Underwear for the Homeless

Well Halloween is over and its Christmastime already.  The bird just doesn't get his holiday does he?  Truth is I love Thanksgiving now that I've figured out how to brine a turkey.......

In all seriousness, this is the time of year when a lot of people become very generous, thinking about the homeless, worrying if they are warm enough.  I've helped my children and my robotics teams collect blankets, coats, hats and gloves for the homeless and deliver them to homeless shelters on Christmas eve.  Last year we did something a little different - we talked to a few homeless individuals to find out what they feel they need the most.  The answer really surprised us.  They wanted deodorant (yes, deodorant was 1st on their list), fresh underwear, toothbrushes, lotion, chapstick and soap (apparently the soap in the homeless shelters is very rough on their skin).  Last year we spent hours shopping and putting together packages of various sizes of underwear and toiletries for men, women and children - it was so much fun putting the packages together.  

I am challenging everyone who reads this post to buy a package of underwear, deodorant and soap the next time they are Christmas shopping at Walmart or Target and drop the items off at the homeless shelter of their choice.  The basics are so easily forgotten, maybe because we take them for granted, but I cannot imagine that receiving a fresh pair of underwear or getting my own stick of deodorant would be the high point of my day.  We are all so very lucky to even be reading this on a computer somewhere in the world.

Thanks for reading.......