What can you do to make a difference today?

[JoB]

What can we as individuals do today that could make a huge difference for someone else? After all, some of us aren’t doing as well financially as we were last year… and making large gestures isn’t as easy at it once was.

Sure.. we can participate in the fundraisers of the season.. our WSB Forum Christmas party on the 14th being a good opportunity… but what can we do today that would make a significant difference?

It turns out that all of us can do a lot.

One of the easiest is to simply take advantage of the opportunity to offer someone else in our community something you no longer want using the section of the WSB Forum page to do so.

in the same vein… how about cleaning out a coat closet and donating excess coats to those who would otherwise be cold this winter?

or cleaning out that bathroom cabinet that holds all the product you thought would be a good idea and you never used… used cosmetics are not a good idea.. but all of those lotions, potions, shampoos, etc… that didn’t work for you would literally make someone else’s day.

And what about all those toiletries collected from hotel/motel stays… and travel products you never used?

Those small items make it possible for the homeless to keep up the cleanliness necessary to get a job… are are often luxuries beyond their reach.

These are small acts.. but they could make a huge difference for someone who is truly in need this holiday season.

If someone knows a great place to donate these items.. i would appreciate your posting it.. maybe in a separate topic… A list of donation sites.

one of the things i like best about the forum is how easy some of you have made it for me to connect to organizations that truly make a difference.

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[Zenguy]

The Aloha Inn is transitional housing, I used to travel a lot and had tons of the little soaps and shampoos for them.

http://www.alohainn.org/donate.htm

Things don’t even have to cost money, let someone merge instead of not letting them in, hold the door for someone, be patient with people, say hi to your neighbors or give somone a sincere compliment. All these little things brighten other peoples days and they make you feel good too.

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[WSB]

Also, direct donations to the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks. Plus WestSide Baby. Three nonprofits in our area that directly help in-need families day in and day out. Online $ donation links can be found on all their websites:

http://www.westseattlefoodbank.org

http://www.whitecenterfoodbank.org

http://www.westsidebaby.org

Later this week by the way I will be talking to WestSide Baby about some help they need for a sorting party this week. Anybody who has some time Thursday night (I believe that’s the time – stand by for more), put it on reserve.

Also keep an eye on the home page and the Holiday Happenings and Events calendars (all linked from the tab navigation bar below the header on each page), since we post every bit of “how to help” info we get, including benefit shows etc. The “how to help” coverage category (see the categories list on the right sidebar) archives them all, newest to oldest.

https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?cat=37

We have an even-better way of organizing such things in the works, but for now, it’s a start.

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[JoB]

TR..

i would love to see a list on the blog for go to places to donate both items and time locally..

i can’t wait..

in the meantime.. i will try to follow your directions.

i confess. i miss some content on the site from my own failure to navigate..

zenguy..

you are right. being nice doesn’t cost anything and makes a real difference in at least one person’s day..

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[Kayleigh2]

I’m going to stop reading the cranky anti-Christmas postings here, for one. Sheesh.

I like Christmas lights. I like buying Christmas presents. I like using the letter “I” when it’s appropriate. I always buy Toys for Tots and/or buy gifts for less fortunate seniors. I don’t like getting drunk or eating dead pigs, though. Maybe I just am not in the right WSB Christmas spirit. ;-)

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[JoB]

Kayleigh2

saving energy isn’t anti-christmas…

nor is the choice not to give gifts to family members… or to limit the cost of gift giving.

and i don’t think you have to drink or eat pig to celebrate a WSB christmas…

you may have to consume baked goods though ;-)

we celebrate the season in many different ways.

there will be more than one non-drinker at the Christmas get-together… come sit with me… whatever i drink, it won’t be alcohol.

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[JanS]

I will here and now pledge to do my best to not be a cranky anti-Christmas person this year…having you all in my life most definitely helps. Yes, a smile makes a difference in someone’s life, as does a kind word, or helping someone put groceries in their car..”nice” is not a swear word, and it comes back at you 10 fold…..really….

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[JoB]

Ahhh shucks…

if it works for JanS, it will work for anyone..

quick. spread some christmas cheer ;~>

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[Kayleigh2]

Jo, if someone in my family told me they were not going to buy me a gift this year because of some righteous anti-materialism crap, I’d be annoyed and hurt. We love Christmas. It’s meaningful to us. We buy $30/40 or so gifts for each other. We don’t buy things we can’t afford. We happen to remember that Christmas once upon a time was magical. For US.

If someone told me they were going to make me dinner or meet me for coffee or offer to organize my kitchen as a Christmas present, I would be equally pleased. Or if someone donated to a charity in my name–I would love that.

I understanding hating certain holidays, and I understand feeling stressed, lonely, annoyed or whatever else during Christmas. Really. I just will skip those posts.

