It’s been a while since I updated my blog, but a lot has happened between my last post and now…
-After 12 years of living in Japan, I said goodbye to my life in Tokyo and moved to New York.
-I started a new job.
-I completed my coaching certification training and passed my written exam.
-Oh…and I’m in the middle of planning my wedding, which is happening in 28 days.
So things have been just a little crazy around here. However, I felt pretty compelled to sit down and write this entry given that 1) it’s the season to think about giving and 2) Suze Orman reinforced something I was thinking earlier today. (Watch her Dec. 4th show to know more.)
Ok, so picture this. I am walking down 23rd St. toward my place. It’s about 28 degrees Fahrenheit (-2 degrees Celsius for those of you on the metric system), but the wind is making it feel like it’s 10 below zero. I lost my gloves that night in the scuffle to give a teenager a few bucks to get something to eat, so my hands were freezing. All I could think about was getting home fast so I could relax in my warm apartment. After I got home, I cranked up the heat to about 70, made myself a cup of tea, and sat in the comfort of my living room, enjoying my little Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
And then I realized that people are still outside, living in the cold I had just escaped. And I started thinking about how lucky I am to have what I do.
It’s estimated that in the US alone, there are anywhere between 200,000-500,000 people who are homeless. And these statistics continue to grow because of the ailing economy, the number of jobs that continue to be lost, as well as limited choices for those facing financial issues. I am sure that if you interviewed a number of homeless, you’d find that they are out of a home for a number of reasons, from domestic violence to simply running out of money. I am sure you would also find that, if given the choice, most of these people would chose to be in a home rather than trying to survive out on the streets.
And it is so easy for each one of us to make a small difference in these people’s lives.
Earlier today, I was unpacking my things that had arrived from Japan on Saturday. And the one thing I kept telling myself is “I have too much clothing.” How many of us have things in our closets that we have either never worn, or worn a few times, and just let hang in our closet, waiting to lose the extra 5 pounds to fit back into that item, or hanging onto it because “you know you’ll wear it someday.”
So here are a few ways you can make a difference this holiday season, and it will cost you little to no money at all:
1) Donate your clothes—Here is a great rule of thumb. If you didn’t wear it last season, it goes. Plain and simple. Some people use the 6 month rule, but I am a believer that if you didn’t wear it last year, chances are that you won’t wear it this year.
Donating is SO EASY as well. In Japan, the Salvation Army will take your items free of charge. You can send your old clothing to them directly to 男子社会奉仕センター 東京都杉並区和田2-21-2
When I sent my clothes, I would also include a few thousand yen as donation money to assist with the cost of laundering/processing the clothing. You will receive a receipt back for any monetary donation that you can use to write off your taxes.
In the states, around this time of year there are places all over that you can take your clothes to be donated. Your local places of worship, Salvation Army, or other community centers often have drop off boxes where you can take your clothing you no longer need.
2) Volunteer your time—How many of you actually do anything on Christmas Day outside of open presents, watch football on TV, and eat until you are about to pop? Why not take an hour or two out of your Christmas Day to help volunteer at a church or soup kitchen that is serving Christmas dinner to those in need? Or find a place that is helping to distribute gifts to kids who are less fortunate? Around the holiday season, there are a number of volunteer activities you can participate in. Come on…you all know how to use the Internet. Get on line and find something that will help make someone’s holiday just that much more special.
3) Adopt a family—There are currently over 15 million unemployed people in the US. The holidays cannot be an easy time for any of those without a job, as the limited funds that they have probably go to pay for the essentials needed to survive. How can you help them have a brighter holiday season? The Salvation Army in the US runs a program called “Adopt-A-Family.” Basically, you would sponsor a family that has applied to the Adopt-A-Family program, and either purchase gifts for them (either requested gifts, or gifts of your choice), or offer them support in other ways, such as paying a few of their bills or a portion of their rent. Given that we have so much in our lives, isn’t this the perfect season to try and share what you have with someone else in the world? For more information on the Adopt-A-Family program, click HERE.
These are just a few ideas for you all to ponder. I am sure many of you have your own ideas or creative thoughts on how to make a difference this holiday season as well.
I know I put this quote by Gandhi in one of my earlier blog entries this year, but it seems very appropriate for this entry as well. He said “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” If each one of us did one nice thing for one person, think of the amount of good we could do in this world.
