Gifts of Love and Legacy
Contributing Writer: Jill Thompson, Inheritance of Hope Family Legacy Director
We know it’s important to step forward and be present for a hurting family. There will be a lot of needs around the house. There will also be a need for emotional support. If your love language is best spoken through gifts, I’ll share some creative things to give to a hurting family:
We know it’s important to step forward and be present for a hurting family. There will be a lot of needs around the house. There will also be a need for emotional support. If your love language is best spoken through gifts, I’ll share some creative things to give to a hurting family:
- Make a scrapbook
- If you enjoy organizing and preserving photos, you might offer to help the family in that way. In the Legacy Collection in our library and also in our Legacy Collection series, you can find detailed guidance on how to create a scrapbook. Depending on your level of intimacy with the family you might even be able to share a photo website account with them and create their memory books for them. If the family has many unorganized printed photos you may offer to scan those photos into a digital format that the family can enjoy on a computer or in a photo book. Alternatively, you could offer to put those printed photos into a photo book.
- Send special treats
- If one of the family members is battling an illness they are often being taken care of by nurses and support staff. The children and caregiver might get overlooked. Consider blessing a family by providing a massage gift card, favorite dessert, or spa day for a caregiver. Treat the kids to ice cream gift cards, small toys/coloring books, or a fruit bouquet. Likewise, the diagnosed person might appreciate a thoughtful gift like cozy socks, a blanket, an audio book, a hat or scarf if they have lost their hair, or some healthy snacks.
- Create a care package
- Consider sending some craft items from our Legacy Collection and share ideas on family projects they can start to preserve their legacy. There are many meaningful activities families can do together with markers and paper. Encourage them to be intentional with the items you pack. If you can, include cards from their friends and family. Gather them and put them in your care package. Community support can be such a meaningful gift.
- Volunteer to Serve
- Inheritance of Hope serves families who have young children facing the loss of a parent. We are always looking for new volunteers to help serve these families on a Legacy Retreat®. We are also always in need of more funding to serve more families. You can bless a hurting family by fundraising and running an endurance event for Inheritance of Hope, by donating on the Inheritance of Hope website, or by volunteering at a Legacy Retreat®. Many of the family members who have been served return to volunteer at a retreat in an effort to give back to the organization that served them. We have seen that this can be a special and meaningful way to share your love.