The Best Part of the Christmas Season - Love, Charity, and Kindness

Whoever has two coats should share with someone with none. -Luke 3:11

If you know of someone who needs help… be a light and available to help always, but especially during the Christmas season~

The War on Christmas (and religion) verses the Spirit of Christmas Series at AskMarion – 18

Random Acts of Kindness and Charity Are the Best Gifts to Yourself… As Well as to Those in Need!

Christmas is the perfect time to show acts of kindness and build a stronger sense of community. The spirit of the holiday is undeniable and Christmas kindness is legendary. Many individuals may be too busy during the year and random acts of kindness may slip their mind. This holiday season, make a point to enrich the lives of the less fortunate as well as those close to your heart. Here are some simple acts of kindness that make a big difference and can make the holidays more enjoyable for all involved.

Feed the Hungry – Instead of buying extra food or expensive gifts, set aside a small portion of your Christmas budget to feed those who can’t afford a succulent Christmas dinner. A small act of kindness such as donating to a soup kitchen or donating canned goods to various food drives is a great way to spread Christmas kindness and help those less fortunate enjoy their holiday. No matter what religion one embraces, all of them teach the lesson of kindness toward others and donating to the less fortunate in their time of need. The perfect time to perform random acts of kindness, help build a better society, and uplift those in need of your charity. Start by donating extra canned goods (and not just the creamed corn) then perhaps buy some food that your family likes during the holidays and donate it to your local shelter. Volunteer to help prepare or serve a meal at a local rescue or shelter.  Also invite some family, friends or neighbors that are having a tough time or will be alone over the holidays to share Christmas dinner with you and your family and make sure to send them home with some leftovers for at least one more meal!

Help Friends, Family or a Stranger that you Know Are in Need – More Americans are in some type of distress or need this year than at anytime since the Depression.  If you know of someone who needs help whether it is with cash, food, gifts for their children, help with their pets, car repairs or transportation, gas money, to stay off the streets, to move, to find shelter, to get home for the holidays or anything else, find their need or ask them what they need and try to fill it.  If it is too big for you to do alone try to organize other friends, family, neighbors, churches and church members, or outside resources to help them. Working together we can create miracles and move mountains  Adopt a family, a friend, or a homeless person; you will feel like Santa Claus.

Cook a healthy meal for the holidays – Avoid going on a diet after the holidays. Your guests would likely appreciate a Christmas meal consisting of more than just deep friend greasy foods. Instead of stuffing yourself with unhealthy food, create a versatile meal that compliments both vegetarians and omnivores alike. Cooking extra vegetarian dishes is not very difficult, and those who don’t eat meat and those who choose to be healthy will greatly appreciate it. The traditional spread may be classic and delicious, but it’s good to have healthy alternatives.

Cheer up the sick – Those who are in the most need of kindness during the holiday season are those in the hospital who might miss most of the Christmas festivities. Pay a visit to those who may be alone during the holidays, give them small gifts, and generally uplift them. Sometimes the best way to cure physical and emotional pain is simple human interaction. It may not seem like a monumental event, but one gift from a total stranger may make their holiday memorable.

Donate gifts to charity – Think about the amount of old gifts laying around the house, items that the kids no longer use, that you no longer use. Many of these are probably in good enough condition for those less fortunate to enjoy. The average American house/garage/storage space is absolutely overflowing with old items that individuals simply refused to let go of. This holiday season, why not donate some of those gifts to organizations aimed at helping those in need of a little holiday spirit. An old, outdated toy may not mean much to you or your children, but might mean the world to those who can’t afford Christmas gifts.

Adopt a pet or two – Many more animals need love and a forever home this year than normal. Consider adopting or fostering just one more pet for the holidays… the shelters are overflowing and 2 out of 3 animals who get into the shelter system never leave there alive!  Or help a family having tough times feed their pets or get them items or medical attention that they have not been able to afford.  And continue to help them with pet food after Christmas.  Or pay the adoption fees for a senior citizen or family who would love a pet but can’t squeeze out the extra money for the fees. Donating pet food to a pet food bank or regular food bank is another welcomed act of kindness or volunteer at a local rescue or shelter and help them find foster homes, if not permanent homes, for the pets in their care.

The greatest gift and feeling at Christmastime is the satisfaction you get from giving and helping others.  Make it a goal this year.  It will change your life as much or more than that of those you help.  if we all spent more time paying it forward and helping those that fall onto hard times, the world would be a better and richer place!

Related:

Christmas for Pet People  -  Watch Glenn Beck’s Emotional Tribute To His Dog, Victor

American Traditions

War on Christmas is Part of the Overall War on Religion… a Move Toward a ‘New Age’ – a NWO with a One World Religion and Often From Within Churches

Adopt a Pet This Christmas… Or Give Someone a New Friend for Christmas (or Hanukah)!

Christmas Baking

NewsWeek and Jon Stewart Decree the War on Christmas is Over…

Carolling… or Caroling and Christmas Music

Nativity – The Reason for the Season – ‘Glory of Christmas’ begins final season at Crystal Cathedral (2008 to 2009)

Christmas Trees

Hanukkah, Hanukah, Chanukah

European Markets or Christkindlmarkts Capture the Christmas Spirit

St. Nickolas Day

So Where Is the War on Christmas Coming From? – A Worthwhile Read!

