There are so many wonderful things about autumn.  Those things are especially evident on sunny, warm days.   But like any time of the year, many of our friends are going through challenging times, and may not be able to enjoy the wonderful aspects of this fall season.  Whether a family is enjoying a new baby, dealing with a difficult medical diagnosis or grieving the loss of a loved one,  practical help from friends can mean a lot.  We'd like to offer a few of our favorite helpful hints for this time of year.

Leave it to the Friends

Raking leaves can seem monumental ... unless the task is turned into a party!  Designate a day and time, and invite everyone to join at your friend's house - with rakes and bags in tow.  Ask a few people to bring along apple cider and others to bring cookies.   Yard clean-up will be done in no time!

Reverse Trick-or-Treating

If your friend's family has a child unable to go out trick-or-treating - organize reverse trick-or-treating - so that everyone goes to his/her house and brings a treat.   This is also a fun thing to do at a nursing home - show up and pass out treats to the residents.  

Sparkle! Sparkle!

Don't you just love the sparkle of clean windows?  Organize a few friends to wash the outsides of your friend's windows. (Make sure your friend knows you are coming, so he/she is not alarmed by someone outside the windows.)  You could ask about washing the insides, too!

The Holidays are Coming, The Holidays are Coming

Before we know it, it will be time to decorate our homes for the holidays.  This is probably the farthest thing from your friend's mind right now, but be thinking of ways you and other friends can help make the holidays festive.  We'll share some ideas for you on this topic next month.