Originally posted by Alethea
If you really want to do something to help the less fortunate....DO IT YOURSELF!!!

Go out among the homeless. You can find them waiting in the food give-out lines at various places. Take some wrapped goodies with you. Stop and talk to these people in line. If they have children...give a nice new box of crayons and drawing paper or notebooks and pens, reading material, etc.

I agree whole-heartedly with the entirety of your post. Your donated time, goods, gifts, and money would go much further if you took a personal interest in helping those in need personally rather than using a charity to do such.

And, it would be nice if everyone did this...but realistically, there are those who still have psychological barriers that prevent them from doing such, and feel as if they have to be distanced (and protected) by using a Charitable Organization to do such...just as realistically there are some people who are so greedy and self-absorbed that the thought of helping others will never even cross their mind.

I think that those that give to Charity to help those less fortunate it is improvement over not giving or helping the less fortunate at all.

However, I agree that ultimately the way you suggested is better still for those who are truly wanting to give a helping hand and spread some true holiday spirit.

(I wish I could give you a flag, and not just a star)

Originally posted by severdsoul
Sadly i say GOOD!.

get back to what hollidays are about, not all the new and fancy crap, but time with family, enjoying the little things.

In my family we decided to stop giving each other lots of expensive Christmas presents many years ago because we all buy what we need and want anyway and whatever we receive on Christmas is usually something that we already have or don't need. And Christmas is so much better since then.

I don't celebrate Christmas usually anyway.

I don't have a job this year, so it'll be even worse than usual.

A lot of people are going to be without basics this year.