is TRUE: “Character is how you treat those who can never repay you.”
Participate today in Holiday Hands- make the leap from HOPING grace is true to MAKING it true. BE THE CHANGE you want to see in the world. And then show your family WHAT you did and WHY. Tell them all about grace, and how it interrupts the normal order of things and then makes everything beautiful.
We know that everyone–our givers, our listers, and our miracle watchers–are eager to get started with the Holiday Hands matches. Before you begin, please, please read all of the information below.
Directions for Givers:
To see available listings:
- Go to the Holiday Hands section of the Together Rising website.
- Click on the box marked “Available” and a list of available listings will be displayed.
- Once you have found an available listing that you would like to sponsor, please scroll down to the bottom of the page to the comment section to find out if the need has already been met. We will be moving listings from the Available to the Taken category once the needs have been met, but there may be some lag time between when we can make the updates. If the comments on the listing indicate that the need has already been met, please try to partner with another lister.
To respond to a listing:
- First, add a comment at the bottom of the listing stating which of the requested needs you would like to meet. For example, please indicate whether you are going to satisfy all the needs listed (up to $100), or whether you are going to fund a portion of request (for example, “I can provide the train your youngest wants” or “I can provide $30 toward your needs”).
- Click on the Contact link at the top of the listing to send an email directly to the author of the listing. Let her know which portion of the listing you would like to meet and ask her to respond to you with the address where you should send your gift. Please also ask her to write a comment on her listing acknowledging that the two of you have communicated and confirm what you will be sending. Here is an example listing with example comments that show how this conversation might play out: http://togetherrising.org/holidayhands/the-holiday-hands-project/show-listing/?id=3
- Once you see your gift publicly acknowledged in the comments section of the listing, go ahead and send your gift. (Please do NOT send your gift until you the author of the listing has posted your name in a comment on the listing — this will help prevent duplicate gifts if multiple givers comment on a listing.) Please try to send your presents within a few days of your communication—the listers will be eagerly awaiting your response!
Directions For Listers:
- Listers, after you submitted your listing, you should have received an automatic message letting you know that the listing had been received and was awaiting approval. This message contains a direct link to your listing, which is the easiest way for you to access your listing online. If you do not see this email, it may be in your spam or junk email folder.
- If your listing has been approved for Holiday Hands, you should have received another automatic message letting you know that your listing has been enabled, with another direct web link to the listing.
- Givers are being asked to respond to you in two ways–publicly in the comments section underneath your individual listing, and privately, through email. Please respond to them both publicly in the comments section and privately via email. To see an example of how this might look in the comments section, click here.
- Please be prompt with your responses so that we can know when needs are filled as soon as possible. Givers are being instructed not to send their gifts until the see their names listed in the comments section of your listing, so do not forget this important step.
- When a giver or givers have indicated their willingness to support your request, a Together Rising volunteer will write the word TAKEN in on your listing and move it to the Taken category.
A few final words for our Beloved Holiday Hands Participants:
- Please read and reread and rerereead the instructions before posting questions.
- We have added a cap of $100 on requests in order to serve more families. We are asking our givers and receivers to honor this part of the program. If a requester has already received items or contributions totaling $100, please find a request that has not been fulfilled. It’s more important that everyone get something than someone get everything.
- We approved as many listings as we possibly could. In fact, Together Rising is meeting the needs of 23 families in addition to the ones you see listed by sending $100 gift cards to use toward groceries and basic needs. Some other listings were flagged by our system for a variety of reasons and need a bit more vetting. If you submitted a listing and received an initial confirmation message (but have not received another message letting you know that your listing has been enabled or that you will be receiving a gift card), please click here to give us a bit more information so we can look at your listing again. We carefully filter all listings for the safety of our community, and the additional information you provide will help us in this process.
- Some listers, particularly those with Hotmail or MSN email accounts, have not been able to receive email correspondence from us. If you submitted a listing but have not received an initial confirmation email or any email follow-up, please send us a message so that we can look into this for you. Our email address is [email protected], and once you write to us directly you should be able to receive our messages as well.
