Moving, clearing out and the Homeless.
 

We are still in the process of clearing out our home with this move. I decided to really get rid of stuff and that included going through everything. I had extra blankets, sheets, towels and clothes so I drove over to St. Louis to an area that has so many homeless people. There is a minister who has the only shelter for the homeless in the city limits, the neighbors are trying hard to shut him down. As I emptied my bags of items out of the car, men started coming up to me asking for shirts and blankets and a towel. I have never met such a group of polite kind men in years. They asked if I had shirts so I dug through the bags and handed out shirts. One asked for a blanket and I found him one and another asked for a towel. Each time they asked, I was called Ma'am and thanked. I was so moved that I decided my charity this winter will be the homeless. I will buy coats and shoes and blankets at the thrift stores and head there to hand them out. Even though there were about one dozen men, everyone was polite. I am not so naïve to believe this will always happen, but I will try anyway. I do hope this post goes through.

Anyone can fall on hard times and people like you, that help not judge, probably restore some of their hope and faith in others!

wow, that was a touching experience.

That is probably a very good feeling you were rewarded with. Earlier this year there was a drive for the homeless. I had a lot of clothes to donate' some decent untorn jeans but a little worn. Packages of new underclothes. I had also called ahead of time and asked about some socks and was told no. Only new and clean underclothes. I had all these "darned' socks that after DH gets the smallest hole in them, he's ready to pitch. I saved them then darned them. With some neighbors who donated some blessing bags and more "darned clean socks" we took them to a shelter who said "no" again to the socks. Had my hatch open and people came up and asked me for the same as you. Towels, undergarments, toiletries. We were out of the socks in no time. We had over 200 pair of "darned clean socks". A couple of the neighbors have learned to darn. These socks are all very cushy and yes for the ladies also. One of the ladies does a little extreme couponing for the toiletries, soaps, toothpaste and brushes.

My daughter has had a lot of stress recently. She lost her job(just before she was due a big bonus) and is preparing to move back here from Pa. She told me yesterday that she loaded her car with clothes, shoes, and all kinds of foodstuff to take to Goodwill. She said that she felt better than she had in weeks when they were sooo grateful! Now I have to take piles of things to a family crisis center that I cleaned out to make room for daughter!

Good for you. i hate throwing things away. and hate charities who toss perfectly good items into an 18 wheeler trailer that looks like everything has been turned into compost! so sad. i changed charities when they did that. I just moved and only one charity comes to this neighborhood but at least they do.

Original post helps us remember how "but for the grace of God, there go I". Time to clean out closets here too, but not giving to Goodwill, will find a church group who "gives" what's needed to whomever......

Bless you..........you have a beautiful heart.

I agree with giving to a church or church group. St. Vinney's also gives, and the money from what is sold there is used for charity also.