Charitable Giving?

I did some volunteer work last night at a local food bank and heard some touching stories from the people who work there about both givers and receivers of their work. Their zeal and commitment is touching and inspiring. I also got to see first hand how generous some people in our community are, giving of both their time and money.

Once again something struck me that I have noticed before. There is a belief by some who give to organizations like this and others like Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. that the less fortunate are fit for nothing but our trash. I have gone in thrift stories and been amazed that people have had the guts to donate clothes and items that are torn, stained, damaged, and broken. It's obvious why they didn't want them- did it occur to them that no one else would either? Last night I saw open and partially used packages, items that were just thrown in a box so they ended up damaged and unusable (who can eat anything that has been covered with fabric softener or potato chips mashed to where they were microscopic? ), and boxes stuffed with junk food that could not sustain a family. I saw people's trash, not usable donations. We were told to toss that anything we would not feed to our families, and toss we did.

While there is a huge need for charitable giving, we need to be conscious of not just that we give, but what we give. Especially given the current economic climate, anyone of us could be in a position to have to ask for and receive assistance. It is not "bad" or "lazy" people who need our help, it is the people who got caught in a situation that was more than they could deal with. These are the people who came to this food bank- people like the late middle aged woman who already had one disabled adult child living with her and then had to take in her 4 young grandchildren because their mother abandoned them. She did not choose for any of that to happen and she did not "earn" it; she was struggling to take care of everyone. She needed help to be able to help the ones in her family who could not help themselves

There are stories like that in this country every day. The single mother whose job doesn't pay enough and is trying to make ends meet while she is looking for another one. The senior citizen whose children have moved on and whose SSI check just doesn't quite cover everything. The family for whom money was always tight, but a job loss or medical bills have taken them to the breaking point. This could easily be you, or someone close to you. Wouldn't you or those you are close to deserve to get quality food and clothing, not leftover trash and junk?

So in this holiday season, please remember to give. Remember when you give to ask yourself, "Is something I would be able to or want to use or would I just throw it away?" Keep the trash for the trashcan, not for the perceived "trash of humankind" because there is none. Generosity starts in the heart- with love, kindness, understanding, and compassion.

Give with true generosity.