Have you ever done something that you thought would make you feel good

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

and then have it make you freaking depressed?

Every year I donate to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.
This year my dh donated money to the Childrens Hospital as well.
I am also donating 10% of each sale from my FestiveChicken Etsy shop to Canter.org
This year, with the economic ""slow down"" and all I told my husband that I wanted to give food to the local food pantry. Things are tight for us as they have been since I left my job to become a SAHM. But I am working now and we are a lot better off than other people in our area.

So we went to BJs last Sunday and bought pasta and soup. I brought it to the food pantry when I got done working Monday.

When I pulled up I immediately noticed the line.Out the door, down the block. Then I noticed the people in the line.

Families. Moms and dads with their kids. Moms with their infants. Moms with the school aged kids.Dads with their kids. Single people. Elderly people. White. Black. Hispanic. Asian.
It was cold out. There were people in line with no winter coats, gloves. There were kids in line with no winter coats or gloves.

I got the boxes from the back of my truck and walked across the street. Said "Excuse me" many times as I wove my way through the line into the building and up the short set of stairs. People that I had passed shouted to others ahead of me to "Make way. She's got food!"

When I got to the head of the line a woman ran up to greet me saying "You are an angel!!" It was all I could do to meet her eyes before I lost it.

On my way out I tried to not look at peoples faces. But as I reached the door I looked into the face of a very handsome little boy. Probably just under a year old. He smiled at me. I smiled back and ran for my truck.

I got paid yesterday. Dh gets paid Friday. I am going back to BJs this weekend to pick up some canned veggies and the like. Maybe some diapers and baby food as well. Things might not be "perfect" in my home. And I am certainly not an angel by any definition. But I will be darn if I sit and do nothing when I have some ability to help.

 

[debilorrah]

Bless you for the help you are giving to those that really need it. So many people are in that position now that never have been before and it is heartbreaking. And thanks alot! You made me cry!!!

 

[Redfeathers]

You're wonderful. We are donating food this year even though my dh has been cut back on hours. I am also throwing whatever change or dollar bills I have in the Salvation Army buckets whenever I see one. I don't usually give this much money...it seems like the less we have, the more I want to help. So...you are a good person and I hope many others on this forum follow in your footsteps.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

In my area we have the Adopt a Child program, where parents sign up at the OPP offices to have their children donated to, always winter clothing, mittens, coats, snowpants, boots, hats, scarves, and sweaters, and then people of the community who are better off sign up, and adopt one of those children, and purchase their winter things for them.

We can barely afford to feed ourselves this year, but next year we're considering adopting a child under the farm name, and putting a box up in the barn for boarders to donate a couple dollars to help.

Edited to add:

Also, every year we clean out our cupboards in the spring, and donate all the canned and dried goods that we didn't use during the year, in the end it amounts up to quite a lot. My parents have also donated to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto every year since the year they saved my life

 

[linebacker]

It is better to give than receive. Bless you and yours for your gifts to others.

Brad