Personally I hate the give a fish teach to fish story. Those that need the most help already know how to fish. We have no pole, no string, and no hook. And because we have not; yet, live in this country we are either forgotten or despised. I am barely surviving because of no one doing anything to help because after all they believe everybody else already is. Everybody thinks there are tons of charities that they or someone else is blindly throwing money to so they think there is all kinds of help out there for Third World America. Yet; I tell you now, that is not true. That is why this Third World America can exist. The buck gets passed until no one does anything. As for us, we work our tales off chasing these recommended charities down only to be told, “We take donations. We do not give handouts.” These charities are often all smiles and hopeful promises to the public while they slam the door in the faces of the needy. Las year my daughter walked into a Salvation Army, coming straight in from several inches of snow after walking over a mile. She had on jeans, no socks, canvas shoes a t-shirt and a hoodie. She asked to use the phone to call me. She was denied and promptly sent out. She did not even get to rest or thaw out for a few minutes. My granddaughter and I ate popcorn for Christmas dinner. My birthday is tomorrow, just another day of survival nothing more. What did I do to get to this place? I fell at work twenty-one years ago then three years later left an abusive husband. To do that; since the fall left me unable to work and my employer found a way to get out of all responsibilites with convenient loopholes in the law, I accepted Welfare. It was years before I could line up transportation and childcare to get to the doctors to prove my disability to the government and get SSI. I had missed out on Social Security by the time I could finally get to the doctors. I am smart, talented and a darn good artist, photographer and poet; but, because no one will help me - since everyone else already is (So they think) I can not get my work printed, or framed or any thing else to get it out to the public. I would love to be able to support us, to have a birthday, go on a vacation, sleep in a bed that is not broken, just eat like an American. I give. I give everyday. I give lots. I have helped build habitat houses. (That I did not qualify for because I was too poor.) I pick up trash in my apartment complex, take out trash for the elderly, hold open doors for whoever needs it. I am a smile millionaire. I am rich with compliments. I give; but, not from the experiences of having received. I have to imagine what that is like. I treat others as I wish to be treated. I give not to do a good deed. I give because I can. I give because if I don’t Who will? I live in a village with only my grandaughter for company. I am a good loving, caring person. I only have one pair of pants left that fit and my cupboards are mostly bare; but, I have humor, kindness, conversation, art and floor space to spare. these I share freely. I turn noone away from the eronous beleif that someone else will care for them. I am not prejudiced (how someone may be so needy). What I have to spare I share. My village, my door is open to those whose need is in my power to fill. Nor will I ever be so haughty as to tell someone else what they need. It is their life. I will listen and understand that they know better than me what they need. I will not give them a sock if they ask for a glove or a pencil for a toothbrush. I will send noone away with nothing; because I know after receiving many a harsh critism, I can always send them away with encouragement, a prayer, a compliment. And these things at times can be priceless treasures.

There is nothing so wonderful as putting on a garment with that you haven’t worn in a while and finding money in the pockets. For over 30 years, I have been “johnny appleseeding” that windfall surprise in department stores and thrift stores. I always write on my money. Sometimes, thank you. Sometimes, Surprise. Sometimes, Enjoy and pay it forward. It pleasures me to be sowing smiles and nurturing an experience of a generous Universe. In 1994, I first spoke of this when interviewed for a reporter’s column on random acts of kindness. I firmly know as true, that what goes around comes around. Yesterday, I heard of the following sentence being written on a prayer flag: “Today, I live in the quiet joyous expectation of good.” Amen and yes to that. In 2009, I will engage in creating community affirmation stations. Love to all

One thing that is distressing to me is the lack of support for some of our soldiers. My son is on his second Iraq tour. I found out early last year that they were only getting one hot meal per day. Many of the men did not have anyone sending them care packages and were hungry, so I adopted the company. I tried to send a box of food weekly, but when I had to change to part-time work, the extra funds for that dried up. I started asking for public donations, and received support from others, so I was able to keep up the food packages at least monthly. The biggest thing I was able to accomplish is to send 116 custom printed t-shirts to the men, using a design created by one of the men in the company, that represented where they all came from. Some of these guys have been serving together for 5 years, and some of them are on their third tour. When the men get home in February at the end of their 15 month tour, I’ll find more troops to support through anysoldier.com because as this war drags on, fewer people are able to keep up the support. I want our troops to know that people care about them.

