by Jana Blazek | Special to Presbyterian News Service
Grandmother Sara Core spends time with her grandchildren going through the Presbyterian Giving Catalog and asking what they want to give others. (Contributed photo)
It was a Minute for Mission that sparked the idea for Mary Caroline Mitchell.
When a fellow member at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Illinois, shared her mother’s Christmas letter encouraging the family to give gifts to help organizations instead of a physical gift to her, Mary Caroline, grandmother to seven, started thinking.
And she came up with a plan.
She crafted her own Christmas letter to “encourage our children and grandchildren to select a gift I could make in their honor in the betterment of the world.” She sent the letter along with a Presbyterian Giving Catalog to family in New York, Minnesota, Virginia, Georgia and Illinois. Her grandchildren — ranging in age from 8 to a college student — were invited to pick out something that fit with what they were passionate about. She was delighted to find that the kids “were happy to know there was a donation made about something they were concerned about.”
Grandparents Day, the Sunday after Labor Day, honors the role millions of older adults play in shaping new generations. On this year’s holiday, the Presbyterian Giving Catalog invites grandparents to imagine ways they might inspire their grandchildren to give back.
As a child, Mary Caroline’s mother and their Presbyterian congregation emphasized alternative Christmas giving — making something or doing kind acts for others instead of purchasing a gift.
Now, Mary Caroline sees the Giving Catalog as a continuation of that family value — a way to encourage her grandchildren with the meaningful practices she learned as a child.
“I’m always trying to pass on my heritage and my practice of sharing with others — and even a little bit makes a big difference,” she said.
The 2024-25 Presbyterian Giving Catalog will be arriving in mailboxes this month.
Nearly 900 miles away in Torrington, Wyoming, Trenda and Dale Weisshaar were trying a similar approach with their grandchildren. Trenda wrapped a copy of the Giving Catalog for each of their three grandsons — and then she taped a $50 bill to the front.
Trenda showed them how the Giving Catalog worked and encouraged them to have fun using the money to shop. “We bought a lot of chickens!” she said, laughing.
The next Christmas, they ramped things up. As the last gift they opened, each grandson got a $100 bill, a Giving Catalog and a choice: They could shop individually or put their money together and shop for something bigger. “They had fun making the decision together and decided to pool their money,” she said. “They figured out how to use every dollar — there was swapping of cows for chickens.”
Each child’s voice came through. Eleven-year-old Guy was really interested in farm tools “because it would allow someone to work, to take them to a job.” His dad has done construction, “so he really identified with that.”
“The Giving Catalog is so awesome because it talks about what these [items] will mean to people. That really resonated with them,” Trenda said.
“My heart was warmed because they didn’t see it as a homework activity, but really loved shopping through the catalog. The Giving Catalog is the key — they loved looking through it.” The three boys worked together. One was raising chickens and explained to the others that they wouldn’t just help with meat but could also provide eggs. Then, they gave their grandmother play-by-play updates on how much they had spent.
Guy really got into figuring out which gifts would make the biggest impact. Abel, 8, was curious about what would be fun and meaningful (“They loved the idea of the piglet!”). And the youngest, Lincoln, 7, approached it like a puzzle, making sure they spent every dollar with nothing left over.
It started as a one-year experiment, but now it’s a tradition.
“The Giving Catalog gave us that tool to make this a tangible, real experience” and involve the kids in giving back, Trenda said.
What’s next? Trenda is planning to give the kids money to spend in the Giving Catalog this Christmas, but with an added challenge: Any money the kids add, she and Dale will match.
Trenda suggests, “Any time grandparents have an opportunity to teach children to give back, you should take it” — to help solidify what their parents are teaching them and yield fruit across generations. And sometimes that opportunity is helping a child buy a $10 set of farming tools to help someone literally yield some fruit on their land. What a gift!
It’s not too early to plan for your family Christmas! The new Presbyterian Giving Catalog will be released this month. Check your mailbox and start thinking about the gift-giving traditions you’re inspired to start in your family. You can also find the Giving Catalog online here — along with activities and craft projects to do together with grandchildren.
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