Next Tuesday, November 29th is Giving Tuesday. In preparation for this day, we send an e-mail to immediate friends and family that, in the past, have exchanged gifts with us. The purpose of this e-mail is to let them know that there is nothing that our family needs or wants beyond their presence in our lives and if they do want to give we encourage them to do it by donation of their money, time or goods to a worthy organization. We usually provide a link to an organization of our choice; in the past we chose National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) and the unPrison Project, but we let them know that any donation to any organization of their choice would be great! We like to highlight organizations that don’t usually get the limelight so they can get assistance in meeting their communities’ needs too. Lastly, for smaller non-profit organizations, donating time can be a huge help to the staff and community members who are often in need of extra hands.

Below is a copy of our annual giving e-mail.

Hello friends and family,

We hope this email finds you in good health this season! Mr. Cheesecake and I have been thinking about the holiday practice of gift giving and we realize that we are immensely blessed to be able to provide for our small family in such a way that does not leave us wanting more than what we already have. Therefore, we would greatly appreciate it, if instead you could donate your money or time to (insert organization name here) to further their ability to (insert organization description here). The money or time you donate will go directly to their efforts to provide (insert organization needs here). Here is a link to the organization’s home page: (insert link here).

Also, if you are considering getting a present for StarCakes and GemCakes we highly encourage you to get them something small, inexpensive or gently used. We believe clothes and toys deserve a second chance just like people! We greatly appreciate your presence in our lives and wish you all many more years of love and laughter with your loved ones. Wishing you a blessed holiday season!

With love,
The Cheesecake Family

We definitely plan on sending out this email again this year once we decide on an organization to include.