We don't give Christmas presents any more, just gifts to charities in the names of people we used to give gifts to. Follow me below to orange gnocchi doodle for our donations and let us know what gifts in the form of donations of time or money you are giving (or wishing you could give this year).
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We haven't been able to give us much as we're used to this year; our business has been dangerously slow at times and like everyone else we've had to cut back and hope to ride out the Great Recession. There is no way to give to every worthy cause, but these hold a special place in my heart this year.
This year I gave donations in other people's names for their gifts.
The Jesus Center
Ok, so I'm not a Christian (Digital Druid might better explain my leanings) but the Jesus Center feeds the local homeless, provides a shelter for women and children, operates a free store with clothing and hygiene items, and provides mail and message services. This gift was given on behalf of our business.
LAM Foundation
This gift is given in the name of my mother-in-law, a long-term survivor of a very rare lung disease, lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), that usually strikes much younger women, many of whom end up with lung transplants. My MIL is one of the longest-living sufferers of the disease, and is flown to the National Institute of Health twice a year as they study her to try and understand the source of her longevity with this disease in hopes of finding a cure.
San Diego Hospice
This gift is given in the name of my sister, mimi2three, who flew to San Diego several times to help make sure my brother got the end of life care he needed. San Diego Hospice is an absolutely gorgeous hospice facility that feels more like a 4-star hotel than a hospital. They provided the most compassionate and expert end-of-life care for my brother even though he was bankrupt and without insurance.
Next Generation Nepal
My office manager is one of the most generous people I have ever known, giving unstintingly to her friends and our patients with limited funds. When I asked her, If you could give money to any charity, which one would it be? she surprised me very much with this, showing that she cares about people all over the world. She learned about this orphanage through reading the book Little Princes and it stayed in her heart.
Daily Kos Subscription Drive
These donations were made in the name of that guy in the Guy Fawkes mask, Anonymous. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the goggled response of my recipient, and how much I love giving to the site that helped me find my tribe.
I know that not everyone is in a place to give time or money to a charity this year. If you were able to, tell us your favorite. If not, tell us who you would dearly love to give the gift of money or time to this holiday season.
TOP COMMENTS
December 22, 2011
Thanks to tonight's Top Comments contributors! Let us hear from YOU
when you find that gift of a comment.
from grover:
Lord Mike reminds us that Republicans who don't understand history, well, you know....
One of the reps said they wanted this to be their "Braveheart" moment. Did the idiot realize that William Wallace got his nuts cut off, his intestines cut out, and his body ripped apart to shreds? Yeah, I think not. |
from pico:
In Troubador's diary What Would You Do? Death Penalty Morality Scenarios, edrie resurrects some old ghosts for a painful and heartfelt meditation on living one's values.
from kevin k:
This one by localroger should be a top comment:
Rosa Parks really did break the law. She didn't need a refresher course on Jim Crow, she wanted to demonstrate that the law was unjust and she would put her freedom on the line to demonstrate that. |
This is a powerful comment. From The Troubadour's post NOT SATIRE: L.A. Tells Arrested OWS Protesters They Can Pay for "Free Speech" Classes to Avoid Court.
from orlbucfan:
TOP COMMENT!! I laughed so hard I almost choked at this comment by yg17 in Hunter's front page post Fox News: White House cards prove Obama hates Christmas:
Sarah Palin and Bo the Dog are 2 different people.
One is a dumb animal who responds to dog whistles, and the other is Bo.
With apologies to Craig Ferguson....
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from DawnN:
Never tried doing this before, but this comment from Dr Erich Bloodaxe RN sums up the season and the feeling in the community now:
Us is us... we're all in this together...and I'm the opposite of a trickle down kind of guy. You want a truly just and prosperous society, you start by raising the neediest up, not by pushing everyone into poverty.
Season's blessings, navajo, and thanks for all you've already done for Okiciyap :)
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and from your grateful poster, smileycreek:
Over50Lib responds to koseighty's diary A Typical Lunch with My Mom, but then EVERYTHING changed, recalling how his Republican father learned empathy and changed parties:
I personally related to the diarist since I had a similar experience with my dad, a staunch Nixon supporter. We had some knock down drag outs when it came to Viet Nam and our presence there. He did a 180 when I turned 18. His "life experience" changed that day. |
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TOP IMAGES
December 21, 2011
Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt™ below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
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(h/t to dragon5616 for teaching me how to format these cool boxes)