January 15, 2010

Earthquake in Haiti: How you can help

News of a 7.0 earthquake that rocked the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince has shocked the world. Many people wondering how they can help.

The best thing you can do is to donate money to one of the charitable organizations already on the ground.

January 15, 2010

Giving Back: teaching young kids how.

It's amazing how the world has come together to help the devastation in Haiti. My son is 3 and I have purposefully not been watching news around him because he is very sensitive and I don't want him to be scared. I do want to remember how fortunate we are and just because I am not explaining this specific event to him , I can use it as a reminder to teach him how to give to those in need.

Here are some ways you can incorporate teaching about service and charity for your preschooler :

December 29, 2009

Not One of My Better Moves

Porshai did the "pee-pee" dance while we waited in the cold and nearly empty subway station.

When Porshai had to "go" where there was no bathroom I told her to distract herself with dance.

A homeless man who visited our church noticed me.

"Hello," he said.
"How are you?" I asked.
"I'm hungry. Can you get me something to eat?"

Usually I'd buy a sandwich but I had no money.
I invited him home. "I can fix you something to eat."
The wind whipped against us as the subway train arrived.
Porshai danced and sang, "Mommy, I still have to pee."

December 24, 2009

One Hundred Sandwiches

We made one hundred sandwiches.

In our kitchen, my roommate sliced the ham, bologna, and turkey, and I spread Miracle Whip on the wheat bread. We put the sandwiches in brown paper bags with a drink, a bag of chips, and an apple. We stuffed the brown paper bags into two duffel bags.

We put on aprons and walked the streets, wandering where the homeless wait and sometimes sleep.

A man sat on the ground with his legs crossed.
"Are you hungry?:
He looked up and nodded, "yes." I gave him a bag.

An old white woman wearing layers of clothing sat on a bench by the library.

August 31, 2009

Erratic charity

After Sunday morning worship I was driving down the street, my eyes almost blinded by the sun's brightness. In the distance, I saw silhouettes of three people standing on the corner outside of a mom and pop convenient store.

I drove nearer.

It was three of my boys.

I pulled over.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked

"What's up T.?"

"T, we broke," one of the boys said.

That was his way of saying, "The program’s over."

"T, you want to be the driver?" (Referring to a drive by shooting)

What he meant was, "We're back to what we were doing before."

June 24, 2009

Small change

At no time of the year are my kids more concerned with coins than they are in the summer. Our pool comes complete with a small snack bar, where for a mere .25 cents they can buy a jolly pop popsicle. We keep a baggie of coins in the pool bag for just that purpose, and the kids are forever finding fallen coins everywhere we go and hoarding them for the pool. All nice in theory, however; but the kids have turned the coin finding into a type of competition, with, of course, pretty disastrous results.

October 7, 2008

Me, the bitter and naïve hoe

I drove up Blue Hill Avenue. Prostitutes my age work the avenue. A prostitute with whom I shared many blunts was standing in front of a Haitian Church at 7 a.m., looking to be picked, chosen by a trick. I drove past her, but in my heart I wanted to get out and tell her to get in my car. But then I realized, where am I am going to take her? I couldn’t take her home with me. So I kept driving and prayed two things. I prayed and thanked God that that isn’t me, and I prayed and asked God to help her.