On my neighborhood message board I saw an announcement about the Myra’s Angels Foundation. What I found to be most heart rendering is that this is an organization to help homeless and foster children. You can read about it HERE
As a former foster parent, who adopted, this organization touched my heart. Perhaps you would like to help these children for the holiday or afterward. Myra’s message is clear that there is a great need for “Community Heroes” who help with homeless and foster children in NC. Would you like to help by providing essentials such as toiletries, blankets, clothing, backpacks and other items. Check out about how you can support Myra’s Angels by going HERE Also, you can click on the Drop Down for Support.
I saw this and just had to share: “Help The Women’s Center provide Christmas gifts to women experiencing homelessness in The Triangle who are struggling to get back on their feet this holiday season. Through our gift program, you will have the opportunity to select one or more gift request tags, purchase the gift requested on the tag and return it to The Women’s Center in a holiday gift bag on or before Monday, December 10, 2017. The gifts are priced between $10 and $35. We will make sure the gifts are delivered in time for Christmas!
If you or your church, school or community group would like to select gift tags, please complete this form with the number of tags you would like to request.
Gift request tags will be available beginning on Wednesday, November 21, 2018?.
Tags can be emailed to you or picked up at The Women’s Center, 112 Cox Ave., Raleigh
Questions? Please email Viki Redding at viki.redding@wcwc.org.
Thank you for brightening the holidays for those in need this Christmas!”
To take part and to learn more, click on this link: GIFT TAGS
There may be people who cannot go out and buy presents to help others. With the 2018 Gift Tag program it is possible to purchase gifts and have them delivered to the Women’s Shelter of Wake County. They can send gifts to Women’s Center of Wake County, Attention: Viki Redding, 112 Cox Ave, Raleigh, NC 27605
Women’s Center of Wake County has been around for over 25 years, dedicated to serving women who are homeless. It is the only drop in shelter for homeless women in Wake County NC. They serve about 35-50 women daily. I became aware of the WCWC several years ago when I was working in RTP. As an outreach for two years, we collected presents for the children for Christmas. Even when we were told that they would not repeat the outreach, people brought me toys which I made sure were delivered. One year I had the pleasure of being asked to be Mrs. Claus. The bright lights that shone in the children’s eyes, full of glee, is something I will never forget. Learn more about Women’s Center of Wake County HERE
One year, as part of our family outreach, my daughter and I made a crazy quilt for the shelter and they raffled it off. Then on Christmas morning we took homemade cinnamon rolls. When it comes to the holiday spirit, I believe that thinking outside of ourselves is one of the best ways to get that spirit pumping.
Fund raising is on the upside, during the holidays. It’s a good thing, when people can help other people with their most important needs. As one who is familiar with the call center end of fundraising, I can tell you that the phones are steady.
You can’t go to any form of media without noticing that there have been many fires in California. One organization providing outreach is Direct Relief. Based in Goleta, California, Direct Relief is distributing particulate masks for those with asthma and other medical conditions worsened by smoke and ash from the California wildfires. This is a great organization.
I learned about the group from Michael Venutolo-Mantovani, a Chapel Hill, North Carolina fellow who recorded with members of Alabama Shakes and John Paul White’s backing band, Christmas music cut at Portside Sound studio in Muscle Shoals. What does this music have to do with Direct Relief? From now until Christmas day, they will donate all proceeds from the digital single to Direct Relief. How awesome is that? Here’s the link: The Happiest Man on Christmas Take a listen and if you feel so inclined, throw money in for this worthy cause.
Cheers to Michael and his fellow musicians for making this happen!
May this season of peace, joy, love and happiness be all that it is meant to be. There have been many ups and downs in the world. Many things are out of our control. As we reflect on the past and look to the future may we be mindful of the many ways we have been fortunate. Let’s take the spirit of the season into the new year. This is something we can do.
Yesterday, we had the pleasure of witnessing an 8 year old boy interviewing his 85 year old Dutch grandmother as she told of her life during WWII. It was fascinating. This was a school assignment. He also had to do a portrait of her. She came from a family with 10 children and the all went home from school for lunch. Her father was a potato and bean farmer. For her lunch chores she had to peel enough potatoes for 13 people to last for 2 meals. Whatever was not done, had to be finished after school. Everybody had to be inside when it was dark and the windows had to be blackened. Some people did not have food and her family left a bowl of potatoes for wanderers by the house. They lived near the train station, so this was a possibility that someone might walk by their house at night and be hungry. The kids liked to play marbles and jump rope. There were a loft like room for the boys and another room for the girls and another for the parents. How fortunate, I felt to hear this living history. If you have grandchildren or nieces and nephews, it might be interesting to hear their history. I interviewed our father several years ago and wrote a story from that. It was recorded and I still have the tape, but it’s hard to listen to since he is gone. It’s these sorts of things that matter in the long run, getting to know the history of others.
