Our countdown to Christmas has begun with the consumption of mulled wine and mince pies, as is my little personal tradition.
I started accumulating the mince pies from the supermarkets at the end of November, having forgotten that I had already done a survey of the various mince pies last year. I was wondering what to do with the over supply of mince pies when my attention was turned to the homeless.
Ever since the extent of homelessness in the UK came to our attention in May this year when we studied about the Victorian poor, I have become more aware of the signs of the current rising food and housing crises around us, for example the increase in the number of food bank collection points in town and the number of people selling The Big Issue (a magazine sold by homeless people). The trend is both worrying and upsetting.
We already make regular donations to the food banks and to the charity shops, but I feel compelled to do a little more this December. I thought about volunteering at a homeless shelter over Christmas, but knew I would be too upset when I come face-to-face with real people who are in such a desperate situation, so this year I will just make donations of winter clothing and 10% of our weekly grocery to the shelter, including all the extra mince pies that I have bought -- although I seriously think that homeless people have bigger problems to worry about than having mince pies to eat at Christmas time. Maybe next year I will find the courage to actually go and help out at the shelter.
It sounds like you do more than most, Hwee. I hope you have a very blessed December :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Claire. I think it starts with an awareness, then slowly transferring the awareness into action. I'm still not brave enough to go all out and help at the shelter though. I hope I'll muster enough courage to do so for the Christmas in 2016. :-)
DeleteI agree with Claire - I'm sure what you do makes a big difference, Hwee. I don't necessarily think it's about being brave. We are all different and can contribute in our own ways.
ReplyDeleteYears ago when I was studying law I would have liked to have worked with abused women, but I knew I was way too sensitive (and I somehow ended up a commercial lawyer). These days I have the skills to actually make a difference to people like that (as a therapist) and I can handle it just fine. Meanwhile there are - thankfully - lawyers who are able to work with vulnerable people. Maybe a bit of a tangent but I think we need to appreciate what we can each give as our individual selves.
Enjoy your mince pies. :) (Oh and can you please remind us which won out in your sampling last year? I'll get them for the mince-pie eaters in my family!)
You're a natural therapist, Lucinda, being always so good at providing comforting words to others. :-) Thanks for your reassurance that the little that I'm doing does make a difference to those in need. I'm finding it difficult to indulge in the Christmas cheer this year while knowing that an increasing number of working families in this country are having to go without shelter and food. As you say, we do what we can individually to help those in need. :-)
DeleteThe top place for mince pie was a tie between Sainsbury's Taste the Difference and Lidl. Hope your family enjoy them!
Jesus said the poor would always be with us. So I think we do what we can at any given time. For some it is donations of money or food or clothing. For others it is time. For others it is a more hands on approach. Sometimes we float through the various kinds of giving at different times in our lives. We do what we can. We must also take care of our own, so that we and they do not become the homeless...
ReplyDeleteVery true about doing what we can while taking care of ourselves too. It's no use to anybody if we were to drown alongside those who we are trying to save. :-)
DeleteI remember reading your mince pie survey last year! We've gone for Tesco Finest this year.
ReplyDeleteTesco Finest comes second in the survey, if I recall correctly. They're very tasty, so good choice on your part, Paula! The top place last year went to Sainsbury Taste the Difference brand and Lidl, so you might want to try those too. :-)
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