For the past couple of years, our girls have been participating in American Heritage Girls, a Christian scouting organization. The girls have really enjoyed it. Our troop also offers Boy and Cub scouts for the boys, and the whole family participates. They even have "Wee Scouts" for Hailey.
One of the things the girls are required to do is to put in a certain number of hours of community service every year: the older the girl, the more hours required. So yesterday, Kora, Aubrey and I headed to the San Antonio Food Bank to put in a few hours of work. Since the girls are on the young side, a parent has to be there working alongside them.
But I chose the food bank for a couple of reasons. Not only are the hours convenient for me - i.e. I can go on Saturday when Kelly can be with the little ones - but we want to expose the girls to the fact that not everyone lives the way we do. While Kelly and I have certainly had our share of money woes over the years - who hasn't? - the girls have never really been aware of it. They've never wondered where their next meal is coming from. My mom tells the story about how she was crying one day when my dad got home from work when I was a baby. My dad had just been paid. Once my mom paid the mortgage, utility and other bills, there was just a few dollars left and she hadn't even bought food for me yet. That story has always pulled at my heart strings and makes me tear up, even though I don't remember it.
Of course, God was, and is, faithful and saw them through that hard time, just as He has been for us. But often God uses US to help others in our families, church communities, and our neighbors through situations like this. We want to expose the girls to just how much God blesses us. Yes, these blessings are more than monetary, but we try to instill in the girls that everything we have is due to the grace and mercy of God. And we are called to share that with others as well.
Another great side benefit - it is hard work! After three hours of carrying, lifting, sorting, sifting, discarding, etc., the girls (and their mother) were VERY tired. So if you have younger ones with energy to burn, I highly recommend it!
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And just as you've described the memory of your mother's story sticking in your heart all these years, you've given your girls an experience that is now a part of who they are. It will help shape how they see all of life, and they'll be telling their children and grandchildren about it someday. And the more you talk about it with them in the following days, the bigger impact it will have. Keep going, keep talking :-)
I, too, have been in the same situation. Not only as I was growing up and my Father left my Mother(who stopped working to take care of us kids leaving her with no work experience or college education in the previous 12 years; but also as I was paying my way through school. I lived alone and I lived on pancakes cause that was all I could afford. I went without food many meals or scraps from the food joint I worked at. One of my fondest memories was telling my grandmother how much appreciated it when she would give me a frozen portion of her left-overs. She was so glad that I raved over it that she purposely started putting a portion of EVERY meal she made in the freezer with my name on it. I ate so much better after that. I don't think she realized I was literally starving(not just skinny like everyone thought), she just thought I loved her cooking-lol. My kids are so spoiled and although I don't ever wish them to go through these types of situations, I know that it taught me many things that I consider extremely valuable.
Moral: Great idea and I applaud you!
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