ML Interest Tag: philanthropic

Starting the New Year Off with Gratitude

By Carrington Smith

Every January presents an opportunity to reset our lives. Many of us do this by attempting and often failing at New Year’s resolutions. These resolutions are promises we make to ourselves that we will either start or stop a behavior. We “give up” carbs, “restrict” calories, “cut back” on spending, “punish” our bodies with sudden starving or extreme exercise. Why do we often fail at these endeavors?

It All Starts with Having the Right Mindset

It all starts with the story we tell ourselves. Are we engaging in these new behaviors because we previously had been “bad?” Or are we adopting these new habits from a place of self-love? What is our internal dialogue?

I used to be filled with self-loathing. Hypercritical of myself, I would beat myself up. My internal dialogue sucked. If I ate too many carbs, I would tell myself that I was a total failure, and the downward spiral would begin. New Year’s resolutions would be quickly abandoned. But as I shifted my internal dialogue to self-love, my success with adopting new habits increased dramatically. I would tell my body, “Thank you for being healthy. For supporting me. I love you and will take care of you.” Exercise and new dietary habits became about loving and supporting my body, not about punishing myself.

I learned that the most radical thing that I could do to jump start my life was to shift the conversation that I was having with myself to one of love, support, gratitude, and service to others. How did I do that?

The Gratitude Project

About fifteen years ago, I had a friend who had become incredibly negative. In fairness, she had suffered some major speedbumps in her career, but those circumstances had given her a negative outlook on life. I wanted to help her to shift her mindset to a more positive outlook. One day, I had an idea. I said, “For the next thirty days, why don’t we both commit to performing one act of service and one statement of gratitude every day. We will hold one another accountable.” We discussed what constituted an “act of service” and decided that we would count time spent on philanthropic endeavors that we were already involved in, doing things for others, even giving up a parking spot, or opening the door for someone who needed assistance. Part of this exercise taught us to acknowledge what we were already doing, but it also made us raise our game.

We approached our project with a sense of excitement. For the month of January, I volunteered with local philanthropies, did my friend’s dishes, practiced random acts of kindness, and was actively looking for things to do for others. We would report our acts of service to one another, give our statement of gratitude, and offer encouragement and support to one another.

At the end of the month, a miraculous shift had happened. My friend got her dream job, and she became positive and hopeful again. Her life had transformed, and so had mine. My mindset had shifted. Through this daily practice of shifting my mindset from the negative things in my life to gratitude and what I could do for others, my view of the world changed—and so did my internal dialogue. This shift was powerful and dramatic. Not only did it make me feel better, but people began to respond to me differently. The more I gave and expressed gratitude, the more that I received the same in return. My positive daily interactions with others improved my mood. It was like a feedback loop. As I felt more positive and grateful, I began to be kinder to myself. My own internal dialogue began to shift.

Now when I think about diet and exercise, it’s not about restricting, cutting back, or punishing myself. I ask myself, “What is the best, most supportive, loving choice that I can make for my body today?” Suddenly, I am giving myself an act of kindness, not restricting or punishing myself. This shift in mindset dramatically increased my ability to adopt healthy behaviors.

New Year: New Mindset

This year, as you contemplate changes you want to make, or new habits you want to adopt. Consider starting with 30 days of gratitude and acts of service. Start your new year with a new mindset, shift your internal dialogue to one of self-love and support, and then sit back and marvel at how your life is transformed for the better.

Join me in The Gratitude Project 2022 and et me know how it’s going!

 

  

Carrington Smith is a single mom, attorney, business owner, and executive search professional. In her debut memoir, Blooming, Carrington shares her journey into a life bursting with joy, opportunity, and purpose. A graduate of UT Austin and Tulane Law School, Carrington resides in Austin, Texas, with her two teenage boys.

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How to Help Turn Kids into Philanthropists

By Michelle Moore

Kids have a natural empathy, especially for other kids. When kids see someone struggle, they automatically want to help. As parents, it’s up to us to encourage them into volunteering, by putting them in the right situations and circumstances (safely organized, of course). The camaraderie and energy developed during these projects build self-esteem and inclusiveness. It’s also fun to incorporate a cool activity with a volunteer project or trip that gives everyone something special to look forward to and builds amazing family memories together.