- While the collection of Holiday Hands listings is over, the requests for help continue. We have not vetted and cannot vouch for requests made on the Facebook page and on the blog, so we are asking that no one attempt to make matches this way outside of the Holiday Hands program. Please honor our commitment to this community by bringing needs to us and by only answering needs through us.
- If you are a giver who wants to give to the many people who continue to ask for help, or to give in support of the requests that we have not posted, please consider making a donation to Together Rising. After all the public matching is done the work will continue, as we work in support of so many HER stories. Every day we work to match needs with resources. Every tax-deductible penny you give goes straight to mamas and dads in need. This is unusual. A miracle, really. Made possible by those two unbeatable teammates: FAITH & SWEAT.
- Thank you, thank you, thank you — to the Givers, Receivers & those Cheering and Praying us on — for proving that Love Wins and We Belong to Each Other. Thank you.
God Bless Us, Every One.
Author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller LOVE WARRIOR — ORDER HERE
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37 Comments
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very nice post..got some important information from here. HI
I missed the deadline, so I emailed and I’m hoping to still receive help. I’m a mom of 3 diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and we’ve had a really crappy past few months. I don’t want my kids to take the fall for their parents not being able to handle all the universe has thrown at them. I am just…amazed that this many people wanted to help. This is wonderful!
Wow….all the requests are taken, and I am crying. I wanted to be a part of this, and to give a personal Monkee-to-Monkee gift. I know I can give a cash donation to Together Rising, and I will, and the money will go to a wonderful Monkee, but still…
(Takes a deep breath and tries to remember that this super-abundance is what Love Wins looks like! Yes….together we have enough and we are enough…we have and we are more than enough!)
There are postings about people just needing a little extra love and encouragement this year. Do that! Send a card or a letter to each of them. I’m sure it will mean as much to them, if not more, than your material contribution. I love so much love. 🙂
Help — I’m logging in on my lunch break from the West Coast, and I don’t find any opportunities left? Can that be true?
this is the most amazing project ever.
You guys! This rocks. I’m a little weepy right now. It’s been like six hours and almost all the listings are taken! Monkees are amazing. I’m excited to run to the hallmark tonight and buy cards to send to all those needing to feel the love this season.
Glennon and precious hardworking sisters, I’ve seen a couple of requests that involve miscarriage…i wrote a book a few years ago to be a resource for women who’ve experienced pregnancy loss, and I’m wondering if i could offer some copies? I could donate maybe 15, and could mail them wherever…the book is Christian but it’s gentle and i swear it doesn’t suck. If that strikes a chord anywhere just let me know. If it’s a distraction, please stay with your flow and ignore me! 🙂
I’ve had 3 miscarriages myself. Finally had a precious girl. I’ve processed okay. But I have a dear friend who lost her last child at 20 weeks gestation, and she has been devastated. I’ve been there for her as I can, though across the country, and if I could gift her something of this comfort I would LOVE to be able to do that for her. Can I send an address for a copy to be donated?
I have a friend who also suffers greatly several months after her miscarriage. May I do the same?
Elise, what a beautiful, lovely, thoroughly Monkee thing to do.
Hi Meredith,
I just delivered by baby girl at 18 weeks and 3 days almost a month ago. This was my fourth baby and I am struggling right now. The sadness and loss are so very real. I would love a copy of your book!
Dearest Glennon, sister, and the whole team,
Thank you for taking on this project. I think it would probably be much easier for you to receive requests and fulfill them yourself though donations to Together Rising, but being able to read the needs of particular people and know that I can help someone specifically that I connect to is a blessing all its own. Love to everyone!
Magic happened today. I woke up tired, up all night with my restless child and insomnia, facing yet another 12-hour work day for hubby, so child care falls on me and my still recovering body. It felt impossible this morning. But now… Now my sweet little girl is getting gifts for her birthday and Christmas!! I couldn’t do that for her, but sweet angel Monkees are. And there are just so many tears right now – mostly tears of joy, but some of exhaustion, too – and so much LOVE!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this love and this magic. A million times thank you!