Baked goods…now you’re talkin’. I never met a carb I didn’t like. :-)

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[charlabob]

We started giving “services” instead of gifts a couple of years ago…our main recipients are kids and grandkids and everyone thinks they have entirely too much stuff so this was very popular. the bob has given guitar lessons, the charla has given knitting lessons and periods of lego play time (that was a tough one…NOT).

We have decided that tickets count — they don’t hang around and clutter up drawers. So last year for my birthday the kids got me tickets to kd lang. It was an amazing gift — it meant they really paid attention to who i am.

A rule of thumb has emerged–when we start out to shop for someone and realize we have no idea what they might want, we don’t get them anything — we send a loving note (physical, not e-), sometimes with a reminder of something special we’ve shared and why we’re in each others’ lives. For instance, there are people we’ve met through these forums who would be high on my special gift list…most aren’t because of the “do you know what they want?” rule.

Like all charlabob rules, this one can be broken at will or whim — last year the whole family bought the 96 YO MIL a new bed and bedding, because that’s what she wanted and needed and would never get herself.

We also give “no reason” presents — when we find the perfect (or reasonably adequate) gift, we buy it and give it to them. We don’t wait to give ’til the holiday/birthday because (1) the house will have eaten the object by then (B) I can’t wait to surprise them.

I understand your fondness for the holidays, including the giving and getting, KL2 — I’m just always trying to keep it from feeling to me like exchanging catalog orders. When I was a little kid, I’d turn down pages in catalogs to “hint” at what I wanted. Now, until we stopped, we had the annual ritual of “updating the wishlists.” What we’re doing now is more satisfying to us.

Happy Holidays or Non Holidays to you ALL!

c

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[Zenguy]

I am with you Charla, I give all year round when I see something is needed for family or friends.

I love the idea of giving experiences, trips to Leavenworth to watch the tree lighting, sipping cocoa and watching Rankin and Bass Christmas shows along the way. Going to the Men’s Chorus or ACT’s A Christmas Carol just to name a few create great memories for a lifetime and never have to be recycled.

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[JoB]

I am with Charlabob.. I am into the no reason presents. And as a grandma.. the spoil them while you are there presents. and the gift of service presents. I hadn’t thought about tickets… I do send each family mad money at christmas to do something together…

We did individual presents for years.. but i now have 3 kids, two spouses, 7 grandkids and a mother-in-law and that’s before you start counting my sibs and their families. Being the eldest, i am now the proud matriarch of 49 just in my immediate family… and it will be 50 any day now. That’s a lot of gifts.

A few years my sister started a tradition of family christmas letters… when you turn 18, you are responsible for your own letter… everyone is cajoled and sometimes bullied until they turn in letters which are gathered into a family christmas album which is now a treasured family keepsake… especially by those who venture out into the adult world. This year my daughter took on the task which will one day be passed to one of the younger generation.. and we hope passed on beyond that.

This gift has been priceless.. it is the gift of family… who are too scattered to see one another often. And as it now comes out in PDF.. it is cost free. I even send a copy to my mother-in-law every year and she shares it with her church friends.

I suppose it might be different if our family had all stayed in one location making it possible to get together for family events.. we drew names and bought for the kids when that was possible.

i love presents too.. but not obligations.. and unfortunately that is what presents at Christmas have become for too many.

Our new personal tradition is to adopt a family who could use a little magic at christmas… this year we are doing that through agencies.

Kayleigh2.. if you want that kitchen reorganized, i will gladly help.. but sadly i don’t know you well enough to organize your kitchen by myself… at least not yet… It would be better if you enjoyed cooking in it when it was done ;~>

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[add]

I have always loved giving experiences as gifts – tickets to a concert, show, a weekend away, gift certificates to specific restaurants.

Each year I try to treat my extended family (21 of us) to an evening out. One year we saw Voices of Christmas at ArtsWest and last time we went to Black Nativity (which is fabulous, by the way). We still talk about those memorable evenings!

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[JoB]

i wish my family lived near enough to be able to do that for them…

it’s not the same when grandma picks up the tab as when grandma goes along:( not for grandma and not for the kids.

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[rykrite]

Kaleigh said, “if someone in my family told me they were not going to buy me a gift this year because of some righteous anti-materialism crap, I’d be annoyed and hurt.” Well, I’d like to think I’m not all self-righteous about it, but this is, in essence, what I am saying to family and friends this year.

But Christmas is still magical. We walked to get our tree, and we wore Santa hats, and we even managed a verse of Jingle Bells. Our tree is already up, covered in ornaments that don’t match and remind us of people, places, and events. The CD player is loaded with Christmas CDs. I’ve already made 5 loaves of cranberry bread to give away. And this weekend we’ll do the Santa breakfast with the Kiwanis, and we’ll donate to ToysforTots.