Here’s a shortlist of tips to get started modeling, teaching empathy, and giving:

​1. Be their example! Getting your kids interested in charity and volunteering begins at a young age, primarily through examples you set.
Anything on a large scale, like cleaning up after a natural disaster or traveling to a foreign country to assist in aid projects, is great, but not really the easiest place to start for most kids. Doing small meaningful things in your own community is the best place to start. And every parent knows if you model a behavior often enough, the little ones will follow. Be proactive with your own empathy by “adopting” families during the holidays (YMCA is a great place to find holiday requests), have children share part of their allowance to donate to their favorite charity, or organize an outdoor walk—a fantastic way to stay socially distanced, but also give back in a fun way!

My son organized the “Brooks’ Buddies” walk to benefit JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). He’s living with Type-1 diabetes and loves sharing his knowledge about diabetes with friends and family every year. This takes a little bit of planning, some social media outreach and signs around the neighborhood. The funds collected are then sent to your child’s charity of choice. Brooks got pretty creative with this project: he designed his own t-shirts and had an outdoor party after to thank everyone that participated. This initial drive to help friends understand his disease has helped to foster a philanthropic spirit in him.

2. Have them look at the world around them! Open your child’s mind for everyday opportunities to do good.
Do your kids write thank-you notes? Not just for gifts but for the kindness of others? If a family takes them on a trip or out to eat, why not acknowledge how fun it was with a note? What if a teacher helps through a tough spot, acknowledge their kindness. This manifests gratefulness and accountability.

Keep them involved in some sort of spiritual community. Take them out into nature and teach them not only to respect other human beings but also our world and the creatures in it. Encourage them to help clean up the community around them on Earth Day, or make it a monthly event for the neighborhood. Get outside: hike, camp, boat, travel, but don’t just do it, engage your kids into the experience and discuss what they are grateful for and how they can pay it forward.

3. Turn it into a philanthropy adventure!
The goal is to have fun together, learn a new culture, understand the bigger picture. Pick somewhere fun that coincides with and/or coordinates with a needed project. Helping can be rewarding in more than one way. The fun coincides with the work which then becomes a habit and lasting memories are made. This does not have to be overseas—there are great Habitat for Humanity projects in our country as well as clean-up opportunities in natural disaster-affected areas.

4. Keep it simple and make philanthropy fit the child.
Volunteering doesn’t need to be an all-consuming event, I suggest starting small. For example, if your kid likes sports, encourage them to support a disabled sports team. If they love to read, have them read to kids in the hospital or help with storytime at your neighborhood library. Even donating books to a local “little library,” will foster charity in children. Designating a box for toys to donate and then having your child help make the drop-off will give them a strong sense of pride knowing they are helping. Older kids can apply for service scholarships, which is another way to help them realize the fruits of their labor.

5. Help to build awareness.
Visit national and local volunteer websites. Many of these sites, like VolunteerMatch.org, are a great way to narrow down volunteer opportunities. Plan a family field trip to expose them to an important social issue, such as homelessness, animal rescue, or helping the environment to create enthusiasm for future volunteer activities. By showing your child who and what needs help, you’re building up their problem-solving skills and helping them tap into how they can make a difference.

Encourage your children to ask, “Who can I be a superhero to today?” Talk to them about the animals in shelters and what they need to feel safe. Bring them into your pantry and ask, “Who can we share food with today?” And then start to find activities that fit your family lifestyle. If you have older kids who can walk dogs at the local shelter, then set aside time on the weekends. If your kids are younger, ask them to help you pick up extra dog food to donate to the animals in need. Giving them a sense of ownership for their philanthropy is important.

When I ask my kids, “What inspired you most to be philanthropic?” Two things always stand out:

1. Watching mom create her own philanthropic mission.
2. The different unique family opportunities like hiking adventures and spending time in senior centers made it cool.

Giving should not be seen as a chore, it should be something everyone looks forward to and should be in context with a larger adventure vs. a thing to cross off the list. Let your children give back to the world in the way that resonates most with them and their empathy will take on a life of its own.

RELATED:

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18 Simple Ways to Teach Kids Gratitude

Michelle Moore is the mom of three boys and founder of Mother’s Grace, a nonprofit addressing the critical needs of mothers and children. Her book, A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time shares stories of 12 rockstar moms, setting the world on fire helping others.

 
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How to Teach Children the Power of Giving & Empathy through Charity

By Michelle Moore

Kids have natural empathy, especially for other kids. I think they can actually picture themselves in others’ shoes. When they see someone like them struggle and in despair, they automatically want to help. As parents, it’s up to us to facilitate the process by putting them in the right situations and circumstances (safely organized, of course). The camaraderie and energy developed during these projects help build self-esteem and inclusiveness. It’s also fun to incorporate a cool activity with a volunteer project or trip that gives everyone something special to look forward to and builds amazing family memories together.