My synagogue works with a group of shelters for homeless families, a couple miles down the road. We collected new, warm pajamas & books for the kids (aged 9 months to 19 years), and some small gifts for the Moms, and brought them over the weekend before Christmas. Everyone was very appreciative, but what sticks in my mind most was the shy, lanky boy, maybe 15, who came up to say thank you for his present — two books and a pair of pjs. My own two sons sometimes take things for granted. http://www.ohevshalomsocialaction.blogspot.com/ (for pictures, see our blog, at the URL above)

I try to tell people everyday how much they mean to me. From the cute young grocery bagger girl who always smiles and now hugs me to the UPS driver that always waves to me whether I’m in my yard or my car. These people bring a smile to my face. Even if for a mere moment, the energy inside me lifts, stretches, says ahhhhh. I am so aware of what that does for me, that I try to do that for others. I remember just before the holidays, I was in the dog food section of the grocery store. I was carefully figuring out which size can saved money, when a very frail woman asked me to help her. I was thrilled to help her…I like helping! So, we figured out what she needed for a new dog. I handed her my coupon which she needed more than me. We talked, we chuckled, and finally before we parted we hugged tightly and she thanked me in such a way that it reached my soul and made me feel so honored to have met her. I find that these instances happen often for me and I am blessed because of them. Grocery Hugs, Josie

I am not sure how to answer this question…what is most distressing to me? I think the most thing that is distressing to me is all the poverty right here in our own Country. I mean reading Ms. Cline’s story and not knowing how to help…I give, I donate and still it doesnt feel like enough. I dont have a lot of extra money after our bills are paid but I am grateful that my bills get paid and that we have 2 jobs to pay those bills. Could we make it on one income, No…A cop’s salary is far less then what it should be but I guess it has to be to make sure they get the right one’s for the job. I wish there was so much more I could do for those in need. I pass people on the streets who are asking for food and money yet you hear on the news that these same people make in one day asking for hand outs is more than what I make in a week…So I just keep on going, wondering did I just pass one of GOD’s angels and boy I sure did fail but for the most part I dont carry cash…so I never have any cash to give. I wish there were more charities you could give to that you knew the money was going to the people. My church does a lot of good for our community and I try to help out as much as possible. Ladies, please tell me how we can help those in need during this time of crisis…

We do something small, but it is something we’ve gotten the entire neighborhood to do. We save the pull tabs on soda and beer cans in a jar and donate them to the Ronald McDonald House! The Ronald McDonald house collects these and recycles them - they are aluminum - and this small act raises thousands of dollars for your local Ronald McDonald house. And they are easy to collect and redeem - Great Clips has partnered with Ronald McDonald house to be a drop-off point for your tabs. Just put a jar in your kitchen, and drop the tabs in it before you drop the can in your recycling bin. My encouraging our neighbors to save them - and we collect them from the neighbors so they don’t have to - we collect an average of 100,000 tabs every six months. You can search the ‘net for your local Ronald McDonald house and the pull tab program, but here’s a link to my local one, for more info: http://www.rmhccni.org/content.cfm/poptabs

I haven’t read through everything but I know from the caliber of women on this site that there are many wonderful deeds and great ideas. I was raised with the idea that responsibility is defined as the ability to respond. I saw my mother do it with all her heart and energy resulting in changed lives which taught me the value of it. So I always try to respond when asked. There are many things I do when not asked, but they are private to me. I remember a friend that gave money anonymously to another friend out of gratitude for years of help. Every month at the same time she sent an anonymous money order to this person. It went on for a couple of years. I knew that my friend received the money but I didn’t know who gave it to her. We were all together at one point and my friend mentioned that she had received this money, she didn’t know who gave it to her, but she was really curious. She kept talking to me about it because she thought I sent the money, but I didn’t - I had other little projects with other friends, but not her. I explained to her it wasn’t me and that if the person wanted her to know they might tell her sometime. She kept insisting that she wanted to know, she wouldn’t let the topic go. The one that had actually given the money was sitting quietly and saying she didn’t know, and “let’s just let it go.” My friend then said “If you know who it is, please tell me.” She asked over and over again and very insistently. Well, finally my other friend (the giver of the money) said, “all right, I am the one - I gave it.” She was a little proud about it. The woman was surprised and grateful and said thank you, but then the mood changed because her magic gift was no longer magic. It didn’t seem like such a gift anymore. Since witnessing that, I have always felt more private about my deeds. But there are many ways to help others and help the community. Most cities have a “Volunteer Coordinator” for the city. Anyone can sign up and you get called for special projects, as well as community outreach to homeless center, the local food bank, the senior center, and drug prevention outreach, to name but a few. Most schools know of some family that needs some kind of help. All of the elementary schools up here at Christmas and Hanukah have a bulletin board up with cut out figures that represent a person of a certain sex and age. It will have info on it of what they like, what size they wear, etc.. You get a present for them and leave it at the school and then it gets delivered anonymously from Santa. At one point in the school year, parents who can do it, donate extra school supplies, you know the basics, pens, pencils, paper, crayons, etc and it gets delivered to a school in a less fortunate district. Truckloads go to these schools, and the children are the ones that are the driving force behind it. Sometimes they even give audio visual equipment and used computers. So I jump in here and there and when I get a phone call, I respond.