3 Easy Ways to Make SVdP Part of Your New Year's Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions are a great way to start off the New Year on the right foot. Whether you have challenged yourself to save more money, or lead a healthier lifestyle by hitting the gym—a New Year’s resolution can help make a positive impact on your life. When reflecting on the past year and deciding how to shape the New Year, it’s easy to think of resolutions only in the “traditional” sense. After all, to lead a more active lifestyle it makes sense to join a gym, but that’s not the only way to get active.
This year, St. Vincent de Paul invites you to make us apart of your New Year’s resolutions with a few easy ways to include SVdP in everyday life. Below, are 2019’s top three resolutions and with them, a few ideas on how St. Vincent de Paul can help you stay faithful to your resolves.
Better Money Management
Better money management is common resolution, regardless of the year. Taking steps to improve your financial situation starts with smarter spending. An easy money-saving technique to consider is to buy discounted items from your local thrift store, rather than pay full-price for new items. St. Vincent de Paul operates 17 thrift stores across the state, with a great selection of gently-used furniture, appliances, clothing and household items. Not only will you save on your purchase, but also shopping at our thrift stores helps keep St. Vincent de Paul’s other programs thriving for years to come.
Healthy Eating
If healthier eating is one of your resolutions this year, we can help! The key to healthy eating is to gradually introduce healthier options into your diet—not to expect a change overnight. Healthy eating does not mean giving up everything you love, it just means being aware of how much you add to your dish. At St. Vincent de Paul, two of our programs, Family Wellness and the Urban Farm, have partnered together to make healthy eating accessible through our ‘Farm to Fork’ series. Each recipe features a healthy, fresh vegetable or fruit grown in St. Vincent de Paul’s Urban Farm. The recipe is paired with corresponding nutritional information from our Family Wellness program. It’s like having a dietician just a click away! St. Vincent de Paul’s goal is to give our community the foundational tools to understand how to make healthier lifestyle choices—not just with food but also by providing education on exercise, hydration, and how to cook something at home. Try a few of our favorite ‘Farm to Fork’ recipes like this tasty frittata, delicious kale salad, or savory citrus chicken (yum)—and start making healthier choices today!
Getting (and Staying) Active
Year after year, adding exercise into a daily routine is a popular resolution. Physical activity is one of the most important components of good health. However, you don’t need a fancy gym membership to add more activity into your routine. Instead, spend an evening serving dinner during St. Vincent de Paul’s Family Evening Meal. An average person burns up to 120 calories on a 20 to 30 minute walk. In a typical shift in our dining room, our volunteers can burn anywhere from 240 to 360 calories just by giving back to the community! Also, gardening is a great physical activity. On average, a person can burn up to 250 calories in one hour of gardening. Grab some friends and kick off your Saturday morning gardening in our Urban Farm, and watch those calories melt away.