GRACE for you, dear hannah. Hang in there, Momma. Love this!!!
I had a difficult morning. Downright crap. I totally flipped on my children and did too much feeling. I finally remembered that today was Holiday Hands and went to see where I could help. Every listing I clicked on was taken. Holy cow. I’m going to keep looking but I wanted to stop and say that this is a remarkable thing. I am touched, humbled, and moved by the beautiful people who listed and the beautiful people who responded. I feel like I received a gift just by witnessing such an outpouring of love. I’m proud to be a Monkee today and every day. <3 <3 <3
I’m eager to give but I want my 11-year-old daughter to be a part of this with me. We’ll be checking in tonight!
What do you do if you have questions or need assistance with the holiday hands program? I responded to a post hours ago (to fulfill the entire need) and haven’t receiced a response. An hour later, another person responded to the same post and it’s marked as taken, but I don’t know if I got it or if the other person did.
Jennifer!!! Thank you for giving! You are still considered a giver on a Taken post even if you have not yet heard from the lister. Just wait to hear back from her to make the connection. And it is okay for multiple people to give to the same lister as long you are aware that you are not the only giver. Love!
Thanks, Glennon. It’s my first time participating and I want to do it right.
What a blessing to be able to make someone smile today. Thank you for the opportunity! I wish we could do this multiple times a year. 🙂
I just spent the whole morning reading through the Holiday Hands listings. Watching as the comments piled up and the number of taken listings grew made my heart grow three times its size! I can’t contribute much this year monetarily, but I’ve offered to send out a few cards to those who need to hear that they are loved. I really appreciate the fact that Glennon has created a space where even those of us with limited resources are able to reach out to others.
Also, I cannot thank the Together Rising Board of Directors enough. They have gifted my request with one of the $100 gift cards. It will go to two elementary school teachers in East LA who have recently dealt with several disappointments from their school board and yet still show up to teach everyday eagerly, ready, and with a smile on their faces. I can’t wait to show them that there are those of us who really appreciate all the sacrifices they make!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to this whole community.
Love,
Rachel
Love this!! Unfortunately our request was not among the ones that were chosen to be listed…but we have found people we can Love and bless even without having money to spare ourselves.
I have read the instructions and sorry if I have missed this. Is it acceptable to respond with used goods, that are of a like new quality. For example, I have boys winter coats that are in great condition and we would still be wearing them except the boys have grown out of them. Thank you.
Sarah, You are wonderful! If one of the listings has specifically asked for used clothing, which several have, that works beautifully! Go check it out and THANK YOU!
http://togetherrising.org/holidayhands/
If someone requested specific items, can we purchase those items to send, or can we only send money?
G here! YES, you can send items! That is our favorite thing.
As a divorced/single mom who has lived through some pretty bleak holidays, the sheer number of single moms needing help is just gut-wrenching. I am finally at the stage where I can begin giving back, not as much as I’d like but guess what…it feels AWESOME.
That said, I was thrilled to see that the search functions gives you the ability to find listers in your immediate area. Found two single moms here in Minnesota that I’m going to scoop up and love like only someone who has “been there, done that” can do.
Thanks for making this happen 🙂
God Bless you, Jenny!!
THIS is what this all about. THIS.
Warrior.
Jenny – this made me tear up. You would have every excuse to NOT give back and you are. you go girl.
Warrior is right!
Well, pooh! I wanted to do that but couldn’t find where. Oh, well. I have someone on the other side of the country and somebody else. I forget where.
I just donated to the “general fund.” I felt under pressure to get this done immediately and in a thoughtful manner! I gain so much from reading the blog, the comments, the stories, the needs, the experiences, the honesty………..this is the least I could do to pay it forward. Plus I KNOW it will be used wisely. Thank YOU!
I can’t contact the author of the listing because when I click on contact, it goes to my email but her address does not show up….what can I do?