Mizzou B-ball fan
12-10-2009, 01:24 PM
I don't know if anyone else does this kind of thing around the holidays, but I thought I'd bring it up to encourage others to do similar things.
My wife and I have adopted a family in need every X-mas for the last few years. Last year, we adopted a single mother with a 2 year old and a 9 month old child. She was a battered wife who had to escape her situation and left with little more than the clothes on her back. We purchased new kitchen stuff, new work clothes, and some other need things for the mom. We also got the kids new clothes, toys, diapers, and all the other things to get her started on her new life. She wrote us a great letter thanking us for helping her family that made it all worthwhile.
This year, we are adopting a single mom with 6 children between the ages of 10-17. She lost her job and her home and is now in a single mom's shelter. We bought each child a couple of outfits, new shoes, underwear, socks, and a couple of toys including bikes for the youngest two kids. We got the mom new clothes, bedding, vacuum cleaner, pots and pans, and shoes. We also gave them a gift card to cover two months of groceries for the family. Our family has decided not to purchase gifts for each other except for gifts for the kids. We felt it was much more important to put all the money we could into helping this family out since we have everything we really need.
While I understand that not everyone is able to help at this level, I hope that this post encourages at least a couple of you to donate time or goods to someone who needs help. Take a bag of canned goods to a local shelter. Take clothes to a homeless shelter. Offer your time at a soup kitchen. While you're there, don't just drop the stuff off. Take the time to meet the people and realize that most of them are just like you outside of a bad break that they might have run into. Just the thought of the impact that our giving has on these families is a VERY special feeling. There's nothing more rewarding than starting a cycle of giving in your family.
My wife and I have adopted a family in need every X-mas for the last few years. Last year, we adopted a single mother with a 2 year old and a 9 month old child. She was a battered wife who had to escape her situation and left with little more than the clothes on her back. We purchased new kitchen stuff, new work clothes, and some other need things for the mom. We also got the kids new clothes, toys, diapers, and all the other things to get her started on her new life. She wrote us a great letter thanking us for helping her family that made it all worthwhile.
This year, we are adopting a single mom with 6 children between the ages of 10-17. She lost her job and her home and is now in a single mom's shelter. We bought each child a couple of outfits, new shoes, underwear, socks, and a couple of toys including bikes for the youngest two kids. We got the mom new clothes, bedding, vacuum cleaner, pots and pans, and shoes. We also gave them a gift card to cover two months of groceries for the family. Our family has decided not to purchase gifts for each other except for gifts for the kids. We felt it was much more important to put all the money we could into helping this family out since we have everything we really need.
While I understand that not everyone is able to help at this level, I hope that this post encourages at least a couple of you to donate time or goods to someone who needs help. Take a bag of canned goods to a local shelter. Take clothes to a homeless shelter. Offer your time at a soup kitchen. While you're there, don't just drop the stuff off. Take the time to meet the people and realize that most of them are just like you outside of a bad break that they might have run into. Just the thought of the impact that our giving has on these families is a VERY special feeling. There's nothing more rewarding than starting a cycle of giving in your family.