DEAR ABBY: With the holidays fast approaching, I’m starting to think about shopping. Honestly, I’m tired of shopping for adults who don’t need anything. Finding gifts for them becomes more daunting each year. I think gift cards and direct money are tacky Christmas presents.
Do you think it would be odd to ask my adult children and other family members to select a charity they would like me to donate to instead of buying them gifts that just take up more room? This year has been hard on many people financially, but most of my family members are lucky enough to still be working through everything that has happened. I think charities could use a boost. – NEW IDEA IN FLORIDA
DEAR NEW IDEA: I am sure they could. Your idea is terrific, and it reminded me of a letter I printed many years ago, which I have edited because of space limitations. Read on:
DEAR ABBY: Like many families, we have wrestled with the “What do we get for people who have everything?” dilemma. Last year, our family finally hit upon a solution. We discussed it with our grandparents. They agreed it would be more charitable for us to give something to people who lack everyday necessities, so we adopted a battered children’s shelter. Those little ones are truly refugees. They need everything from toothbrushes and hairbrushes to baby formula and diapers – not to mention toys and games.
To our delight, our neighbors got involved in our project, too. For weeks, on Thursdays, neighbors would leave donations in a sack by their mailbox, and we would pick them up. Our goal was for every child in that shelter to wake up on Christmas morning to find packages of necessities and a few playthings.