On Black Friday I sat surrounded by family enjoying the fleeting time I had with all of them. In the mountains of West Virginia there wasn’t a Walmart or Best Buy to get into a frenzy about for over fifty miles.
When I saw a woman on CNN proclaiming that her favorite purchase from Black Friday was a coat she bought for $40 from Eddie Bauer I almost thought, “That’s a decent deal.” But then she continued talking and said, “And I don’t even need it!” To this I yelled at the television, “So donate it!” It was instantaneous and on gut instinct. If you don’t need it, you probably will not use it. If you do, it’s not something you actually need anyway, so why not give it to someone who does. I swear.
I am a purger. As much as my mother-in-law and own mother like to comment on the status of my basement we purge that thing every few weeks. Books, toys, clothes, household items are always being donated. I throw bags into the local PlanetAid box near my house regularly. When Lupus, Purple Heart or AmVets sends a card, I put out a bag or box. I send food to my local food pantry throughout the year and do Toys for Tots each holiday season. This is not to say that I’m a better person than anyone else. However, I do think that by doing this it makes me a better person in that I realize just how much waste and over consumerism I can and could be prone to on a frightfully regular basis. By continuing to donate and give to these organizations an individuals I become more aware of how little I need and how much I have.
To me, giving to others regularly all year has been a great way to visibily and routinely show my kids why and how we can help others who have less than us. We may not be rolling in it but we have so much more than others and why not spread that wealth? Why just throw out our new and/or unused items when we can find new homes for them?
Find a new home for things in your house at these places-
Find a Food Bank
Freecycle.org
Habitat for Humanity
Lupus
AmVets
