Needy Families

[TripleX]

This year me and my girl asked for suggestions on what to get each other and where almost totally silent because we already have most of what we want. It is kinda like Christmass all year for us so we have decided that next year instead of spending $2,000.oo on stuff we really dont need that we are going to spend that money on gifts for some kids that are not as blessed as most of us are. We both feel like it would be a better Christmass to see some of these needy kids around our area with a big smile on their face. I couldnt imagine waking up on Christmass and not having any gifts, so i dont know how that feels. We figured that we could spend $500.oo on 4 diff families so that they might have a Merry CHristmass. Maybe some of you could do this around your area and bring some smiles to some kids that are not as fortunate as we are. Merry Christmass Everyone!!!!!!!!!

[Stonecold54]

thats nice bro. Yeah I always try to tip big around the holidays. That is my way to give back.

[TripleX]

Thats cool. That can be very helpfull to all those out there that make a living off tips.

[Shibby]

I don't mean to attack you TripleX, but I get a bad vibe off this. You say you spent X amount of dollars on each other, you would like to spend that money NEXT year. But you are asking those who can, to do it now. We would all like to give back where we can. But until you lead by example this just sounds like a self-ritous thread. Gives me a feeling of "Do as I say not as I do". I hope you follow through on your efferts next year and I wish I could follow. But I feel you are putting more into the idea than the cause. It hits a bit close to home with me since my wife's family pretty much can't give anything but they still try. My wife and I gave our best to everyone we could over in Poland(which is alot for them). Again I don't mean to kill your intentions, it just sound very condescending of you to make little of what some have done, versus your idea of what you want to do. Please excuse any harsh feelings this post might give to the future of your kind hearted acts.

[TripleX]

I dont take it as attacking me shibby. I just think you took my thread the wrong way. I already buy gifts for one family and along with sc i do try to tip big over the holidays. I wasn't implying that anyone should do it now, i was just giving everyone something to think about for next year. In the past i havent been able to do anything like this, so this year it hit me after it was too late. This has been the only year where i had been in a place where i could help more than that one family. But i am not one that lives by the do what i say not as i do. I already do as i say but next year i will be doing more than i have been. This year i was just excited to be able to get my girl all that she wanted and looked over the big idea. I hope you still dont feel like i fit that category. Me and my family give back all year long i was just excited about what we had decided on doing that is why i posted. SOrry if i gave the wrong impression.

[TripleX]

And we actually only got each other four gifts this year. I just said instead of spending. Not that i had actually spent that much. That is just the number i plan on saving and spending next year. But i am still not sure how you say i made little of what some had done. I wasnt putting anyone down or anyones actions down. I was primarily just letting everyone know what we intended to do next year. My cousin and her husband are some of those that are less fortunate and i help them out all year and also took some of the money i had saved by only buying my girl 4 gifts and spent more on them. There is also a friend of my brother that lost his dad over a year ago and i am just as much a big brother to him as i am my own brother. Then the other family that we (me & my family) buy for is a mom and her three kids. Her husband got put in jail and all of her children have learning disabilities. I was able to spend more money on them this year also. I knew i should had added all this but i was just excited about our plan. I was trying to keep it short but it does kinda hurt a little when i do what i can already and when i post about something i am going to do next year u did kinda attack me.

[Shibby]

Again, I am sorry for sounding like I'm attacking you. With everything else you just posted it makes a world of difference on how it all comes across. My post was to tell you how it all came across to me. My opinion has now changed and I think nothing but good thoughts when reading the rest of it.

[TripleX]

No hard feelings bro. Merry Christmass!!!!!!!

[Shibby]

Merry Christmas to you too.

[Gainward]

thats nice bro. Yeah I always try to tip big around the holidays. That is my way to give back.

I wish everyone felt like that stone. The truth is tips around here go down so much the closer it gets to christmas. It wasnt so bad this year since i have 2 jobs now, but for the last few years i has killed me, and i know it hits alot of the people i work with pretty hard.

[hlcn8]

I'm not in a position myself where i can give a whole lot, though i'm grateful as can be to have what i have and consider myself blessed. but what i did a few weeks ago was spent some time at a local homeless shelter and made dinner for everyone. of the group of people there i was the only one who really knew how to cook and so i ended up working my butt off, got burnt a few times due to equipment i'm not familiar with etc. but afterwards i went out to where they were all eating and played with a 9 month old baby happily slurping down the broth of the cream of chicken soup and talking the whole way in total gibberish, getting half the food on his shirt because he was so animated and happy.
i'm bringing this up now because while some people see tips go downhill this time of year (and i think that's it's lame that people would start being stingy to service personnel at this time of year), organizations that depend on volunteers are worst hit in the "off-season," and sometimes have difficulty staffing and food bank inventories plummet. when you have a chance throughout the year and want to feel that feeling again, go and see what you can do, the karma will come back around and bless you and you might get to play with an adorable baby!

[TripleX]

I'm not in a position myself where i can give a whole lot, though i'm grateful as can be to have what i have and consider myself blessed. but what i did a few weeks ago was spent some time at a local homeless shelter and made dinner for everyone. of the group of people there i was the only one who really knew how to cook and so i ended up working my butt off, got burnt a few times due to equipment i'm not familiar with etc. but afterwards i went out to where they were all eating and played with a 9 month old baby happily slurping down the broth of the cream of chicken soup and talking the whole way in total gibberish, getting half the food on his shirt because he was so animated and happy.
i'm bringing this up now because while some people see tips go downhill this time of year (and i think that's it's lame that people would start being stingy to service personnel at this time of year), organizations that depend on volunteers are worst hit in the "off-season," and sometimes have difficulty staffing and food bank inventories plummet. when you have a chance throughout the year and want to feel that feeling again, go and see what you can do, the karma will come back around and bless you and you might get to play with an adorable baby!

Thats really awsome of you! A few years back we had went to the retirement home. We sang songs for the elderly. It was a blast. Some of them have some interesting stories to tell. I have never went to a shelter tho. It is something that i will keep in mind for next year also.

[Puddles]

Most previous years I donated to Toys for Tots when I went shopping for my daughter but this year I didn't go to any toy stores. Instead, our supermarket has bags of food already put together to donate to local families in need, so each time I shopped for Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff I added a bag to my cart for them.

I had heard on the news that local charities were having a harder time and food banks were pretty much empty this year because of so many people having donated to larger agencies due to all of the natural disasters we had this year.