What Hurricane Harvey can teach your children
The response to Hurricane Harvey reminds us all of the importance of helping others. Make sure to use this moment in our country’s history to teach a young person you love the importance of charity. Here are some tips on how to reinforce charitable values:
- Make giving a family activity: When making your contribution to hurricane relief, make sure you do it as a family activity that includes your children/grandchildren with a conversation of why its important.
- Teach them that their time is just as valuable as money: Volunteer at a nursing home, wash a neighbor’s car, clean around the neighborhood or donate old toys or clothes as a way to explain charity does not need to involve money.
- Make donations automatic: Share that a portion of their allowance can be used as a donation for others. I shared with my boys that Advocate Health Care allows its employees to donate a portion of their income automatically to charity. If your organization does the same, share how easy charity is when done automatically.
- Deliver nutrition: Consider delivering a food basket to a needy family or take them to a food pantry so they can actively participate in the process of seeing directly who will benefit from their generosity.
Imagine the next generation filled with young people motivated to do good for others. That’s what’s possible if each of use takes this moment to do our little part to make our world a better place. Individually, we can make a difference. Make giving a part of your families tradition.
Here’s a link to a blog post released entitled Advocate Giving Campaign: A part of the tradition.
Dr. Tony Hampton, MD, MBA, CPE is Advocate Operating System Medical Director at Advocate Health Care. He currently works for Advocate Medical Group (AMG) as a family medicine physician, medical director, chair of AMG’s Health Outcomes Committee, and Vice Chair of the Governing Council. He is the father of two young men one who recently started college. He has been happily married since 1993.
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About the Author
Dr. Tony Hampton, MBA, CPE is Board Certified in Obesity Medicine and Family Medicine. He currently is the physician lead for Advocate's Healthy Living Program as well as Regional Medical Director for the South Region of Advocate's Medical Group. He is an inspirational public speaker, blogger, coach, and has authored a book entitled Fix Your Diet, Fix Your Diabetes. He has led multiple programs and works with AdvocateAurora to coach patients on their journey to achieve their health care goals by balancing nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, increased sleep, and needed medical interventions. He believes that a shift is needed in healthcare where we all work together focus on prevention and wellness. He is married and a father of two college-aged boys.
