During the holidays do you ever help out at a shelter?

Question

Or do you physically lend a hand (i dont mean stroke a check)

Every year I take my kids to cook and serve food at the shelter for either Christmas or Thanksgiving....

Answer 1

Actually, I DO! I am an Empty-Nesting Retiree .. so for me .. it is one of the ways I like to give back, especially since when I needed someone to be there or listen .. there was NO ONE THERE (and I am the survivor of a short disaster of a marriage to an abusive, violent sociopath).

I am also a Military Retiree, and like to volunteer or donate or do things with the Military Service Organizations too. (Again, when I was deployed/TDY -- there was no one to remember me .. so I WANT to remember those who would otherwise be forgotten so far away from home).

Answer 2

FOXY! There are no shelters here, The church has Thanksgiving Dinner,and at Christmas time! that's about all. The schools have Parties too, Thanksgiving and Christmas! These places would be the shelters if some Hurricane hit Puerto Rico! Most of the poverty stricken would be visiting the families or friends if they had any if not they would stay home if no home in the street and side walks! That's the life! You take care! and I wish you a good Holiday from now until new years! Jimmy.

Answer 3

I did once, with my nieces. I really walked away with a bad, hypocritical look at the whole thing.
My oldest niece is very active helping the homeless, and delivers meals to under-the-bridge folks throughout the year. She had been telling the homeless she regularly helps about turkey day meal all day.
We cooked a 4 turkeys, several vats of mashed potatoes and stuffing, and enough bread to feed Pakistan. Then several people set out in 2, 3 vans to collect homeless people. We only got 3 people. Most of them said they didn't want to leave their little neighborhood, and enough people come down on holidays to serve food from the back of vans and from tents.

So I walked away from that t-day feeling like the homeless are pretty much homeless because they want to be. They get plenty of help and handouts, so they stay drug addicted, homeless, and dependent. They get plenty of help on holidays, so why ruin mine?

What I'd like to ask all the folks who get bleeding hearts on the Holidays, "Where are you in Feb? Or May? Or Aug? Why not help out then?" and to the homeless, "Why are you still homeless? How the hell can you afford heroin if you can't afford an efficiency apt? Don't you have any dignity?"

So I don't help out anymore. I'll help my parents, or a friend, but to hell with people I don't know.

Answer 4

Yes, as I am Jewish and do not celebrate Christmas, I usually (unless I am out of town) serve food to the homeless at the local "Kitchen" which is a church sponsored institution for anyone who cannot afford to buy food and/or support themselves.

Answer 5

Yes, I don't go back for seconds.