Starting young ingrains that empathy into their little souls. However, more important than anything on a large scale, like cleaning up after a natural disaster or traveling to a foreign country that may need help, is doing small meaningful things consistently in your own community. Model, model, model. Adopt families during the holidays, have children share part of their allowance to donate to their favorite charity, even better have them organize their own “walk” teams for fundraising. For example, my son organized “Brooks’ Buddies” to benefit JDRF. (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) He, being a type-1 diabetic himself, loved the idea of sharing the knowledge with friends and family every year and has had up to 70 kids on his team. He designed his own t-shirts and had a party after. Today he has a photo of each year’s team and the logo for his tees on his wall and he often speaks about the events being some of his best memories. He has evolved into a young man who is always creating teams of some sort.

There are so many ways to open a child’s mind to everyday opportunities for the good around them. Do your kids write thank you notes? Not just for gifts but for the kindness of others: If a family takes them on a trip or out to eat—why not acknowledge how fun it was with a note? What if a teacher helps through a tough spot, acknowledge the kindness. This manifests gratefulness and accountability. Keep them involved in some sort of spiritual community. Take them out into nature and teach them to respect it, they need to not only respect other human beings but our world and all of the creatures in it. Hike, camp, boat, travel, but don’t just do it, engage your kids into the experience, and discuss what they are grateful for and how they can pay it forward.

Here’s a shortlist of tips to get started modeling, teaching empathy, and giving: 

1. Set up an adventure philanthropy. The goal is to have fun together, learn a new culture, understand the bigger picture. This does not have to be overseas—there are great Habitat for Humanity projects in our country as well as clean up opportunities in natural disaster-affected areas. An adventure can be across town as easily as across the country.

2. Make philanthropy fit the child. For example, if your kid likes sports, have them work with a disabled sports team. If they love to read, have them read to kids in the hospital or help with storytime at your neighborhood library.

3. Set it up as a win-win. Helping can be rewarding in more than one way. The fun coincides with the work which then becomes a habit and lasting memories are made. Older kids can apply for service scholarships, which is another way to help them realize the fruits of their labor. 

When I ask my kids, “What inspired you most to be philanthropic?” They answer that watching what I did influenced them, but incorporating the projects into unique family opportunities made it cool. Giving should not be seen as a chore, it should be something everyone looks forward to and should be in context with a larger adventure vs. a thing to cross off the list. Let your children give in the way that resonates most with them and their empathy will take on a life of its own. 

This post originally appeared on 30seconds.com.

Michelle Moore is senior VP for Laboratory Corporation of America; and the founder of Mother’s Grace, a nonprofit organization that addresses the critical needs of mothers and their children in the midst of tragic life events. Michelle is author of A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time.

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How to Teach Your Children about Giving This Holiday Season

By Jennifer Landis

Much of your child’s holiday excitement probably comes from the gifts they receive. For you, too, it’s unforgettable to watch them joyously open their presents. However, as a grown-up, you know there’s more to this time of year than just gift-getting. Giving makes the season even sweeter—and it’s time for your kids to learn that lesson, too. Here are six ways to help them do so: 

1. Pack an Extra Snack. Let your little one partake in the holiday giving so they can feel what it’s like. Start by packing them two snacks in their lunchbox—one for them and one for a friend. Let them choose who to share a sweet with, then ask them after school how it went. They’re likely to have a good story, and they’ll start to see how good it feels to give to others. 

2. Start a Share Jar. If your child receives an allowance or your teen has a part-time job, show them how to divide up their cash. Put some into a savings jar, some into a spending pile, and then set some aside to donate. Now’s a great time to either start the donate bank or highlight it amongst all three containers—the season is for giving, after all. 

Once your child understands what it means to donate their cash, give them the power to choose where their money goes. For instance, if your kid loves a particular animal, you might be able to find a charity dedicated to preserving the species. Or, they might want to help another child through an organization like the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which provides once-in-a-lifetime experiences to kids with life-threatening diseases. 

3. Don’t Overdo It. You can’t expect your child to re-learn what they know about the holidays if you don’t change the way you present them at home. As such, you shouldn’t focus on the gifts as the main event of the season. Instead, stick to meaningful family traditions and cut down on the gifts you give. In terms of the latter, some parents stick to the want, need, wear, read rule, handing over one gift from each category, and that’s it.

