I'm not going to tell you what city I live in, because I don't want to shine any more of a negative light than has already been cast upon it. The truth is that most of that bad reputation is completely warranted. The crime is run unchecked by an understaffed police force. Property values are so low that my home is practically worthless. The only reason I haven't fled to other parts of the country like many of my friends is because I own a thriving business here that employs several people. This has also been my home for many, many generations. In addition to those two things, I also run and manage a kitchen charity for the needy that serves food every night...and one day last year, even served up Christmas t-shirts.
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.
You would be shocked by how many companies are willing to help you out if you supply tax codes for charitable organizations. I found a few places online that agreed to sell me t-shirts at cost so that I can give them out for our Christmas dinner that we have each year. This year, I would be giving out Christmas t-shirts in addition to the ham slices and yams. Every unfortunate soul who walked through the doors would be getting a present from me, and the only thing I was craving in return were a few smiles. We cooked a huge meal, strung up the lights, lit the tree, and laid out the Christmas shirt according to size.
When we opened the doors, I stood at the end of the servers line and waited in anticipation. The people walking through the door looked around at the decorations with dull, hopeless eyes. When the walked around the room, they all slowed down at the tables with the Christmas t-shirts on them. There was a sign that read, "Merry Christmas! From us to YOU! Take one!" One by one they all took a shirt and pulled it over their dirty layers, adding one more. Dull colors that filtered in were replaced by vibrant greens and reds. Pretty soon, people were laughing and walking through the server line. There were smiles on their faces. It's amazing what a little Christmas color can do.
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.
You would be shocked by how many companies are willing to help you out if you supply tax codes for charitable organizations. I found a few places online that agreed to sell me t-shirts at cost so that I can give them out for our Christmas dinner that we have each year. This year, I would be giving out Christmas t-shirts in addition to the ham slices and yams. Every unfortunate soul who walked through the doors would be getting a present from me, and the only thing I was craving in return were a few smiles. We cooked a huge meal, strung up the lights, lit the tree, and laid out the Christmas shirt according to size.
When we opened the doors, I stood at the end of the servers line and waited in anticipation. The people walking through the door looked around at the decorations with dull, hopeless eyes. When the walked around the room, they all slowed down at the tables with the Christmas t-shirts on them. There was a sign that read, "Merry Christmas! From us to YOU! Take one!" One by one they all took a shirt and pulled it over their dirty layers, adding one more. Dull colors that filtered in were replaced by vibrant greens and reds. Pretty soon, people were laughing and walking through the server line. There were smiles on their faces. It's amazing what a little Christmas color can do.
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, click the links on our home page today.
No comments:
Post a Comment