Ignore Your New Flat Screen. Put Down Your Wii. Use The Week After Christmas To Volunteer

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-kornbluth/ignore-your-new-flat-scre_b_151056.html

Jesse Kornbluth
Posted December 15, 2008 | 10:07 AM (EST)

Ignore Your New Flat Screen. Put Down Your Wii. Use The Week After Christmas To Volunteer

snip//

It wasn't so long ago that Barack Obama inspired a lot of comfortable but concerned people to leave their homes and ring doorbells in neighborhoods they'd never ordinarily dream of visiting. And America met America. It was an exciting time -- I think many people were inspired, not just by Obama, but by the possibility of bridging gaps of race and class.

Now I feel as if we're sitting back again, waiting for Obama to be inaugurated so he can fix it all.

Did "yes we can" really evaporate that quickly?

Has economic distress really driven us back behind locked doors?

snip//

The need is local; from here, I can't possibly know. Beyond Craig Newmark's links, I have every confidence that there are churches, agencies, online lists and neighborhood loudmouths to point you to people and projects that could use some help.

My thing is kids. School will be out, and, among other things, it means that lunch may not be happening. So I'll be looking to help out at a New York City program that offers sports or an outing --- and a meal.

Care about seniors? Homes for the elderly will surely be short-staffed during that holiday week. You could read. Write a letter. Or just listen.

Concerned about the suddenly jobless? If you cleaned out your closets, culled your kids' old toys, edited your bookshelves.....

The other day, our daughter and I dropped a carload of her outgrown books at a charity that serves homeless and poor kids. It felt good to do it. But not good enough. A little more service, though, and I might just feel okay about these holidays.

If you too are suffering from guilt, sadness or thwarted idealism, this remedy might work for you too.

[grilled onions]

1. The Perfect Reason For The Season

One can easily start with their own surroundings--your friends,neighbors,groups your are involved with,churches,shelters,food pantries--the list is endless is so is the need. On a "normal" year this time of year can bring out depression,loneliness,and emphasize lack of money or health issues but with our bad economy,loss of jobs,homes etc more people then ever need a helping hand,someone to listen to them,perhaps share a meal with them. That extra sweater or a small bag of groceries can make someones day in more ways then you can realize.It is the season of giving be it a bit of food,cash,clothing,toys or simply a kind word to a lonely soul.

[stopbush]

2. Better yet, hold off on volunteering until after Xmas.

The places I help out at usually have a holiday glut of do-gooders who end up tripping over each other doing their once-yearly good deed, while the rest of the year they are hurting for volunteers to do the day-in, day-out kindness.

Just sayin'...

[babylonsister]

3. That's kind of what the title says-the week after Xmas. nt