Of course, it’s up to you to decide how big or small your holiday celebration will be. Just take a critical eye to everything you’re doing this year—does it take away from the holidays’ giving spirit? If so, change things up so that the holiday reflects your values. 

4. Volunteer Together. The holidays are a great time to take up a volunteer cause. We already mentioned donating money—and teaching your kids to do so. However, you might also give your time to help others, and your kids will certainly learn a lesson in partaking. Plus, engaging in charitable acts can spark a philanthropic streak in your children. Realizing it’s a fun and rewarding activity that they get to do with you will make it even sweeter. 

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities for kids of all ages. Teens and older kids might be able to help at a soup kitchen or food bank to prepare holiday meals. Even if you can’t bring little ones along for a Christmastime charity event, have them help you with another project. For instance, you could adopt a family or child in need and shop for them together. 

5. Treat Those Around You. Give your kids the chance to give to the people who mean the most to them. Perhaps they have a favorite teacher or neighbor to whom they would like to give a gift. It doesn’t have to be something fancy—your child could help you bake something, or they could draw a greeting card. Even the smallest token of appreciation will mean a lot to both the giver and the recipient. We bet after one round of giving that your child will want to make even more gifts to hand out—it feels that good. 

6. Be An Example. Finally, you can’t expect your children to become givers if you aren’t one yourself. You should model the behaviors that you want your little ones to replicate. So, don’t be shy about your volunteer pursuits or gift-giving this holiday season. Highlight how good you feel and, soon enough, your kids will realize they can reap the same benefits by being generous. 

Don’t stop as soon as the holidays conclude, either. You can’t expect kids to know how to turn on and off their giving spirit. Instead, inspire your kids to give back year-round, even when those around them don’t expect it. The smallest acts of kindness can have an indelible impact on the recipient. Your kids will only learn this by doing, and they’ll only start if you’re the example. 

So, make this holiday about more than just the presents under the tree. Show your family that it’s all about giving—and give them the tools they need to partake in the most feel-good activity of all. 

Jennifer Landis is a mom, wife, freelance writer, and blogger. She enjoys long naps on the couch, sneaking spoonfuls of peanut butter when her kid's not looking, and binge watching Doctor Who while her kid's asleep.  She really does like her kid, though, she promises. Find her on Twitter @JenniferELandis.

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How to Teach Your Kids to Be Amazing Philanthropists

By Jacquelyn Oldham

There are so many different types of philanthropic efforts children can and should participate in, and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, now is the perfect time to let your kids know about the importance of giving. It’s a good practice for the mind, body, and soul! Philanthropic efforts aid children in developing their social and emotional skills such as inclusivity, compassion, gratitude, empathy, and acceptance.

A child’s world is naturally very small. They’re most familiar and comfortable with what they know, which is usually reflected in their own immediate families. Broadening their understanding of the world is crucial to creating, what we call at The Little Gym, Citizen Kids. Citizen Kids are well-rounded children who can appreciate the differences they see in others and learn to contribute to the world in a positive way.

Developing a philanthropic mindset and instilling a service heart in children begins at home, with their parents and loved ones. Children are influenced not only by the words of their loved ones but even more so, their actions. Volunteering as a family is a fun way to spend quality time together and to show them how far kindness and compassion can reach. And kindness is contagious!

Here are some ideas to get you and your family started!

For Children 3 Years or Older

1. Build homeless packs and have them in your car. In a large Ziploc baggie include small personal hygiene products, feminine products, socks, granola bars, fruit snacks, and a bandana. As a family, you can make it a monthly activity to put these together and have them on hand to pass out to the homeless in your community when the opportunity arises. It showcases thoughtfulness and kindness to your child. Simply roll down your window and hand them out, no need to get out of the car.

2. Set-up a lemonade or popsicle stand to raise donations for a children’s charity or not-for-profit that you and your children can connect with. There are many local organizations right in your backyard that need your support, as well as, more widespread organizations across the country.

3. Get moving with your children for a good cause! There are awareness walks all around the United States that you and your family can get involved in. Choose one, raise the money and walk as a family in support of a local or regional non-for-profit. Whichever walk you choose, be sure to educate your children on the “why” this is so important. You can even make the walk a “family tradition” of sorts!

