JustAPrepper
12-10-2011, 03:03 AM
I love Christmas decorations as much as the next guy/gal but this year Evolver and I chose not to decorate for a myriad of reasons. Times are really tough right now and we are scaling back big time so instead of pulling everything out and spending days decorating we opted to go with a simple tabletop tree where we could stash a few gifts and call it "good".
The one thing we are still going to do is something we did last year that touched us both. Me, in such a profound way, it still brings tears to my eyes when I think of it..and I'm not kidding. (Ive had to walk away from this post several times to clear my eyes and my thoughts.)
I've always donated food to one of our local shelters but last year I publicly pledged on another board to spend $100 from my own savings stash in order to feed twelve families of four and challenged others to do what they could to help those in need in their own communities. I could do it by shopping at Aldi's and posted my list along with pricing. Evolver didn't have a clue what I was up to but when he saw my post he matched my $100 and between the two of us we could feed 96 less fortunate people. The post roused little support from the membership but what support it did get I was thrilled about.
Our plan morphed over time, right up to and including the delivery, but the way it played out marked my soul for life. I will NEVER forget it and will continue it, in what ever capacity I can, for as long as I can. It was a morphing of my plan to deliver food to a specific shelter I had researched and Evolvers plan to play Secret Santa to homeless people that we have seen for years, but have never had direct contact with, and others who just migrate here because of our milder climate.
It's one thing to give a homeless person a buck who's panhandling on the corner. It is a completely life changing experience to give them a bag of food the day before Christmas, see the tears in their eyes of utmost gratitude and watch them literally run down the sidewalk to get to a safe place to eat. To honk your horn and flag down someone you see on a daily basis and have them skeptically and nervously accept your bag, only to realize what's inside and bless you in your rearview mirror for two blocks as you cruise down the street to the next recipient. When you hold in your arms a mother of two children who stood in line seven hours at the Toys For Tots giveaway only be turned away because they ran out gifts. The same mother who says she can't carry more than one bag of food but her young son of no more than nine says he can carry another because they have no food. When you come home with the front of your shirt soaked more from your own tears than the shoulder of your shirt that so many cried on.
So that's kind of our new tradition. And yes, I'm already wishing I would have decorated but I have lots of photo's and memories...Here's a few from last year...
---------> this is a youtube link but I have no idea why it's titled this way ------------------>
Kanal von JustAPrepper - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/JustAPrepper?feature=mhee)
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/TEMPORARY%20ALBUM%20FOR%20VIEWING/DSC02514.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/TEMPORARY%20ALBUM%20FOR%20VIEWING/DSC02516.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/TEMPORARY%20ALBUM%20FOR%20VIEWING/DSC02515.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/TEMPORARY%20ALBUM%20FOR%20VIEWING/DSC02519.jpg
The one thing we are still going to do is something we did last year that touched us both. Me, in such a profound way, it still brings tears to my eyes when I think of it..and I'm not kidding. (Ive had to walk away from this post several times to clear my eyes and my thoughts.)
I've always donated food to one of our local shelters but last year I publicly pledged on another board to spend $100 from my own savings stash in order to feed twelve families of four and challenged others to do what they could to help those in need in their own communities. I could do it by shopping at Aldi's and posted my list along with pricing. Evolver didn't have a clue what I was up to but when he saw my post he matched my $100 and between the two of us we could feed 96 less fortunate people. The post roused little support from the membership but what support it did get I was thrilled about.
Our plan morphed over time, right up to and including the delivery, but the way it played out marked my soul for life. I will NEVER forget it and will continue it, in what ever capacity I can, for as long as I can. It was a morphing of my plan to deliver food to a specific shelter I had researched and Evolvers plan to play Secret Santa to homeless people that we have seen for years, but have never had direct contact with, and others who just migrate here because of our milder climate.
It's one thing to give a homeless person a buck who's panhandling on the corner. It is a completely life changing experience to give them a bag of food the day before Christmas, see the tears in their eyes of utmost gratitude and watch them literally run down the sidewalk to get to a safe place to eat. To honk your horn and flag down someone you see on a daily basis and have them skeptically and nervously accept your bag, only to realize what's inside and bless you in your rearview mirror for two blocks as you cruise down the street to the next recipient. When you hold in your arms a mother of two children who stood in line seven hours at the Toys For Tots giveaway only be turned away because they ran out gifts. The same mother who says she can't carry more than one bag of food but her young son of no more than nine says he can carry another because they have no food. When you come home with the front of your shirt soaked more from your own tears than the shoulder of your shirt that so many cried on.
So that's kind of our new tradition. And yes, I'm already wishing I would have decorated but I have lots of photo's and memories...Here's a few from last year...
---------> this is a youtube link but I have no idea why it's titled this way ------------------>
Kanal von JustAPrepper - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/JustAPrepper?feature=mhee)
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/TEMPORARY%20ALBUM%20FOR%20VIEWING/DSC02514.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/TEMPORARY%20ALBUM%20FOR%20VIEWING/DSC02516.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/TEMPORARY%20ALBUM%20FOR%20VIEWING/DSC02515.jpg
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh140/Julie-Girl/TEMPORARY%20ALBUM%20FOR%20VIEWING/DSC02519.jpg