“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
Yesterday, our family visited an amazing local charity called, A Precious Child, to donate and to serve in their Fill-A-Backpack program.
Malnati Kids – A Precious Child (fill-a-backpack)
We actually weren’t familiar with this charity until just a month ago. In July our family sold a rental property and it proved to be a good investment. We’re also currently enrolled in a Sunday School class at church that covers a number of topics surrounding the subject of money and how to be a good steward of the resources that God has given to you. We felt lead to donate a portion of this investment’s proceeds to a charity, but weren’t sure which charity to select. Since we were stumped, we decided to “poll the audience” one morning as we were driving down Arapahoe Road with our 3 kids in the back seat.
The consensus from our kids was almost immediate. We should select a charity that helps children in Colorado. Courtney and I knew that there could be a teachable moment here as our oldest child, Charlotte, was going to kindergarten and this would be her first year shopping for school supplies. We figured that there were probably charities that supported at risk children that didn’t have the resources to prepare for the school year. We wanted all of our kids to understand that they shouldn’t take school supplies for granted.
Woven through the subject matter of the Sunday School class is a theme of intentional living. Two of the topics that have resonated with us are:
1. Systematic Giving: The concept is that humans were made by God to be givers. Giving is as much spiritual as it is physical. Giving of our money, time, and talents is a serious responsibility and should be done REGULARLY.
2. Parenting: Teaching our kids that money comes from work and money is to be used for ALL three of the following activities: 1) giving, 2) saving, and 3) spending.
While we’ve had a few bumps along the way, Courtney and I have lived an amazing life full of blessings. Our mission as parents is to raise children that become quality adults that are productive members of society. We are certainly not perfect and we don’t always get it right, but we’re trying to get better at that mission every day.
When my brother died in 2011, we set up Billy Malnati Charitable Giving. I’ve written about how the death of my brother, Billy Malnati, has been an impact in my life. Initially, losing Billy felt like it could have a negative impact on my family, but I personally made a strong effort to turn my sorrow into joy. I understood that, despite the difficulties that I was going through, there were others that had it much worse than me. I chose to GIVE so that I would focus on others which led me stop feeling sorry for myself. I realize now that the death of my brother was a wake-up call for me. I have been blessed in my life with some amazing talents. It is important for me to set my family up for financial success, but after my family is taken care of, my blessings are also supposed to make the lives of others better. I took ownership in the fact that Billy no longer had a life to live, and I took responsibility for living my life as best as possible in his honor. That is why we started Billy Malnati Charitable Giving.
If you’re interested in hosting a school supply (backpack) drive or if you just want donate individual supplies/money, you can contact A Precious Child at 303-466-4272.
Reblogged this on Kyle Malnati.