Giving

There's a quote that I read somewhere that has stuck with me... it goes something like "The American people love to donate a turkey during the holidays- even if there isn't an oven for it to be baked in." Okay, that's a really horrible paraphrase, but I wasn't able to find the quote online because any time I entered "turkey" into the search string I got recipes and Thanksgiving horror stories. So you get my paraphrase.

Anyway, the point is that we all love to donate around the holidays but we often think only about donating specific things- and not necessarily the most needed thing at the time. I think the rest of the quote goes on to talk about how a jar of peanut butter or school supplies in August could go a lot further than a Turkey at Thanksgiving, but that's beside the point I am about to try to make. Back to the point....

I'd like to suggest some alternatives to the ubiquitous turkey donation... (if you already donated a turkey- kudos to you! You've probably just made a family's holiday complete). I'm going to guess that the needs of people around the country are pretty similar... here's a wish list for some of the homeless here in Salt Lake City...

*Sleeping Bags
*Blankets
*Backpacks
*Hand Warmers
*Gloves
*Coasts, Jackets, Hoodies
*Underwear (for men and women)
*Socks
*Hats and Scarves
*Deoderant (for men and women)
*Lighters or matches
*Batteries
*Toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss
*Tents
*Tarps
*Flashlights
*Bus Tokens
*Fast Food Certificates
*Baby Clothes
*Diapers and Diaper Wipes
*P-38's (Military Issue Can Openers)

Sometimes it's the small things that make all the difference- the ability to clean up or having a fresh pair of underwear and/or socks to change into. Maybe this will give you something new to think about- in addition to that turkey. And remember- canned or dried food items are always welcome as well.

Wishing you all the best.