Small Memories

There are thousands of homeless people in the United States.  As of 2005, there were 744,313 homeless, according to a study done by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.  These numbers may not even truly represent the homeless population, as many people are never counted during the studies.  The study also showed that:

• 59% are individuals; 41% are persons in families
• 23% are chronically homeless
• 56% are sheltered (emergency shelter or transitional facility);
• 44% are unsheltered (sleeping/living on the street)

Many of the homeless rely on soup kitchens and other charities to live from day to day. The holidays are no exception.  The holidays are a tough time for the homeless, especially those with children.  Even more people seem to need an extra hand at the holidays. Unfortunately, many people lose their jobs at this time of year, adding to the homeless population.

Shelters and soup kitchens need a lot of assistance to keep helping people.  Donations are one way to help the homeless.  By bringing food and other supplies, like plates, cups and other table settings, it can help cut back on the operating costs at the shelter.  Even more important is actually showing up to help serve meals.

Taking the time to make someone else’s day better is a great gift -to them and you.  It is a great thing to do as a family.  It will help your children to learn the importance of helping others less fortunate.  It helps them to be thankful for the blessings that they have, like a home, warm clothing and regular meals.

After helping at the holidays your family may decide to do this on a regular basis.  Homelessness is an ongoing problem that doesn’t end after the holidays.  Chose a schedule that works for your family. Whether it’s once a month or once a week, the soup kitchen will be thankful for the help.  Another idea could be to take some of the meals to those who don’t feel comfortable coming to the shelter.  This is best done by a small group going together to deliver the meals.

If, for some reason, your community doesn’t have a soup kitchen, consider starting one.  Talk to the community houses of worship and see if one can donate their kitchen to be used to prepare the meals.  If they have a fellowship hall it could be used for serving the homeless.  Contact the local government agencies to see what regulations there are before starting to make sure the health codes are followed.

Taking the time to help others could be the best gift you ever give to yourself and your children.

Everyone loves getting gifts that come from the heart.  What shows this better than gifts made by hand?  While this may make some people panic at the thought of trying to make something arts and crafts, it really isn’t that hard to make a nice gift for someone. Here are a few homemade Christmas gift ideas to help get your creativity flowing.

An excellent gift for a new bride in the family would be a cookbook of all the family favorites.  Add some stories and maybe old photos of family gatherings to go along with the recipes.  Put together some dry mixes of some of the recipes to get her started.  Wrap it in a nice apron, maybe even one that belonged to a relative.

For kids, a great gift can be  a dress up kit. Get an old suitcase or two and fill it with old clothes that you don’t wear anymore.  Include hats and shoes. Now and then, add more items to the box. Ask other relatives to contribute to it as well. If you have pictures of family members wearing the clothes, print them out and decoupage them on the outside of the suitcase and then coat with a clear finish.

Do you have a flower garden during the year? Save the petals, dry them and make your own potpourri.  You could buy cinnamon sticks to add another scent and texture.  Put it in small containers or mesh bags.

Everyone likes to snuggle up with a soft blanket on a cold evening.  You can make a blanket and never sew or crochet a stitch.  Purchase a piece of fleece the size that you want your blanket (the clerks at the store can help you figure out the right amount).  Simply cut fringe in about two inches from all the edges about an inch apart. You can either let the fringes hang loose, or tie knots to make a pattern around.

Homemade cookies, fresh from the oven, are a great treat.  A lot of people just don’t have the time to make them.  You can make a frozen cookie kit.  Mix up a batch of their favorite cookies. Roll them out into balls and flatten them slightly.  Flash freeze them by putting them on wax paper on a cookie sheet until they are solid.  Remove them from the sheets and place them in a freezer bag.  Bake for two to three minutes more than the normal time or until golden brown.  They can be baked in small batches, even in the toaster over, or all at the same time.

Another nice handmade gift could be writing a poem for a family member.  Poems don’t even have to rhyme.  Print it out in a nice font or in calligraphy if you know how, and put it in a nice frame.  It’s a gift someone will treasure for years to come.  You can have kids help write one for different family members. An easy poem type project is to take someone’s first name, write it along the left margin and then think of a word associated with that person for each letter. For example, Sue could be Sweet, Upbeat and Energetic or Bob could be Brave, Outgoing and Baseball.

No matter what you choose to make for your homemade gifts, be sure to include lots of love in the making and it will sure to be a hit with it’s recipient. Don’t forget to add a homemade card or tag to these very special gifts.