Archive for December, 2009

Do you ever feel overwhelmed at Christmas?  Are you pouring over the Christmas shopping list, scheduling parties, preparing for guests or making travel arrangements, writing and mailing Christmas cards? 

Every year, I resolve to start early!  Between now and News Year’s Day, many of us are caught up in the holiday frenzy. This year my goal is to simplify my self-imposed trappings!

Many of us are cutting back this Christmas due to the economy.  According to the Conference Board, $390 is the average amount U.S. households expect to spend on Christmas gifts this year, down from $418 in 2008.  Twenty-two percent plan to spend less than $100. Seven million people have lost jobs since the beginning of the recession.

A colleague remarked the other day that it just doesn’t “feel” like Christmas.  I began to reflect on her remark.  I started to think about what Christmas means to me. I could add more to this list, but to offer a few personal joys in celebrating Christmas, such as:

• Giving gifts to my husband, the grandchildren and dear friends; 
• Hearing Handel’s Messiah and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and singing Christmas carols;
• Seeing the Christmas lights in windows and wreaths on doors;
• Spending the holidays with family and friends;
• Reading the Christmas story of the birth of Christ.

But what can I do to simply my self-imposed trappings and embrace the spirit of Christmas?  Here are some of my thoughts:

• Instead of sending out cards, I can call some dear friends on my list and wish them a merry Christmas. Hearing a friend’s voice on the phone is always heartwarming.
• I can offer a smile and a pleasant greeting to those people who assist me all the time, such as at the bank, grocery store, and drycleaners. 
• I can be more patient when inconvenienced, especially at the post office. Sometimes, I’m in such a rush to complete errands.

Working with The Salvation Army, especially during the holidays, is very fulfilling.  No matter what’s going on in the world or the state of our economy, The Salvation continues to provide for people in need year round. 

The Salvation Army offers many opportunities to celebrate the holiday season by thinking and doing for others:

• Volunteer at a Salvation Army red kettle;
• Gather friends together to serve meals at your local Salvation Army unit;
• Host your own online Red Kettle.

My shopping list is shorter; I’m not sending out as many cards; I’ve hung the wreath on the door; my Christmas tree is smaller.  I feel better by getting back to the true meaning of Christmas. 

Please share your thoughts about your Christmas journey this year.

Online Angel Giving Tree

One small gift can bring joy to a Salvation Army Angel this Christmas.The Salvation Army is gearing up for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season to provide comfort and joy to even more people in need this year.

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. and The Salvation Army are joining forces this Christmas season through a grand-scale online Angel Giving Tree program. From now until December 14, for the first-time ever, customers can adopt and shop online for Angels at www.jcp.com/angel, providing tens of thousands of children and seniors facing hardship in communities across the country with Christmas gifts. 

This new online Angel Giving Tree program with JCPenney that will allow The Salvation Army to build upon a great Christmas tradition by reaching a new online audience,” said Major George Hood, national community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army. “With the winter months around the corner, we appreciate this opportunity to inspire the American public to make a better Christmas for the millions of children and seniors living in poverty.  One small gift can bring joy to a Salvation Army Angel this Christmas.”

The online Angel Giving Tree program allows customers to adopt an Angel at jcp.com/angel and conveniently shop for them online at jcp.com, in JCPenney stores or at any location they choose. In a few easy steps, customers can visit the site to request an Angel by location, age range and gender. An Angel who matches the criteria will be e-mailed to the customer along with a list of needed items. The confirmation e-mail will also include a link to view drop-off locations in the customer’s area and ship-to addresses for online orders.

Supporting the online Angel Giving Tree program will be a multimedia marketing campaign including in-store, print, online and e-mail advertising as well as social media initiatives through Facebook Connect. JCPenney Facebook fans will be able to access the Angel Giving Tree website directly as well as post and share their Angel adoption with their friends.

  The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program has been in operation for more than 40 years.