Joy of Giving

Joy of Giving It is an opportunity for younger children to experience altruistic giving, in a way that increases the likelihood that this behavior will continue.

How it started

When Sheila Delarm and Bob Eckert’s children were quite young, as parents, they saw that the focus of the holiday season was, for children, solely focused on getting. This seemed out of balance to them. Their desire was to raise them to become altruistic, generous, selfless giving adults. They wanted their children to grow in a community of like-minded people with regard to altruis

m. Both Bob and Sheila worked much of their lives in youth development, and were very aware of the research on developing more thoughtfully connected and caring children. On a long drive home from visiting Bob’s family at Christmas the idea was hatched. The research on fostering altruism in children tells us that if the child can experience the direct recipient of their altruistic behavior, especially if that recipient is a human being, they are likely to want to continue. Knowing that it would be difficult to scale any kind of direct giving event for an entire community, they decided to leverage the Santa myth and magical thinking associated with it. The concept was to have elves describe a specific gift recipient with enough vivid detail that it really helped the giving child imagine the receiving child. This vivid story causes the giving child to vicariously experience, to really feel, the joy that mythical child would experience. This was the perfect solution to impacting many kids at once. Elf training was designed and continuously improved over the 20 years of the event to become what it is today. There are layers of this throughout the party. The elves, for instance, drawn from BSA Troop 12 and local High School students are aware that their efforts are having a direct impact on the specific children with whom they interact. The tree, donated by Moody Farms will go to a local family having a tough financial time. We always take some of the older kids with us to deliver it. You, now, in understanding the sophistication of what is happening, are experiencing the event as something way more than just songs, sleigh rides and crafts. The IS the Joy of giving. Thanks for helping to make it possible.

The religion of my youth was Catholicism. While imperial, organized religion no longer calls my soul, Jesus still does.
08/05/2024

The religion of my youth was Catholicism. While imperial, organized religion no longer calls my soul, Jesus still does.

04/19/2024

On Earth Day, We're supposed to at least honor the fact that this planet is all we have to sustain us. Interestingly, the day before is World Creativity and Innovation day. I see the need for creative thinking as inextricably linked to the survival of this species, on this planet.
So.
In service to that, I've decided to make this Masterclass free and available to all for the next month. Simple. No sales pitch. Truly free. 10 episodes, 6-10 minutes each. An ordered and integrated series of lessons distilling the essence of my life's learning about how we might be better creative collaborators.
How we might "save the planet" for future generations?
How we might find a path to world peace?
How we might secure a sustainable energy future?
Please watch.
Please share.
Please apply this to the way you approach the world.
Please. Pretty please with sugar on top. I triple dog dare you.
If enough of us do this, we'll find solutions to all of these complex problems we have created for ourselves. If we don't, it's a reasonable argument that this species will "extinct itself."

It is possible to build a more innovative brain, a more collaborative organization, and more growth fostering relationships. Bob distills his 45+ years as a ...

The more I hang out with folks who are not neurotypical, the more I understand their unique ways of being as superpowers...
03/23/2024

The more I hang out with folks who are not neurotypical, the more I understand their unique ways of being as superpowers. Societal assumptions keep us all from benefiting from those superpowers. No more.

Our negative assumptions about people with Down syndrome can lead us to treat them in such a way that these assumptions become reality. In sociology, this is...

I'm appreciating all of the fun birthday wishes, and because I'm "flight delayed" (some would call it a medicate-able co...
03/01/2024

I'm appreciating all of the fun birthday wishes, and because I'm "flight delayed" (some would call it a medicate-able condition) I am having the additional fun of responding directly and creatively to as many as I can. If, in the cacophony of social media, I inadvertently missed you, apologies and appreciations.
I gift you back with this image I took a couple of desert trips ago from "the wave" as a moment of chill serenity.
As the sine-wave of life's challenges and successes, the ups and downs, the comfortable times and the uncomfortable moments, the impactful times and those where we are reminded of our relative powerless ebb and flow through your being, I invite you to hold the intention of peaceful positive impact on the world.
I know it's common to offer up a charity for folks to donate to as a gift on a birthday, but I'm going to ask that your gift of charity be to yourself, and the people around you, perhaps especially, the folks who see things differently than you.
In fact, we are all one, connected in a beautiful wave of beingness. I'm formally inviting you to a BIRTH-day party of peacemaking with yourself, peacemaking with others, and peacemaking with the natural world. Placing that in your intention is the best gift anyone could ever give me.

Here's the latest from MedCram. It's a video I asked them to create, starting at about the 5 minute mark. The first 5 a...
01/14/2024

Here's the latest from MedCram. It's a video I asked them to create, starting at about the 5 minute mark. The first 5 are interesting for research geeks like me, but the things EVERYONE will get value from start at 4:50. There is good "prevention protocol" embedded in this as well. Don't wait until you're ill to watch this.

Roger Seheult, MD of MedCram examines the risks of infection and gives early treatment recommendations for COVID-19. See all Dr. Seheult's videos at: https:/...

A heads up: we had hoped to reprse Joy of Giving this season, but we were too late in our planning cycle. Next year, how...
12/10/2023

A heads up: we had hoped to reprse Joy of Giving this season, but we were too late in our planning cycle. Next year, however, seems like a sure thing. Let us know if you want to help.

11/03/2023

Big Announcement!!!Stay tuned…

We hope that you'll find time to listen to the "Warm Fuzzy Tale" with your kids before the holiday. It's in the post bel...
12/08/2021

We hope that you'll find time to listen to the "Warm Fuzzy Tale" with your kids before the holiday. It's in the post below this one.
As parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we ll hold a responsibility to raise positive, considerate and caring kids. Here are some thoughts we've collected in our lives as parents and "parents at large" that you might find useful:

By Bob Eckert & Sheila Delarm, New & Improved, LLC Download a reprint of this article at http://bit.ly/1wD2sNO Organizations all over the world are clamoring for a more creative workforce, secure in the knowledge that the creative thinking of individuals is the starting point for all innovation.

Address

Paul Smiths, NY

Telephone

(518) 327-3554

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Joy of Giving posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Joy of Giving:

Shortcuts

Share