$1 Dinners for World Vision

My long-time friend Linda and her family have donated part of their income to World Vision for years.

The money went into a jar, until they had enough to send.

This is how they did it: It started with every Friday night at dinner.

Linda would prepare a $1 dinner for her family, and the remaining money that they would normally spend on a meal would be put in a jar and saved for World Vision. Their 3 kids were totally in to this. Even at their young ages (starting at 3), they understood what they were doing: Changing lives.

Then Linda’s business started giving money to WV for loans to women in third world countries to start their own businesses. She feels very humble about what they have done. They’ve even been interviewed on Good Morning America two years in a row, and have been written up in USA Today.

At first it was hard, with attention that Linda did not want for her little family. But now she sees that telling their family’s story is a way to benefit World Vision.

Humility is good. But we sometimes have to be willing to open up and share what God is doing in our lives, if that means it will inspire others to jump on board.

Here are some tips, if you like this life-changing family idea:
~ Keep the meal VERY sparse, on purpose.
~ Eat something that someone who has little to no money would eat (no extra fun stuff)
~ Baked potatoes (no fixings), Top Ramen with an egg or two, and rice and beans, etc.
~ Pray for people whose meals might look like ours or even less.
~ Give thanks for what the Lord has given us.

Thank you, Linda, for partnering with RE here and here.

Here’s the  story that started it all.

View the ABC News clip, The Gift of Charity, here. Or check out, Got a Goat?  Change a Families Life,  here.