Four days without food

My mom got a random text yesterday asking if my dad's non-profit helped families during the holidays. She had no idea who it was from. The non-profit doesn't usually as they fund a camp for kids with terminal illnesses. They texted back and forth for a while. The texter said that her husband walked out on her six months ago after 15 years of marriage. She doesn't even know where he is. She had just finished her advanced nursing degree in May and got a great job, only to be let go due to cut backs last week. Her unemployment barely covers her bills and she's behind on her mortgage. She lost her healthcare, too. She has a 14 year old and 4 year old. She said she didn't want a thing for herself, but she couldn't look at herself in the mirror knowing that her kids would be eating boxed macaroni for the holidays or that there would be no gifts under the tree. My mom asked what kinds of things the girls liked and their sizes. She said she would contact a few friends and see what they could do for her. Then she asked the texter her name, so she could contact her when she knew something. It was my best friend from high school. She had assumed my mom knew it was her.

It just really put thing in perspective for me. Here I am stressing over learning how to live post-op and whether or not my family (no kids) will be exchanging presents this year. Meanwhile, we have a roof over our heads, more food than we need and were able to afford $1800 for flights to visit my family for three weeks over the holidays. We don't NEED a thing. There are people out there who are in much more dire situations than my high school friend. I know my mom will get her friends together and take care of my friend and her kids for Christmas. It was just a nice little dose of reality for me.

How great that your mom was so ready to help even when she didn't know who it was.  And how great that your friend was courageous enough to ask for help.  I'm sure that had to be hard.

Thanks Kelly!

I live in a wonderful area/community. We still have our share of homeless,going without people etc..  Our school just completed a winter coat donation tree for kids in our school that are in need of winter wear, We collected 180 coats, we were aiming low for 80 to 90. We are just now completing  a food drive called "Fill the Dome" (I think there are at least 13 schools doing this drive). Our goal is to collect 3000 items (at just our school) and this all gets donated to the food shelves in our area. Last but not least we have what they call a backpack program. This entails food for those kids/families that go without food when there is no school. The student just comes and grabs a set up backpack to take home and returns it the next school session day. I know they get used and are a wonderful program, I have yet to notice anyone taking/walking around with a bag because it is done so discreet.

Kudos to all who help out in any way they can!! I never complain about what I have to eat, I may grumble under my breath about actually having to eat, which is my own doings. It was my choice to have the surgery, sometimes it is no ones choice to go without.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Kelly/tink

Amen!  Well said, Kelly!

a lot of schools do food drives this time of year if you are looking for someone to bring the stuff to a place (if you aren't comfortable going yourself or just don't know where to begin).  Also our local Girl Scout troop did a door to door collection for the local food pantry.  As we all struggle in this economy, so does the food pantry bc people aren't giving as much.

Our local supermarket gives you a free turkey if you purchase so much over a 2 week period.  I donated that and the fixings to the troop and they picked it up yesterday.

It is good to remember how blessed and fortunate we all are.

I just got around to "cleaning" out my pantry/cabinets and getting rid of food items that I can no longer eat (rice/bread/pasta) and a few canned items that are high in sugar or that I just no longer tolerate.  By the time I finished, I had 2 large Ikea bags of items.  I just took them to the soup kitchen that my job volunteers/donates to.  I thank my lucky stars because I've never gone a day without food unless it was by choice (or medically necessary before a procedure).

I also plan on donating a few coats that are too big to a coat program in the next week or so.  I know they usually lack plus size donations so for those of you that have coats that are too big, PLEASE consider donating them so that someone else can be warm this winter!

BTW....food pantries need food year round..not just during the holidays.  For those of you that garden, many food pantries will accept donations of fresh fruits and veggies grown in local gardens. 

you know last year kelly a good friend of mine has a daughter and she has 3 step children. instead of buying them any christmas at all , she made them volunterr their time at the homeless shelter. they had to help cook, serve food and wrap gifts for needy children and stuff like that . she said it taught them to be thankful and saved her tons of money to boot.  

Having volunteered for several years in a homeless shelter and food pantry, I can tell you that all of the above is true.  But I also want to add one thing..... please call the pantry or shelter ahead of time to see what items they need.  I can't tell you how many times we have gotten cases of things we could not use either because of federal/state regulations, or because we already had so many of them, they risked going bad.

Audrey