MFT Gives Back – Celebrate Those Who Serve
We hope you enjoyed our first installment of MFT Gives Back last Thursday. There’s been a buzz of activity surrounding this thoughful and fulfilling kindness campaign, and we’re so excited that you have joined us!
Blog reader Maureen Hayes commented, “What a lovely idea! I have admired your company for awhile but am even more impressed than ever seeing you take this incentive. It is a joy to be part of a crafting community that cares about others and is taking the time to show it.” Thank you so much, Maureen! We know what a caring community crafters are, and we are thrilled to work with everyone to give back.
Have you had the chance to create some Blessing Bags for the Homeless or something else to show compassion to others? Keep in mind, our ideas are merely a jumping off point. In the end, it’s our hope that we can inspire you to give back in whatever way you desire. Maybe there’s been something on your heart that you’ve been meaning to do. Perhaps now is the time! We can’t wait to see what you do! Let’s get out there and share our smiles, our talents, our time, and our kindness.
Our focus today is ways that we can Celebrate Those Who Serve.
In our daily lives, there are many people who serve — from military to firefighters to policemen and women and clergy (and that’s clearly the tip of the iceberg!). We’d like you to consider how you can thank those who tirelessly serve for all that they do.
Last week, a few of the My Favorite Things staff headed to the Lake County Fire Rescue Station 72 in Grand Island, FL, to deliver an unexpected batch of cookies to these hardworking guys. Tough guys? Yeah. But I’m pretty sure I detect some smiles for the thoughtfulness. Any wagers on how long those cookies lasted?
What other things could you do to celebrate those who serve?
Send a handmade card, buy them lunch, give gift cards, make a meal — the sky’s the limit. It basically hinges on what kind of time you can put into it and what works for you.
We opted for cookies (because DELICIOUS), and the cookies we shared with the brave men of Fire Station 72 are so easy it’s kind of ridiculous. You can pin the image below for later reference or download and print the recipe HERE.
“In 2008, I was attending a card swap in Arlington, TX, and was introduced to Jody Morrow for the first time. I knew who she was because she’d been a Splitcoast Stampers Dirty Dozen girl and had sent me a couple of cards she’d made with the very first round of stamp sets MFT ever produced. And yes, I still have them. 
When I met her, literally all I could say was, “It’s so nice to meet you.” And I believe I said that to her at least a half dozen times during the day. You know when you meet someone, and you know you were supposed to meet them? It was like that.
Well, I didn’t get a chance to spend any real time with Jody as we were in a big group, but at a dear friends urging, I told Jody that if she were ever interested in joining the MFT Design Team, I would love to have her. I already knew what a stellar card-maker Jody was, and of course her project was BY FAR the most elaborate and complicated one at the swap.
A couple of weeks after I returned home she called me and asked to join the team. I was surprised that she’d accepted but elated! Very soon after, Jody just started taking on jobs, doing whatever she saw that needed to be done, and forever earned her place in MFT history and in my heart.
These brownie cookies were served at the swap that day, and to me hold a special place in MFT history.”
Years later, Jody moved her family to Florida from Texas and started a new life with My Favorite Things. And the rest (as they say) is history! Everybody grab a tissue! *sniff*
Now it’s YOUR turn. We’d love for you to consider who serves you on a daily basis and come up with a way to thank them, whether it’s a visit, a batch of cookies, or a handmade thank you card, give back to those who work so hard for us in so many ways.
Want even more ways to give back this month? Be sure to visit our friend Jennifer McGuire in her Share Handmade Kindness Challenge. Here’s a little bit of information about it from Jennifer herself:
Part of the joy of creating a handmade card or gift is giving it to someone to brighten their day—a simple act of kindness that can have a lasting impact. To encourage these acts of kindness, I am hosting the Share Handmade Kindness Challenge. Throughout the month of November, I’ll be challenging you to share an act of handmade kindness with someone. Whether you make a card, a note, or a treat… anything handmade counts. Each week there will be a new challenge on my website, as well as special guests, videos, giveaways, and more. I hope you will join me at jennifermcguireink.com and use the hashtag #sharehandmadekindess.
Don’t forget to use #mftgivesback on social media. And enjoy the experience!
What sort other people serve us that you could add to the list? What other things could we do to give back to them?