And we are still giving at a giving tree. And we stick something in the food bank baskets at work, school, church, and the grocery store on just about every trip. And we dont’ forget our charity year round, either, though with our $ we’re doing more volunteering and less cash.

At Christmas, there will be four generations around our table, and I will cook a feast that will take me several days of preparation.

But not a lot of gifts.

And you know what? I’m REALLY enjoying this Christmas season so far. Really and truly.

There are 26 children on our Christmas list, and countless adults as well. Cousins, aunts, uncles, friends – everybody exchanges gifts. And we receive gifts, too….most of which are things we don’t want or need even though we appreciate the thought. We have debt brought about by medical stuff, and this year we decided “enough.” We asked family and friends NOT to give us gifts. We’re begging for time spent together, not gifts.

I would love to give ACT tickets, or trips, but alas, that is not in my budget either.

We are arranging a family party to spend time with people. I’m throwing a tea party for the women of my family. We’re going ice skating with friends. But we are NOT giving gifts to anyone except our five year old, our parents, and my grandmother. (Well, except little hand made things, and photos.)

We are certain to offend those who buy us nice $30-40 gifts, but I can not help this. If others can afford it, then I hope that they give with love and know we love them….and don’t expect a reciprocal gift.

And the major response I’ve received from others? “Oh, thank goodness.” Most people are stressed by the gift giving, as I am, and are anxious to replace it with something more meaningful, I’ve found. I’m not alone!

And I am feeling really festive. I’m not shopping, so I have time to relax and enjoy and share love with my friends and family. Much better!

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[JanS]

rykrite, I’m with you. I think your Christmas celebrations sound wonderful. I always hated the “well, she’s giving me something, I need to give in kind” thing. That’s not what it’s about. This recession is hitting a lot of people in the wallet, and no one should have to stand there and say “sorry, I can’t afford it”…so an act of kindness, the gift of time…the gift of a special meal preparation at a future date…a housecleaning for someone who would love the help…a coupon for a car wash and wax by the giver, something homemade, like breads and jam for Christmas morning. There are so many things that can be done..and, frankly, the gift of time is at the top of the list.Most of all, it has to be done with love, not because of a sense of obligation…

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[JoB]

please clean out the back corners of closets and those kitchen junk drawers.

Seattle education Access needs the following items for homeless and at risk teens here in Seattle..

– Gift cards

– Discmans

– Large-sized hooded sweatshirts (dark colors preferred)

– Sleeping bags

– Backpacks

– Disposable hand warmers

– Travel-sized sewing kits

– Battery-operated travel alarm clocks and flashlights

– Bus tokens

– Pre-paid phone cards

– Gloves, hats and scarves

– New underwear

– White tube socks

– Dry dog food

– Travel-sized toiletries

– African American hair products

– Playing cards and Silly Putty

– Journals, notebooks, or art supplies

you can bring them to the holiday get together or you can PM me and i will pick them up.

We need to deliver by the 15th for these items to make this a christmas to remember for these kids.

you can see the holiday get together topic for more information about this organization and what they are trying to do for kids that need help making their lives better.

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[Magpie]

Has anyone ever donated extra airline miles to Dr’s without borders? I have done this a couple of times and felt really good about it.

Also, what I am spending, I am trying to spend in my neighborhood. Nordstrom won’t go bankrupt if I don’t shop there, but there are many small shops in the junction that are not doing so well. I’m going to help shore them up through this tough time. There are some great little places that I probably haven’t been in yet, so that is my goal this holiday season.

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[Zenguy]

Rykrite…most of the stuff we are doing this year is dutch treat, still that might be too much.

Downtown is a lot of fun when you are not stressed by having to purchase a bunch of stuff and have time to enjoy the sights and not rush around.

Take the the foot ferry from Alki and walk through the Maket which is all decked out, Westlake has a coursel you can ride or just watch the kids ride. Their are great displays in the windows, Santas and sometimes carolers. You can take the monorail to the Center, do Winterfest and ice skate all more fun with friends and family.

I hope you have a great Christmas, sounds like you are off to a good start.

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[JoB]

zenguy..

the foot ferry from alki would require a very very long wait this time of year…

but the buses are running..

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[Kayleigh2]

JoB, even though I know you’re only doing this to get high-fives, ;-) I would love to help. I’ll pick up some stuff this weekend. I’ll send you a pee em.

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[JoB]

thanks Kayleigh2…

actually, i asked someone if anyone was doing gift bags for the homeless kids and got the email from Seattle Education with their request list in return.

i am planning to raid my junk drawers.. i know i have sewing kits and flashlights and art supplies and even sleeping bags that were intended for something that never happened and repurchased the next time i thought i needed them… and are currently just being stored…

I have always been a recycler:)

but i might go shopping for some twilight books…

what’s a bookaholic to do about her addiction ;~>

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[Author]

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