Holiday Shopping

It was only a few days after Halloween that I began to notice the proliferation of commercials devoted to shopping for Christmas presents.  Here we go again, I thought, celebrating Christmas at the mall.  Equating holiday festivities with the mall.  Making the mall displays the new-age manger scenes.  The mall...with the focus on expensive flashy gifts.

After what I saw today, I'm writing to suggest you expand your priorities this holiday season.

My church had a food and winter clothing give away.  I arrived a little late and was stunned by the sight that greeted me.  We had tables and tables of clothing and food.  We also had almost ninety people surrounding those tables trying on clothes and filling small bags with canned goods. Unfortunately, we couldn't provide coats for everybody who needed one. While we had food, we had an over abundance of corn and carrots, and a real shortage of meat products.  We had no toiletries.

Yet, the people we helped were thankful and appreciative.  It was heartwarming to see the joy on an old woman's toothless face as she snuggled into the warm coat that fit her like a glove.  I brought miscellaneous scarves and socks that I threw together as an extra donation.  They were gone within minutes of being displayed.  People thanked us profusely for providing these treasures for them. One woman said to me that I'll never know what a difference this help makes in her life.

So readers, I am asking you to do a different kind of shopping this season.  Shop through your closets for those coats you no longer wear, the extra hats, scarves, boots, and gloves that get shoved in the back of the closet and are rarely worn. When you're checking the local paper and websites for entertainment activities, look for the appeals for donations.  Many schools run coat drives.  Many churches distribute clothing and food to the needy.  Help them!  Donate! Be generous.

If you live in the Havre de Grace area, St. John's Episcopal Church (PO Box 306, 114 N. Union Ave. in HdG) needs your help. Every Friday from 10-12 we open our food pantry.  Because of the dedicated work of coordinator Nadine Anderson, the church is now receiving donations from the Maryland Food Bank.  They have provided a great variety of canned goods, but the Pantry could use some supplemental help.  There are items always needed but not often thought of when people donate food. Food pantries need the following: canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, and Spam, Maryland people love their Spam), dried/ shelf-stable milk, dried fruits (raisins, apricots, pineapple), canned spaghetti products, cereal, cookies, soups, stews, crackers, baby food, pet food, coffee, tea, and juices.  Diapers are always needed. Toiletries are especially longed for.  The people served by the church would really appreciate toilet paper, feminine products, soap, shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent, baby wipes, and the like. Call the church at 410-939-2107 if you would like to help this mission.  Your donations will be appreciated by many. Clean the clothing before you donate it.  Dirty coats and clothes help no one. Make sure the dates for the canned goods you donate have not expired.  Food pantries will toss expired food rather than chance making people ill.

This season be alert to the pleas from local organizations for coats, clothing, and food. Those requests are everywhere.  Don't sit back and figure somebody else will donate.  Be that somebody!  This holiday season can be so much more than a trip to the mall.