4. Organize a “Travel Bag Drive” in your driveway! Encourage your friends and neighbors to donate new or gently used backpacks, duffle bags, etc. to a box on your front porch and donate them to your local CASA organization. Court Appointed Special Advocates is a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children in order to provide children with a safe and healthy environment in permanent homes. These children are often only given a black trash bags to carry the few personal items they have. By collecting these bags and donating them, you are providing a child with a sense of identity in a time of difficulty. Allow your children to write notes or draw pictures and place them in the bags as an additional act of kindness.

5. Create “self-appointed” Park Protector badges! When you take your kids to the park, have them wear their badge and spend the first 10 minutes combing the park for trash. Simply make it part of your park routine! This really showcases how “we all play a part” in protecting our planet and hopefully developing a life-long respect for mother nature!

For 5 Years Old or Older

1. Got a young performer on your hands who is looking for an audience?! Why not reach out to a local nursing home or assisted living center to see if they’d be interested in “showcasing” your child’s talents. What a beautiful way to spread positivity and joy to others. If you don’t have, or aren’t a performer yourself, you could simply volunteer to stop in and play board games or simply listen to their stories. This is a great way to expose your younger children to the older population and showcasing that each person, no matter age, can develop positive and respectful relationships. This is an important service opportunity that can bring light and joy to the residents of these communities.

2. Create a “Family Service Calendar”  where you choose one service opportunity per month for you and your family. Don’t overwhelm yourself with feeling like you have to do grandiose projects each and every month. Try picking 4 months out of the year for the bigger ideas and then sprinkle the smaller ones into the remaining months.

Remember, no act of service is ever too small and it will only further develop your bond with your children and their social and emotional intelligence, leading to a well-rounded “Citizen Kid.”

Experienced Director in Curriculum and Training with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment, education, health wellness and fitness industry. Skilled in nonprofit organizations, event planning, customer service, franchising, entrepreneurship, coaching and sales. 

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How Organizing My Home Brought Me Closer to My Son

By Nicole Pecoraro

Every night, when I put my two younger children to bed, my oldest and I dig in to some series. We pick a show or a book we will both like and we read or watch something together for a little while. It helps us connect. We’ve watched fantasy series, read Roald Dahl books, played cards and worked on puzzles and homework projects.

But usually, by the end of the day I’m so tired that TV seems like the easiest and least stressful way for us to just sit down and BE together. We grab a blanket and cuddle up and after (or for him, during) we talk about messages we saw. Things that people said and did that were “wrong” or “mean” and how people could have been different or better. It’s TV. It’s not anything special. But we turn it into something special for us.

Recently, we started watching Netflix’s Tidying Up with Marie Kondo together and it’s been so much more than a shared television show that we both happen to enjoy. It’s given us a way to connect beyond our nightly “dates” before bedtime, but throughout the day as well. My son was instantly in love with this show because organization is his “thing.” After the first night (and first episode), he woke up the next morning excited to come home from school and DO LAUNDRY!

If the idea of kids doing mundane chores around the house isn’t enough for you, it gets better.

We’ve now finished the series and every day since my son comes home from school and pulls out something new of his to purge. He shares with me stories about why certain items of clothing, books or toys he finds remind him of a memory from a family trip, a day with me or an experience he had. We’ve been able to reminisce and strike up conversations that I wouldn’t have even thought to start all because we are pulling all of the crap out of our closets and folding it into tiny squares. He tells my why things he keeps spark joy and why the things he choosing to get rid of were so good to him, but he’s moved on.

He found a picture that reminded him of a special day and he told me the entire story of every event in this one day that he remembered. It was an average ordinary day for me, but for him—it was memorable and special. It made me think of all of the times I felt as if I should have done more, been better, been more “fun” as a mom. What I see about the events of our day and the way my kids perceive them are light-years different.

I may remember the time they fell off their bike where all I did was slap on a Band Aid, boo-boo kiss it and send them on their way. But they remember it as quite possibly one of the most catastrophic injuries to date. For them, I swooped in and saved the day. They recall me sweeping in with my cape and antiseptics smothering them with love and affection and making sure they were ok. They remember the flavor popsicle they were given after. They remember the type of Band Aid, how the alcohol stung and the smile on my face when I hugged them and told them we were all done and they would be better really soon. I barely remember some of these days at all and if I do it’s a fuzzy, mere memory of some small event that at the time seemed very minor in the grand scheme of things. But for him and this day in particular, it was something so much more. And he remembers all of that.

photo: Matthew Henry via Burst 

Between the stories and working together we have strengthened our bond as mom and child. We have a common project to complete, we are a team and for once in our lives we are partners, equals. He has every right to choose his own items and he does so with attention, thought and consideration. I don’t urge or push him to keep or toss anything. It gave him a sense of independence and purpose and me a helper to get through this with my sanity in tact.

