So, You Wish To Help Those In Need... (Website info incl.!!)

But you don't know where to go or where to start?

First of all, decide if you wish to make a monetary donation, item (food, clothing or toys and books) donation, or donate some of your free time (like in a Soup Kitchen).

Once you have decided which way (or ways) to go, then figure out your ending budget (as to stay within your means of monetary comfort level).

After you do steps one and two, then you need to find a place (or the places) to go to as to make your donation happen.

As someone who has had to have help around the holidays with getting gifts for my children (food was never an issue for us), believe me when I say that the recipient(s) of your generosity, love and compassion are beyond grateful, your willingness to help those in need, are NOT lost. Especially when it comes to seeing the smiles on our children's faces come Christmas morning.

To the people and the organizations that had helped us in the past, THANK YOU!!!

Now, as a tradition in our family (of two parents and three kids), we donate spare change as we can throughout the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. Also, we donate to the Salvation Army's "Angel Tree" Organization.

I see it as giving back and paying it forward, being that they and a couple of churches have helped us in the past. Now, we aren't as strapped as we used to be. And it teaches my children a valuable lesson in giving, caring and what it means to help your community.

When we go to the mall, we let THEM each pick a child of their choosing (boy or girl), and they choose the age range (usually their age) and then my husband and I try to find a child that is 3 years old or younger.

Then, we take them to places like Family Dollar or Dollar General and have them buy a book (or coloring book), one or two age-appropriate toys, and at least one outfit and some socks.

After that, we let them help pack or wrap the gifts and place them in to a shopping bag (grocery size) and we place the tag with the child's number on it.

Within 72 hours, my kids are taken back to the mall and THEY place their bag(s) of presents for their child under the Angel Tree.

So, here below will be some Charitable Organizations, with their website address and a small description of what they do. Or they may be sites to help direct you to things like your local Soup Kitchen, or Shelter..

Have a safe, fun, happy and GIVING Christmas/Hanukkah season, everyone!


Toys For Tots is ran by the Marine Corps. You bring them unwrapped, unopened/used toys, and they donate them to your locality's kids in need.

Soup Kitchen Locality Directory List is where you can find a place near you to serve a hot Holiday Meal to those in Homeless Shelters.

ASPCA is the site to go to if you wish to help organizations that help treat, house and find new "forever homes" for animals. They are in desperate need all of the time for food, animal toys, supplies like blankets and towels and even bathing supplies.

Angel Tree helps supply Christmas gifts to deprived, in-need children who's families cannot afford much this year (out of work, laid off, disabled and cannot work) because food and medication are more important, as well as heating and shelter this Winter Season. You can donate books, toys and/or clothing.

Goodwill will accept your gently-used or even NEW items to put up for sale in their shops. Their items are sold for extremely low prices and will help those that CAN afford to buy (a few things)for their family members. Plus it puts your community's citizens to work. At your locality's various donation stations and within your community's stores.

Christmas Charity is your ultimate, one-stop-shop for charitable organizations that not only include those mentioned above, but MANY, MANY others as well. For the USA and abroad, as well.

My "Beulah" Story

I hope this post doesn't tank as my FIRST EVER product review post about the "Extra" brand gum's new line of Dessert Delights flavored chewing gum has.

My friend Narragansett No. 7 has been having some troubles as of late with the nosy ninny crowd and has written a few "Beulah's" that she has sadly had run in to. To find out the true meaning of what a "Beulah" is, just mosey on over to her post that DEFINES the now famous (or is that 'infamous'?) name.

Here is my (most recent) 'Beulah' story.

This past weekend, my husband and I had taken our three, plus a kiddy-cousin out to eat at Golden Corral Buffet. *Don't get too jealous now!* After that HUGE dinner of seafood, salad and desserts galore, Scotty and I thought it would be best to walk off the excess indulgence by taking a stroll around our Super WalMart.

As usual we first (with three girls and a grown lady) go within the confines of nail polish and other make-up areas where I let each of the girls buy a polish and a lipstick (in a NATURAL shade of MY choosing). Then it was off to Lawn and Garden, Home Decor and the dreaded Sporting Goods. You can tell that we had the guys with us who hurriedly made a beeline for the L&G Department, but took their sweet time in the "guy aisles" of the store as to make us ladies suffer.

Then the aisle of Satan's torture loomed upon myself and my husband.

The Toy Department.

At one point it was just me and the girls as the boys looked at Hot Wheels for Bryce. We ended up in the narrow main aisle area of the department where Beulah came entering like a gush of wind.

I never saw the old hag coming from behind. Remember I am partially blind in my left eye, and this is where Beulah was. My three girls were in the skinny aisle with me. Before I could really do anything to get the girls to move to the side (mainly my youngest who is six, but can easily pass for the size of a four year old) Beulah was charging at us with all she had along with her shopping cart.

She proceeded to mow down my child before my very eyes! I said "Skyler get out the lady's way before she runs you ALL THE WAY down" loud enough that I knew the old bitch heard me. She even proceeded to take MY ARM with her, that was attached to the hand basket I was carrying.

