GIVING BACK Archives - Hello Splendid

Fight Hunger, Spark Change, Spread Smiles

April 23, 2018 By Jillian Warner

This post is sponsored by Mirium, but opinions expressed are my own #UnileverFightsHunger You can help fight hunger and spark change.

Kayla and I spend a few days during each school break volunteering at our local food pantry. We’ve spent hours sorting through donation bins dropped off by local grocery stores and stocking shelves in the marketplace pantry.

Fight Hunger, Spark Change with Unilever #UnileverFightsHunger

The work is physical and repetitive. There are no pats on the back or words of praise. Which I really like. It’s exactly as acts of kindness should be. Giving with zero expectation of return. Though of course, the return is massive when it comes to lessons in empathy, awareness and action. [Read more…]

Holiday Giving with Ralphs

December 16, 2016 By Jillian Warner

Thanks to Ralph’s for helping us give back by providing gift cards for us to donate to a family in need this holiday season #LoveMyRalphs

For many, giving back during the holiday season can feel overwhelming or confusing. Where to give? How to give? What to give? Is it enough? These are all questions I’ve asked myself many times. If you don’t have a regular charity that you give to it’s hard to decide with the flurry of requests.

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The best answer is give in a way that makes you feel good. Whatever that may be. For about as many years as I can remember, our family has embraced a family here in San Diego for the holiday season. It’s not something I usually talk about publicly, it’s just a small thing we do that quite frankly brings me great joy while helping a family in need and giving my own children a reminder that their normal is not everyone’s normal. [Read more…]

World Food Day Bucket Filling

October 17, 2016 By Jillian Warner

How can you help fight world hunger and empower your kids to do the same? It’s easier than you think! This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Knorr®. #ShareAMeal

I recently read a statistic that has stuck with me. One in four people in the world don’t receive the vitamins and minerals they need to live a healthy life. One in four! That’s devastating. Like many, our family is a family of four. I am one of four sisters. There are mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers around the world not knowing where their next meal is coming from. But how can we help?

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Give Back for Back to School – SoCozy + State Bags

July 30, 2015 By Jillian Warner

We’re giving back at back to school with SoCozy’s exclusive State Bags Give Back Pack. Thanks to SoCozy for sponsoring this post.

Do you remember when “I Wish My Teacher Knew” went viral? Basically, a pretty awesome teacher in a school district of predominantly low income families asked her students to write down one thing they wished she knew about them. As you can imagine, many of the the responses were heartbreaking. One in particular has stuck with me many months later.

“I wish my teacher knew I don’t have pencils at home to do my homework.”

The thing that really struck a nerve about this child’s problem is that it’s one which is totally avoidable and easily fixed if only someone cares enough to help. It made me realize that this child is probably one of hundreds of thousands of children facing the same unbelievable issue of not having the most basic of tools to succeed. Pencils should not be an economic privilege.

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Giving Back with Glitter Slime

July 22, 2015 By Jillian Warner

I created my Giving Back with Glitter Slime project in partnership with Elmer’s and their let’s bond initiative. See this activity and more in the Elmer’s Kids Summer Crafting E-Book.

If you enjoyed bonding with your child over my easy glitter slime then I hope you’ll consider sharing the experience with another family. Summer is the perfect time to give back. In many communities, resources that are available to children in need during the school year fade away – creative activities from the classroom and subsidized meals just to name a couple.

You and your child can help others in need by creating some simple kits to provide an exciting activity for a child this summer. First, go make some easy glitter slime together. I promise it’s SO much fun, a little messy (but not too messy) and just awesome to watch their spongy brains soak it all in. Then, get ready to show them how to give back by providing an opportunity for another child to have the same experience with their own parent.

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How To Make Doctor’s Visits Less Scary

April 14, 2015 By Jillian Warner

It’s no secret that for many kids a trip to the doctor can be dramatic, traumatic and all of the other words that end in matic. So I’m sharing a few tips to make doctors visits less scary in partnership with my friends from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.