My city has not seen the greatest glory years of it's past in a long, long time. The inner city is dangerous, the outer city is abandoned, and the price of homes has tumbled down into the range of the ridiculous. My city has felt like it is dying for awhile, and this terrible economy is the extra rock that will make the raft sink. I have had friends leave and move to other states just to get away from the crime and poverty here. I can't do that, though. I am a business owner and this is my home. As such, it is my responsibility to help in any way possible, so I have funded a modest soup kitchen for the last several years. It wasn't until I brought in the Christmas t-shirts last year that I started seeing people smile, though.
The tale of what we did that Christmas night to help recover some lost smiles with a few hundred Christmas t-shirts is not a long one. My wife brought the terrible conditions that many of the homeless were experiencing to my attention about five years ago. My heart broke and I tried very hard to get enough funds together to open a shelter. Those attempts failed, but I was able to open a nightly kitchen were volunteers would cook and serve food for as many hungry people came through the door. It wasn't long for me to realize that even though our help should be a reason to feel a bit of joy, no one coming is ever smiled. Not even when they thanked us.
I have honestly had one of the most rewarding experiences of my life running this charity. I go in every day and everyone who comes in regularly knows my name. I have developed some lasting friendships, and have seen many homeless people crawl back up out of the gutter and into stable lives. I just couldn't get over the deep sadness that so many of them felt. When I confronted my wife about all of this, she just smiled and kissed my head. She said that maybe I should add some color to the place, and suddenly the answer came to me. The place could use some happier colors...some cheerful, Christmas t-shirts colors.
I had to find some help for this plan I was coming up with, and I had to start immediately because no one would be able to offer any assistance once the holiday shopping season starts. I run an Internet company as well, and I know what kind of insanity that is. I contacted several online t-shirt vendors and found several who were willing to help once I faxed them proof of my charity. When Christmas dinner rolled around, I was completely ready. The wife and I did some great decorations and we laid out the Christmas t-shirts within easy reach by the front door.
The doors opened promptly at 4pm, because we had hundreds of people to serve that night. When the folks started coming in, it was the same as always. Sadness in their eyes and hunger in their bellies. However, they all stopped at the table full of free Christmas t-shirts. Pretty soon, they were pulling their new shirts on over their old, tattered, and dull-colored tops. The whole place came alive in a matter of minutes. People laughing, smiling, and sharing good food. Those Christmas colors sure made a difference.
The tale of what we did that Christmas night to help recover some lost smiles with a few hundred Christmas t-shirts is not a long one. My wife brought the terrible conditions that many of the homeless were experiencing to my attention about five years ago. My heart broke and I tried very hard to get enough funds together to open a shelter. Those attempts failed, but I was able to open a nightly kitchen were volunteers would cook and serve food for as many hungry people came through the door. It wasn't long for me to realize that even though our help should be a reason to feel a bit of joy, no one coming is ever smiled. Not even when they thanked us.
I have honestly had one of the most rewarding experiences of my life running this charity. I go in every day and everyone who comes in regularly knows my name. I have developed some lasting friendships, and have seen many homeless people crawl back up out of the gutter and into stable lives. I just couldn't get over the deep sadness that so many of them felt. When I confronted my wife about all of this, she just smiled and kissed my head. She said that maybe I should add some color to the place, and suddenly the answer came to me. The place could use some happier colors...some cheerful, Christmas t-shirts colors.
I had to find some help for this plan I was coming up with, and I had to start immediately because no one would be able to offer any assistance once the holiday shopping season starts. I run an Internet company as well, and I know what kind of insanity that is. I contacted several online t-shirt vendors and found several who were willing to help once I faxed them proof of my charity. When Christmas dinner rolled around, I was completely ready. The wife and I did some great decorations and we laid out the Christmas t-shirts within easy reach by the front door.
The doors opened promptly at 4pm, because we had hundreds of people to serve that night. When the folks started coming in, it was the same as always. Sadness in their eyes and hunger in their bellies. However, they all stopped at the table full of free Christmas t-shirts. Pretty soon, they were pulling their new shirts on over their old, tattered, and dull-colored tops. The whole place came alive in a matter of minutes. People laughing, smiling, and sharing good food. Those Christmas colors sure made a difference.
About the Author:
You can find an extensive selection of cute Holiday shirts by viewing our web pages. To shop our online catalog of hilarious Christmas tees, check out the links on our home page right right away.
No comments:
Post a Comment