How About A Change Of Pace? Request For Gift Ideas, And Your Preferred Charities
[guest post by Dana]
Now that Thanksgiving is over with, we can look ahead to Christmas! As such, a long-time Patterico reader/commenter emailed me to see if I would ask all of you the following:
Share what have been the best small gifts you’ve given and received for Christmas. Include the sex/age/interests of the recipients.
Also, I would love to hear from anyone about their favorite charities they’ve been involved with (whether hands-on or donations) during the Christmas season. Two of the larger organizations that I always look forward to helping are The Salvation Army and Mercy Ships. Regarding The Salvation Army, I love seeing the red kettle and hearing the bell ring in front of my little neighborhood market, reminding me every time I’m there that others could use some help. Also at the same market, as with every holiday, brown grocery bags packed to the brim with necessary, non-perishable items needed to make a Christmas dinner, minus the turkeys (which are donated closer to the holiday), sit parked on a three-tiered rack just waiting for customers to grab as many as they want, and purchase them with their own groceries. It’s a lovely way to help. And of course, as in most communities, there are more hands-on opportunities for anyone with a heart to serve and a willingness to push up their sleeves. What an incredible gift it is just to be able to help someone in need, no matter the avenue chosen.
Share your gift ideas for our blog friend, and share your experiences/preferences of various charities.
–Dana