the smedley log - suburban scrawl

Gifts we could give

I’m one of those celebrants of Christmas who’d prefer if it didn’t revolve so much around shopping. I can’t remember the last time I was truly excited in anticipation of the gifts I was about to receive—at least not in that childlike way I remember so fondly.

Please don’t think I’m a scrooge, because I believe in the meaning of the Christmas holiday; I believe that it revolves around the gift of Christ, a gift of hope, to humanity. I understand that when we give gifts, it’s supposed to reflect that spirit of giving. And no matter what tradition of faith you follow, that’s probably a concept you can appreciate.

But who says all those gifts have to be trinkets of technology or token accessories we don’t really need? Who says we can’t send a gift to people we’ll never meet, people who really need it? Do you know a charity you think could use a few more bucks this holiday season? I was thinking, and writing, over at Philly Future about the importance of giving to those in need this Christmas (spurred by Chris’ post).

I’ve been noticing at the Wawa stores in our area, they have these little tear-off coupons you can take and have the clerk scan in as part of your purchase. They come in three different dollar increments, and whichever you choose, that’s the amount of your donation. I think it’s a food charity, something like Philabundance, but I’m not completely sure I’m recalling that correctly.

Another local charity sure to do good work with your donation is Project H.O.M.E., which has been seeking creative solutions to homelessness in Philadelphia.

You may also want to consider a donation that will help people who are still recovering from disasters like Katrina, or last year’s Tsunami in southeast Asia. Albert assembled a list of those sort of charities, including my favorite, World Vision. (You can also find that list by clicking the red cross graphic in the sidebar.)

That’s all the preaching for now. I hope everyone has a joyous holiday season, including a safe and happy new year!

Merry Christmas, Howard. Thanks for keeping us thinking about important things. Best to you for 2006!

What a wonderful proverb! I’ve been feeling the same way about Christmas for the past few years. As far as I can tell, it’s more about accumulating stuff than anything else.

Pierre Robert was talking about this very thing when I was listening to him on Christmas Eve day. In fact, it seems like lots of people (at least some bloggers) went the giftless route this year. I can’t say I was one of them, but it seems like a good idea. Hope you had a happy one!