It also gave us a chance to talk about how fortunate we are. We have ALL. THIS. STUFF. Much of which we are now purging, which means we are LUCKY. We are so privileged to have been given the opportunity to not need in many ways. We might have our rough times, patches where money is tight and we have to really stick to our budget. We have to forgo on some of the extra things we love like eating out, going to the movies or picking out candy in the checkout line. There are times we feel as if we are struggling to keep it together as a family. And as a single mom that guilt rings true more often than not. But, seeing all of our things has helped us both realize that we could have it much worse off.

We’ve had discussions about donating and what it means to help others. We want to take our things we no longer need and give them to others that might not have the things they need to get through. And maybe, we will be able to put a smile on someone else’s face and give them a memory just as great as our items have brought us one day. We talk about what that means, to give to others, and why helping others is so important. It’s showed me a very generous, gracious and humble side of my son that I had only gotten glimpses of before. He’s so thoughtful and philanthropic for his age and it makes me proud that I raised him to be that way.

Not to mention that living in a house where our things are much more organized and everything “has a home” has creates so much more free time for us to do things we love and less stress looking at all of the clutter and feeling overwhelmed.

I would like to say I recommend this series as a way to “tidy up” and purge your home. But I recommend this series for SO MUCH MORE than that. Even if you don’t watch the show, you can use organizing your home as a way to promote the bond between you and your child. You’d be surprised what going through a cabinet of snacks or a toy box of old things can do for your relationship.

It’s brought us so much closer and with the house just about cleaned out and organized, we have been living in a much less cluttered, emotionally overwhelming state overall. I think the organized house helped boost our moods. But the process of getting it there is really what brought us the most “joy”—and even more so because we did it together.

featured image: Matthew Henry via Burst 

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I'm a single mom of three and realtor living in a suburb of Chicago. In my abundant spare time I like to write about parenting, family, divorce and raising a young transgender child. I'm just trying to raise kids who know how to turn off lights when they leave a room. 

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A 10-Year-Old’s Mission to Spread Kindness Goes Viral

by Red Tricycle

A smart fifth grader is looking to spread love one bracelet at a time. Leah Nelson, of West Sacramento California, has launched a philanthropic experiment to encourage the community to be nice… just ‘cuz. “Becuz I Care” is the pay-it-forward program she created to encourage people to treat each other with kindness.

Leah asks that each person does a good deed for another person, and in return, you get one of her handmade bracelets. The bracelet is meant be passed from person to person as each does a good deed for another. Watch her viral mission below.

 

You can also follow “Becuz I Care” on Facebook: BecuzIcare11

What was the last good deed you’ve done?n Tell us in the comments below!

Featured Photo: BecuzIcare11

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Score Free Coffee on #NationalCoffeeDay

by Sara Olsher

As parents, we can barely peel one eye open before we get our caffeine fix. In honor of National Coffee Day on Sept. 29, coffee shops around the country are offering deals and giveaways we know you’ll appreciate. Check out your fav place to get your jolt of java from our list below (and don’t forget to order a kid-friendly drink for your little ones!):

Dunkin’ Donuts: Free medium cup of Dunkin’ Donuts hot or iced dark roast coffee. The limit is one per guest, and is available at participating locations.

Peet’s Coffee & Tea: Free small cup of Peet’s Major Dickason Blend with any purchase of a baked good, oatmeal or fresh food item.

Wawa: Free coffee in the size of your choice.

Pilot and Flying J locations: Free 16-ounce coffee or cappuccino with a coupon.

Krispy Kreme: Free small coffee and original glazed donut.

LaMar’s Donuts: Free 12-ounce cup of coffee and free mugs while supplies last.

Sheetz: Free cup of coffee.

Wondering about Starbucks? Rather than giving away free coffee, Starbucks launched a philanthropic commitment called “Starbucks One Tree for Every Bag.” Starting today, Starbucks will donate a coffee plant for every bag of coffee purchased at participating U.S. stores. The program will continue through September 2016.

Did we miss any deals you’ve seen? Share with us in the comments!

— Sara Olsher

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