She SAW my kid in her path and LOOKED in her eyes as she was in the process of HITTING her. I almost pulled Skyler's arm out of her socket as I struggled with my "bad arm" (I'm a lefty) to get her from harm's way.

After the hit and run with Beulah, we proceeded on as to find the hubby and son duo who seemed to vanish. We found them at the BACK of the Toys area. I had not said a thing about the incident...yet.

But there was Beulah in the aisle with babies and baby doll goodies. Just standing there, snobbish as she could be. If the kids got in the way (including Bryce at this point), I made sure to tell them in a loud enough voice to get out of the OLD lady's way as to not have her hit one of them AGAIN.

I know for a fact Beulah heard me. And I cut my eye at her every chance I got. And anytime I referenced the old hag, I made damn sure the bitch heard me. She's ultra lucky my GOOD arm was attached to the hand basket (that she almost used to rip MY arm out of my socket, seeing as she proceeded to run me down as well, sandwiching me between her cart and an end-cap display). Because if my left arm was freed up, you can bet two to one, my fist would have been meeting Beulah's jawline.

25 Days of Christmas (Day 3)

"The Spirit Of Giving vs. Receiving From Others" is what I have chosen for today.


As most of my readers know, just over a year ago, I required an emergency Corneal Transplant. I was needing it at some point. But thanks to complications I went from preparing to "do it now or else" within less than a week.

Since I was eighteen, I have been a Registered Organ/Tissue Donor. I've always been the type of person that took more joy in GIVING to others than I did with taking. It's been this way since I can remember.

Also, for the last three Christmases past, my husband and I had to swallow our pride and apply for assistance for the kids through the Salvation Army's 'Angel Tree' program that has generous people and families donate presents to needy children.

This year, we have turned a tide and did not apply this year. Some may call up nuts because my son being on SSI Disability automatically qualifies him and his sisters. But I am not, nor have I ever been the one to profit from another's suffering. Even if it meant a better Christmas for my children.

This year, with my children all now being at ages and levels of understanding in regards to helping others, we have decided to give back. On our way out to let the kids shop for one another, we stopped by the mall and found the local Angel Tree for our area.

Each of my kids were allowed to pick a child of their choosing. They all got kids off the tree of their gender and age range (though Skyler had to do a five-year-old, seeing as six was no longer there).

The first ones that they wanted to shop for after we "busted" through the store's doors was get the gifts for their chosen kids. In that moment as their mom, I could not have been more proud. They put OTHERS above themselves and thought of helping another human being BEFORE thinking of THEIR wants.

Each of their kids got a set of clothing and a toy (or make-up) that they made the final decision on (as long as it was within our price range).

After that, then the girls got to shop for their gifts to Bryce as he and I sat in the van. Then, it was vice versa.

Next, the girls have to get one another (seeing as it was getting late and too cold to be out). And knowing my three, separately, Scotty and I will be having to take them all as to be able to shop for us (Mom and Dad) like we do every year.

In the end though, this year, I have seen with my own eyes that the values I have tried hard to instill in to my children are indeed paying off. And it's getting paid forward.

Because this Christmas, three more children in this world WILL have *something* under their Christmas tree. All because three of their peers decided it was better to give than to get.

Paying forward to those in need....

This year has been a wild ride, to say the least. There have been more ups of course. But some of the downs sure did turn our lives upside down.

All was pretty good up until about mid-October. Then, it seems like everything pretty much fell apart around my husband, myself, and our family.

My eye infection came back, then it (and my stupidity) perforated my Cornea to where I required a Cornea Transplant. Of course, soon after those bills, along with the regular monthly bills started to add up quickly.

Suddenly, we were in a very hard, but not uncommon predicament....Christmas was coming and we didn't have the money to buy our children gifts. At least not many.

So, we took a chance and applied for a Holiday loan. Sadly, we didn't qualify. But, as fate and luck would have it, we did qualify for a Personal loan that was just a bit more in interest.

Now, we had gotten each of the three kids some stuff. Not a whole lot. But enough to let them feel that they have a decent amount each under the tree.

Plus, we were able to let each of the kids shop for us. They wanted too. So, they were able to spend thirty dollars a piece on dear old Mom and Dad. Two presents from each of the kids.

Next, Scotty and I plan on buying for one another. No more than fifty dollars or so a piece. But, as we shop for one another, I plan on shopping for three more kids.

No, not my nieces or nephews, or cousins. They are all already taken care of. But for children that may not have a Christmas at all, without a little help.

This year, I plan on buying one girl's toy, one boy's toy, and one infant's toy and dropping them off to Toys For Tots.

Toys For Tots has been a great help to my family in the past. The service/charity is ran by the Marine Corps.

It's easy. Just buy new, packed, unwrapped toys and give them to the Marine Soldiers that are at your local stores, with TFT bins. Or drop them off at your local Marine Corp base. You should be able to find them in the Government section of your phone book.

Remember the old saying, "it is better to give than to receive". And yes, that saying really is true. It fills my heart with joy, love, and accomplishment to give to others when they may feel that there is nothing. There is something...

Love of your fellow man.

Pay it forward. Give to those that need the help, the love, and the gift of your willingness to serve.