Further Donate Donations

 One thing I like about my thrifty lifestyle is that it allows me to be more generous.  I tend to spend less and get more, which supports the gift-giver in me. Why not share when there is so little to lose? Beyond buying for the family and friends I love so much, I also try to support the causes I believe in. One belief of mine, is that talking about social problems is a good and positive thing, but it means nothing if no one offers a hand to help. We need to be the change we wish to see in this world; we need to effect positive change, not simply discuss it.So when I believe in something, I don't just state so, I try to take the steps needed to support it, back it, or incorporate it into my life.

When it comes to aiding charities, my thrifty ways have made helping out feel too easy, like I've done absolutely nothing, but this isn't the case; every action we take in life counts for something. Last week, Minnesota was bone-chillingly cold, -20F cold, and I know it wasn't much warmer back home in WI, either. On the news there was a feature on the Salvation Army, they were keeping their doors open at all hours for people to take shelter from the cold; several homeless people were suffering severe frostbite. I saw people lying on cement floors without blankets, as the news reporter requested that any gently used hats, scarves, mittens, and long underwear be donated.  "Gently used."  We can all donate gently used items at any moment, we all have gently used items in our homes, and even if we're not willing to part with them, we have thrift store donations that can be further donated; throwing an item into a chain of donations could hardly be a bad thing.

All I have here in Minneapolis is my one pair of gloves and my one scarf, so I wandered over to Steeple People.  They had bins and bins and bins of scarves, mittens and hot looking hats.  One bin in particular held several handknitted items, and the kind donator had requested that they be sold for .50 cents each. .50 CENTS! Beautiful, warm, hand stitched winter wear for absolutely nothing.  For only $3.00 I had the ability to make 6 people warmer. Think about that...it's amazing!

50 cents each!

Even a few months back when I conducted Shopping for Sharing in order to collect needed clothing, toys, and supplies for foster children in Milwaukee, my friends and I were able to buy bags upon bags of second hand supplies for close to nothing. Didn't set us back a bit.  It takes so little to improve someone's security.

Sorting Shopping 4 Sharing Donations

 I'm not trying to make a show of charity, that's far from what I care about.  I just want to display how little can make a lot, and how thrift stores really aid in making extreme generosity a possibility, even for poor college graduates like myself. I have very little, but I certainly have a lot to offer.We all do.

SOME of my Shopping 4 Sharing Team @ Target for hygiene supplies. We had so much fun!

Go ahead and donate someone's donation, it's a cycle worth repeating.