The Give Big List
At Yeske Buie, we’re all about living our core values. To us, our core values serve as a guide for how we serve Clients, make business decisions, and interact with each other and our community – they’re not just meaningless words into an infographic never to be seen again (though we do have an infographic!).
Live Big: We believe everyone is entitled to a limitless vision for their life.
One of our founding principles and beloved taglines is Live Big, and another that has been around for over a decade is Give Big. The other four values – Client Big, Think Big, Learn Big, and Be Big – have always been engrained in our culture, and they were explicitly defined as core values in 2015.
Those who have been with Yeske Buie for some time likely recall (or even contributed to) the Live Big list published in 2009, a collection of ideas to Live Big without spending much, if any, money. It’s consistently one of our most read posts on our website.
Give Big: We believe sharing unconditionally is the path to abundance.
Just like the Live Big list has over 100 ways to Live Big, there are countless ways that we can Give Big. We thought it would be empowering to start a list of different ways that we Give Big to our Clients, to each other, to our family and friends, to our strategic partners, to strangers, and more.
Each of our children’s schools is doing a charity drive, collecting household items and food for families in our community. One of the things we make sure we do is share specifically with our children why their schools are doing theses drives, what items we’ve purchased to donate, and then make sure they’re part of the actual donation process.
Smiling and saying hello to strangers downtown
Bringing my neighbors’ mail/packages to their door
Send letters with stickers to one of the special children in your life
Finding local charitable organizations to support locals in need this holiday season
See if your local shelters have Amazon wishlists so you can send a few essentials
Leave snacks and/or water for the mail carrier
Talk to a manager about a great waiter or waitress
Buying dinner for my sister when I visited her for the weekend
Providing pro bono financial planning services
I will be writing heartfelt messages to people who have supported me through difficult life transitions this year.
We are participating in a number of gift/toy drives with our son’s preschool – we purchased toys/gifts that fit in a shoebox that is then sent to children in need all over the world!(Operation Christmas Child | Shoebox Outreach of Samaritan’s Purse)
My church is doing a number of food drives for several shelters in our area as Thanksgiving approaches. We are purchasing nonperishables and toiletries to provide to those in need.
Holidays are a great time to catch up with family. My parents have given so much to me. I try to bring my parents out to one of their favorite restaurants and treat them to a dinner at least once during the holidays. Its such a small thing, but it makes them very happy which makes me very happy.
Checking in on friends all over the country
Leave a kind note on someone’s car or desk
Bought groceries for a family in need
Find a group organizing gifting to families in need. Growing up, we’d go to the mall each holiday season to pick our family from the Angel Tree, buy the gifts for all family members on their list, and return to have them wrapped and delivered to the special family!
Walking shelter dogs
Made gingerbread cookies to hand out to friends and family
Complimenting friends on their music tastes, fashion choices, and gift ideas for the holidays
Sending Christmas cards/letters to long distance friends and relatives
Giving someone a ride who needs transportation
Helping support coworkers
Letting my friend borrow my car
Restaurant servers need and appreciate their tips. One time I was dining with a friend who had just returned from Azerbaijan and brought me a t-shirt. Our server exclaimed when she saw it that she is from there and in this country to make money and continue her college. My friend and I instantly decided to give her a 100% tip.
As we do each spring and fall, we’re going through our closets and finding articles of clothing to donate to those who may need clothes as the seasons change.
Bring a neighbor flowers
Get on Zoom or FaceTime and call a friend you haven’t talked with in a while
Slowing down (when walking, driving, going places) and allowing others to go first
Pay for the person behind you
This holiday season, our close friends are expecting their first child so a group of us have organized a meal train so that the new parents don’t have to stress about meals during Christmas.
Leave a copy of your favorite book on a bus or train with a note in it
Giving a friendly hello to my apartment building’s custodian every morning
Calling my grandmother to check in on her
Monthly lunch “dates” with my elderly neighbor
Being kind to myself through self-care
Annually, I volunteer to do a holiday party for at risk youth where they get the opportunity to make crafting gifts for people in their lives, wrap them and have some holiday fun. At the end we surprise them with getting a few gifts for themselves. It is my favorite activity that I do every year.
Buying a friend’s coffee
Mentoring college students from my alma mater
We’re in the season of life when many of our friends are growing their families, and we like to send them small gifts of clothes for their kids to wear. We find it fun to look for things we know the parents will find cute or funny!
Donating toys and clothes our kids have outgrown to local families
Spreading laughter (even if it’s at my expense), it is the best medicine
Welcoming new neighbors
Donated Thanksgiving Turkeys to St. Vincent De Paul
Taking care of all the animals for our traveling friends
Donating books
Hold the door for someone each time you go into/out of a building
Participating in various toy drives around Fairfax County
Texting friends and asking how they are doing. I know we’re all crazy busy this time of year, but it feels good when others reach out to me, so I want to do the same.
Offering your seat to someone on public transportation
Grab drinks with friends and pay the tab
My husband and I cleaned all the leaves and debris in front of our new home and our neighbors’ homes so that the water would freely flow to the storm drain avoiding flooding on the opposite side of the street.
Watch “What a Wonderful Life” with family
Our team has shared several ways – big and small – that we Give Big, and we’ll continue to update this list as new opportunities arise. We also encourage you to share with us all of the ways that you Give Big to your loved ones and to those in your community. You can do so using form below or by sending an email to ThinkBig@YeBu.com.