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I have tried (but not hard enough) to make my children aware of helping others. About 8 years ago, it dawned on me that our local retirement home (not nursing home) is filled with older people that live independant on their own but have absolutly no family. I agree that helping the elderly in nursing homes is important, but that seems to be covered. These people in the retirement home are for the most part, healthy enough to live by theirself. The thing that bothered me is they are VERY AWARE they are alone at the holidays. A thought that makes me so sad. SO each year we call for a list of the people that have no family (usually 5-10) and we get them 3 or 4 gifts at Christmas. Usually a warm piece of clothing or gloves or something and one food or candy item (usually sugar free as most are diabetic) and one other thing. I take my kids and maybe a few others and deliver them as ELves for "Santa Claus" a few days before Christmas. They are allowed to open them then or wait for Christmas Day. My children enjoy it , as do the women and men (who smile and want so badly to know WHO, but won't argue Santa in front of the kids) I just wish I could keep that spirit all year. Something I would like any of you to be aware of that you might not have know. There is a program called "angel tree" ministries that make it possible to buy a box of food each month for $30. Valued at about $70 or so. I picked up a box this month for my dd birthfamily. You can search on the interent where a church close by is, if any of you are interested.
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