Those less fortunate than some of us!

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
This winter season is a good time to think of others that could use some help.
It doesn't have to be expensive and you can do a lot of good for very little money.
Most cities have what is called an "Outreach Project" here in the Des Moines area.
We try to take some winter clothes to them each year about this time.
Adult stuff is usually our "hand me downs" that our family no longer uses. Not stuff that is ready to be trashed, but they would probably not turn that down either. Badly worn items are better than nothing.
Right now we have shoes, boots, coats, shirts, pants, lots of things we no longer wear that we will be taking to them shortly.

One other thing that my wife does is watch for clearance sales on winter caps and gloves, particularly for kids. She will sometimes buy all they have left, like 50 or so and take them to the Outreach people.

She has been working with a lot of these people for years and while some are deadbeats, many are trying and just can't make it. Some work 3 jobs and still don't end up with a decent living because of the limited hours that they are allowed to work. Obviously, benefits are non-existent for most of them.
Even the deadbeats kids deserve a chance to have decent clothes since they didn't ask to be in the position they are in.

Off the soapbox. :)
 
That is a very nice and thoughtful thing to do Charles, You and your family will be blessed for it. I do volunteer work from time to time and it is very rewarding in many ways. I take all the coats and clothes I no longer wear to the salvation army and they put them to very good use.
 
I also give my clothes to the Salvation Army. I also donate pet food to the humane society. Puppies & kitties need to eat too.
 
There is certainly nothing wrong with giving to the Salvation Army, but I think donations there are for resale.
In our area, If they can't sell it, they don't want it. A lot of usable clothes are ragged out. The people at the local store act like they are doing you a favor to take your donation.
The Goodwill resale store is much more receptive to donations for resale and that's where some of our stuff goes, but......
The people served by the Outreach Project can use anything wearable. A stain or even a small tear doesn't keep them form being able to use it.
Also, I know for a fact that the items go to the people in need. they aren't sold and the profits used to pay administrative salaries. Many of their employees are volunteers.
Check in your locality and see just what does happen with the items you donate. It might be different there, but you might be surprised at how they are handled. Not all "Charities" are charitable. :)

Donations for pets are also a good idea as is the local food bank.
If you watch for sales, you can often buy cases of canned vegetables at very reasonable prices. That is great for the food bank since the canned goods are easy to store and dispense. People need to eat, too.:)
 
The salvation army does resell a lot of the donated items, they also provide vouchers for free clothing to various treatment centers and homeless shelters. I myself at one point in my life "placed myself in a position" where I had lost everything (I accept that my own decisions placed me there) but it does'nt change the fact that I had nothing left. Beaten down to a state of unconditional surrender, I appealed to a treatment facility for help. It was through this experience that I was introduced to the helping hand of the salvation army.

I have done a lot of volunteer work for "the Saly" (as we call it around here) helping to mold the lives of seemingly hopeless alcoholic and addicted people. Many of these folks have burned all of the bridges they have crossed. I personnaly have been involved in many transformations of lives that would have otherwise been lost. Some may look down their nose at these kind of people but having been there I take this volunteer work very seriously.

The Salvation army freely helps these people to once again become productive members of our society. These people are our neighbors , our mothers, our fathers, sons, daughters and friends. These broken lives are everywhere and the world will be a much safer place if these people can be rehabilitated.

The Salvation army does re sell the donations that are dropped off there but the average person does'nt usually get to see where that money goes. It goes to running these adult rehabitation centers and various battered women shelters, homeless shelters etc. the salvation army makes a huge contribution to bettering the world we live in so please don't let the fact that they re sell the donations deter you from making them. TD
 
You are right Larry A. more people should do this. So I will bump it back to the home page. Give selflessly and you will be blessed.I am sure of it.
 
After going through my closet, for some reason, I own seven pairs of black pants, and only three of them fit properly. I'll have to get a bag together this weekend. I have more polo shirts than any one man should be allowed to own. I think I'll pick out the ones I like best and the rest can go away. I got most of them through a Freecycle ad in 2005. I've got my use out of them, someone else needs them more than the plastic hangers in my closet.
 
occupant said:
After going through my closet, for some reason, I own seven pairs of black pants, and only three of them fit properly. I'll have to get a bag together this weekend. I have more polo shirts than any one man should be allowed to own. I think I'll pick out the ones I like best and the rest can go away. I got most of them through a Freecycle ad in 2005. I've got my use out of them, someone else needs them more than the plastic hangers in my closet.
Click to expand...
:bigups Great!
It usually surprises people that they own so many clothes that they no longer wear.
The ones receiving them aren't usually too concerned with color or style.
Even stains and wear aren't a big deal.
When you have nothing, it all looks pretty good.
Obviously, the better condition stuff is in, the better for the recipients, but don't just throw stuff away without at least giving them a chance to look at it.
 
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