'Tis The Season!

[Parsad]

I thought for the next week, if you see anything that gets you into the spirit of the season...in particular people helping people...feel free to post it on this thread.  This one caught my eye, and I thought people might like to read it.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/anonymous-donors-pay-off-kmart-layaway-accounts-221000605.html

 

Also, if there is anything you do within your household or work, please feel free to share.  We do a toy drive for the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, and a food drive for the Vancouver Food Bank.  My family and I also donate to a couple of charities during the season. 

 

We all spend plenty of time during the rest of the year trying to make money on this message board, so I thought we could also discuss any ways we give back to the community or world around us, or even give ideas to those that want to contribute but may not exactly know how.  Cheers!

[StubbleJumper]

Doh!  I thought this would be a thread about tax-loss selling!  :-[

[CONeal]

Adopted a couple of families for Christmas and help canacer patients through the year with bills while they are in treatment.

 

Last year had a family that was pretty gut wrenching.  A 6 year old girl and her mom wound up homeless a couple of weeks before Christmas.  It all started with her mom just trying to save a few dollars to provide her daughter something for Christmas.  Helped her get into a apartment a couple of days before Christmas and Christmas Eve had Santa Claus come and visit the little girl and give her a couple of toys.  The girl was so shocked and happy that Santa was visiting her that the toys really didn't matter.

[Kraven]

I saw a short piece on the anonymous donors paying off layaway accounts at K-Mart and Wal-Mart last night on the evening news.  It was really nice.  They also showed a short piece on some young kids with Santa and when he asked what they wanted they said their daddy to be home (he's in the military in Iraq or Afghanistan).  They had arranged for the father to be there and after the kids said that he walks in to the room.  The 2 older girls (maybe in the 5 or 6 range) were shrieking with joy and the little boy (maybe 3 or 4) looked stunned and started crying.  They all ran over to him and couldn't stop saying "Daddy!  Daddy!"  It was very heartwarming.  All of these things help put things in perspective and show what the holidays are all about and what is important in life.

[Hawk4value]

I am a Trustee of Friends of Danielle, a501c3 charitable organization, which provides funds for medical expenses and therapeutic programs which promote the treatment and rehabilitation of persons suffering from debilitating and/or catastrophic illnesses. It is named for my neice who contracted luekemia when she was 5 yrs old. We help individuals and also partner with other charitable organizations that offer programs that assist the disabled. For example in 2011 we have granted money to an Arts program. We are also in the process of granting money to a therapeutic horse riding program. Our website, which is still under construction, is www.friendsofdanielle.org. I cannot tell you the immense satisfaction one feels when attending a program session and seeing all the smiling faces of the kids. This has been one of the most satisfying endeavors of my life. 

[farnamstreet]

The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.

 

He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter.

 

"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

 

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.

 

http://goo.gl/S8uiz

[lessthaniv]

We adopt a Christmas family every year too. This year, a single Mom and her two kids. Working hard trying to provide for the kids and get herself stabilized after a bad relationship. My two boys even donated their December allowance and bought gift cards at Walmart for the other kids. Clearly they are getting as much out of this as the sponsored family!

 

Last week when I was going through the Tim Horton's drive through I saw a young Cadet raising some money by the front door. I yelled for him to come over and I donated $20 bucks. When I got to the window to pay for my stuff the girl informed me that is was all taken care of by the guy in front of me and that he wished me a "Merry Christmas".

 

What comes around goes around.

 

<IV