40 Days of Giving

I read War & Peace last fall (I like to bring that up whenever possible) and one of the themes we discussed in our class was the difference between being a good person and being a not bad person.  For my 20's and 30's I had been perfectly fine with being a not bad person: I worked, I paid my own bills (mostly on time), I voted, paid taxes and never was in trouble.  In my 40's I feel I can start to be more actively good, I am stable and have small amounts of the 2 things that help most -- time and money.

This week, to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, I began my 40 Days of Giving by dropping off a big bag of feminine hygiene products at the Women's Lunch Place.  The WLP is a Boston landmark that has been providing food and services to homeless women for over 30 years.  Why feminine hygiene products you might ask? This article made the rounds on Facebook last week and it really struck me how little I comprehend the plight of the homeless when I could be so shocked by such a basic need.

So I took a very small step in reaching to a friend at WLP and offering to start bringing monthly donations of these less donated items.  If you are in the Boston area and would like to help, I would be thrilled to increase my donation:

1. When you are buying your own tampons or pads, pick up an extra and give it to me whenever you see me next.  Since I will be making regular donations there is no need to make a special trip, just bring them along the next time we have drinks or book group or whatever.
2. Have a coupon for a brand you don't use? I'll take those too.
3. See a good sale (or any sale really this week there were no sales) leave a comment here on the blog or email me directly.

When I think about helping people I am always most moved by tangible things, money is awesome and necessary, but the idea of providing direct services to those who need it most is wonderful.

40 Days of Giving will also include posts on Volunteer time (I will be posting some volunteer opportunities if you want to join me for a public service date) and some Fundraising pages for friends who are raising money for important causes.  So keep an eye out!