Day 217: $1 to Bold People in Progress

It could be that these bold people are just bold enough to ask people for money outside of supermarkets; nonetheless, I appreciated the opportunity to donate a dollar to a little boy even if it goes for his mom's cigarettes. That sounds pretty cynical.  Bold People in Progress actually gave me a half sheet of paper listing the activities they support which include storytelling and puppet shows. They are a group that is "involved in positive social dynamics" and promote having "good, clean fun."  Sounds plausible.  They have a P.O. Box for an address, and there is a note at the bottom of the half-sheet that says: "The Ohio Secretary of State has our records of our nonprofit status."  What's not to believe.

Day 216: Rice Pilaf and Canned Pumpkin to Freestore Foodbank

I pulled these two items from the cupboard to donate to the Freestore Foodbank because I did not think I would make it out today. I'm taking it easy while recovering from having my upper wisdom teeth pulled. I surely should have had them pulled years ago, but they never bothered me. In fact, they still weren't bothering me, but my new dentist said that they were a problem. Ironically, one of the items I donated today--the can of pumpkin--would be suitable for eating right now. Items like rice, however, I have to steer clear from for a few days. My plans for dinner include mashed potatoes and maybe a little ice cream for dessert. I wonder if the Freestore Foodbank will save the canned pumpkin for October or November.

Day 215: five journals

I donated five journals to St. Vincent de Paul today. These were pretty journals that girls would love. I had originally purchased these at a discounted price to hold onto for graduation gifts. As a teacher, I am often invited to graduation parties (some years more than others) and have to come up with gifts that are nice but won't break the bank. Since I had packed these journals away in a closet and forgotten about them, though, they seemed like a perfect donation for St. Vincent de Paul. Hopefully they will put them on sale in their store for a minimal price and multiple parties can benefit.

Day 214: $1 to USO

This donation was made purely out of convenience. I had other items already in my car to drop off at a donation center, but it was so hot, and I didn't feel like driving farther than I already had to. Thus, when I was at Kroger picking up just one item, I looked to see if they had their little plastic boxes in the checkout lanes. Sure enough, I was able to help our "heroes and their families" with my dollar donation. I think I was the only person that day who donated folding money.  Everything else was change, but that's fine. Money is money. I wonder what the USO does with this money, and why Kroger chooses that specific organization for their charity.

Day 213: Bag of clothing to Salvation Army

I donated to the big white box in the Kroger parking lot today (which I noticed had been recently emptied). Today I gave away six shirts and two sweaters. All of the apparel was in good condition, but perhaps a little outdated. One of the sweaters was a nice, light sweater for spring or fall, the other was a heavy winter sweater. It sort of made me sick to handle the winter sweater; after all, tomorrow we will be breaking the record for the most number of days over 90 degrees in a row. Yuck. Right now, I can't even imagine that winter will ever come again. That's one thing about living in Cincinnati --you get every extreme of the weather. My favorite is fall (even though it means going back to school).