We all hate the feeling of helplessness when a family or friend is in need and you just can’t physically be there. Maybe a friend is moving to a new house and you just can’t be there to help load the truck or an out of state family member ends up in the hospital for emergency surgery and you can’t make the 3 hour drive to sit there with the rest of the family. Do you have a college student who you want to surprise with something fun, but you’re too many miles away? Sometimes there just has to be an affordable way to show your love from a distance (without costing a fortune).

4 Ways to Show Your Love from a Distance

Here are a few ideas to help us reach across the miles and offer support to a friend in need.

In a Hospital:

Recently I had a family member go into the hospital for emergency surgery. I felt so helpless that I couldn’t be there to physically offer support to the family as they sat in the hospital room waiting and watching. Instead, I called the hospital gift shop and placed an order over the phone. I told the gift shop that I wanted to spend $20.00 and let her fill a gift bag with candies, snacks and of course a fun balloon. She took my credit card information and placed my order. Some gift shops will deliver to the room with no extra charge.

Just make sure you call the gift shop during the day. Many of these shops do not stay open late into the evening.

During a Move:

If you have a friend or family member who is moving to a new house and you can’t be there to help, maybe you can still provide a meal so they don’t have to stop and go out for dinner. You can call a local pizza delivery service and have them deliver to your friend while they are unloading the truck. You can even pay for the tip when you pay for your pizza order. Just double check with your friend to make sure they are going to be at the new address when the pizza is delivered.

Off to School:

Want a fun way to welcome a new college student to their college experience or give them an unexpected surprise mid semester? Most universities have bookstores and gift shops on campus. Call the shop and ask if you can order a gift to be delivered to their dorm? If they don’t deliver, maybe you can make a purchase for the student to pick up after class.

Your gift doesn’t have to be elaborate. Maybe you can just buy them a bag full of snacks, chips, cokes and candy. Or maybe you can fill have them fill a bag with things to stock their medicine cabinet like headache medicine, allergy relief or bandaids.

At a Funeral

Several years ago I had a friend whose mother died. I couldn’t be at the funeral since it was out of town, but I still wanted to do something to show my support. I knew her kids would be spending many hours at the funeral home, so I ran to our Dollar Store and filled a box with coloring books, crayons, stickers, snacks and quiet activity games. I mailed it to their house so the kids would have something special in the mail just for them. It was not a traditional basket of flowers or a huge expense on my end, but in a small way helped the kids through the first hours as they began the grieving process for their grandmother.

Showing our love and helping a friend doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but you do have to think outside the box. What are some ways you have found to help show your love from a distance? I’d love to hear!