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Can you help?


Jesus once said that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and in the years doing Christmas Baskets at Dove, Inc., I’ve found that to be true.

I look at my life, at my home, and I know that I’m more fortunate than a huge percentage of the world’s population. I have a loving family, a house to live in, heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, a job that I love, food on the table each day, a dependable car to get me where I need to go, and relatively good health. I am beyond grateful for all that I have.

I’m also grateful for the knowledge and awareness I have of those who aren’t as fortunate as I am, because it puts me in a better position of helping.

Did you know that the nationally, the average age of a homeless individual is 9 years old? According to feedingamerica.org, more than 40 million families in the United States struggle with food insecurity, never knowing if or when they’ll have their next meal, let alone receive a gift for Christmas. The numbers are certainly overwhelming to look at or contemplate. But we can’t let that overwhelming feeling render us helpless.

We may be unable to help every single person or every family in need, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help at all. There’s an old story about a boy who was tossing stranded starfish into the ocean when an older man came along and asked him what he was doing. He told him he was saving them by throwing them back into the water. The older man scoffed, saying he couldn’t possibly save all of them. The boy threw another starfish back into sea and replied, “Maybe not, but I just made a world of difference for that one.”

Are you able to assist one person or one family, in receiving a gift or food for Christmas? Can you donate a (new) children’s toy for our basket drive? A can or two of food for someone to eat or a new pair of gloves and a hat to help keep someone warm? There are so many ways you could make a world of difference for one person or family by donating or volunteering at our Baskets drive. Please consider joining us in assisting families in our community this year.
Angie Williams - Christmas Basket Coordinator

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