So as we near the holidays, the spirit of love and giving is in the air. I notice that as usual this time of year, most people seem generally happier. I seem to get more smiles and nods and “have a good day’s”. Strangers are way more tolerant of my kids. I’m way more tolerant of my kids. It’s nice.

And every year at this time, I’m reminded of how lucky we are as a family – we really do have everything and for that, I’m so very grateful. But along with those happy thoughts come feelings of empathy and a little guilt as I think about those who are not so fortunate; I ask myself what I can do to help people out who aren’t so cheery this time of year. Two years ago, we gave money to charity in lieu of gifts but I still felt disconnected from the act of giving. So last year we handed out cups of hot apple cider and dog treats to everyone walking on the trail on front of our house on Christmas day. We had carols playing and at times we had big groups stopped at our table – total strangers, people and dogs alike – mingling, chatting and even singing. There were even a couple of teary ‘”thank-you’s.” But what amazed me was that so many people seemed surprised that we were giving just for the sake of it. You know what? That was the best Christmas day ever. Maybe it was because we spent it together. Maybe it was because we made people smile. Maybe it was because it had nothing to do with anything but the moment.

So this year, aside from giving personally, I wanted to do something bigger and use my position at UsedEverywhere to help make some lives just a little bit better. We have the stuff and there’s definitely lots of need, so we decided to see what we could do to help out local charities and non-profits. As I said we have the stuff, so we’re buying items from our Used sites that these charities need to run their programs. Anew non-profit has asked us for some office furniture to get them started and we’re helping out a couple of women’s shelters and families starting over with some household items. It seems insignificant to buy dish towels for a shelter, but things like this are desperately needed by organizations where every penny is paramount to helping those in need.

So you may hear from me if you have things posted for sale on our Vancouver Island sites and look for our posts on our Facebook page and UsedVictoria Facebook group if we need your help. To those of you who have already contributed to our wish list – thanks. A few of you have been exceptionally generous and donated items as well – very much appreciated. And as long as people are out walking their dogs on our neighborhood trail on Christmas day, we’ll be out there handing out dog cookies and hot cider – just because.