Best Holiday Movie Classics – A Merry Christmas From Hollywood

God Rest Ye Merry Merchants – Christmas: An American Holiday and Tradition to Love and Preserve

Advent – The Season of Anticipation and Hope

The War on Christmas verses the Spirit of Christmas Series at AskMarion – with comments from Ben Stein

Red Kettles & Bell Ringers

Atheists intimidate Santa Monica into eliminating Nativity… And So the War on Christmas and Freedom of Religion Continues – Churches Thwart Nativity Ban By Putting Up Living Displays In Santa Monica

Black Friday Holiday Shopping Kick-off Overshadows True Meaning of Christmas

What Movies in History Best Captures the Spirit of Thanksgiving?

“Holidays Are Great and Fun To Share With Our Pets, As Long As We Avoid the No-No Foods” – Animal Nativity

Christianity & Gun Owners in the Crosshairs: Chilling Tactic Exposed

How Should Christians Respond to Atheist ‘Hatred’ & the War on Christmas? This Priest Has Some Advice

The Need For A Christian Worldview of Freedom And Economics

BECK GOES GLOBAL, MEETS WITH CATHOLIC CLERGY & INTERNATIONAL TEA PARTY LEADERS IN ROME

A great read: Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media’s Attack on Christianity

Technorati Tags: hope,charity,kindness,random acts of kindness,love,pets,pet adoption,feeding the hungry,adopt the needy,volunteer,War on Christmas,Christmas,spirit of Christmas,holidays,Hanukah,American Traditions,American values,War on Christianity,War on Religion,The War on… The War on Christmas,Hanukkah,giving,secularism,atheists,Jews,Christians,reason for the season,making a difference

Feeding The Homeless BANNED In Major Cities All Over America

It is getting crazy out there!!

The Economic Collapse Blog

What would you do if you came across someone on the street that had not had anything to eat for several days?  Would you give that person some food?  Well, the next time you get that impulse you might want to check if it is still legal to feed the homeless where you live.  Sadly, feeding the homeless has been banned in major cities all over America.  Other cities that have not banned it outright have put so many requirements on those that want to feed the homeless (acquiring expensive permits, taking food preparation courses, etc.) that feeding the homeless has become “out of reach” for most average people.  Some cities are doing these things because they are concerned about the “health risks” of the food being distributed by ordinary “do-gooders”.  Other cities are passing these laws because they do not want homeless people congregating in city centers where they know that they will be fed.  But at a time when poverty and government dependence are soaring to unprecedented levels, is it really a good idea to ban people from helping those that are hurting?

This is just another example that shows that our country is being taken over by control freaks.  There seems to be this idea out there that it is the job of the government to take care of everyone and that nobody else should even try.

But do we really want to have a nation where you have to get the permission of the government before you do good to your fellow man?

It isn’t as if the government has “rescued” these homeless people.  Homeless shelters all over the nation are turning people away each night because they have no more room.  There are many homeless people that are lucky just to make it through each night alive during the winter.

Sometimes a well-timed sandwich or a cup of warm soup can make a world of difference for a homeless person.  But many U.S. cities have decided that feeding the homeless is such a threat that they had better devote law enforcement resources to making sure that it doesn’t happen.

This is so twisted.  In America today, you need a “permit” to do almost anything.  We are supposed to be a land of liberty and freedom, but these days government bureaucrats have turned our rights into “privileges” that they can revoke at any time.

The following are some of the major U.S. cities that have attempted to ban feeding the homeless….

Philadelphia

Mayor Nutter recently banned feeding homeless people in many parts of Philadelphia where homeless people are known to congregate….

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has announced a ban on the feeding of large numbers of homeless and hungry people at sites on and near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Mayor Nutter is imposing the ban on all outdoor feedings of large numbers of people on city parkland, including Love Park and the Ben Franklin Parkway, where it is not uncommon for outreach groups to offer free food.

Nutter says the feedings lack both sanitary conditions and dignity.

Orlando

Last June, a group of activists down in Orlando, Florida were arrested by police for feeding the homeless in defiance of a city ordinance….

Over the past week, twelve members of food activist group Food Not Bombs have been arrested in Orlando for giving free food to groups of homeless people in a downtown park. They were acting in defiance of a controversial city ordinance that mandates permits for groups distributing food to large groups in parks within two miles of City Hall. Each group is allowed only two permits per park per year; Food Not Bombs has already exceeded their limit. They set up their meatless buffet in Lake Eola knowing that they would likely be arrested as a result.

Houston

Down in Houston, a group of Christians was recently banned from distributing food to the homeless, and they were told that they probably would not be granted a permit to do so in the future even if they applied for one….

Bobby and Amanda Herring spent more than a year providing food to homeless people in downtown Houston every day. They fed them, left behind no trash and doled out warm meals peacefully without a single crime being committed, Bobby Herring said.

That ended two weeks ago when the city shut down their “Feed a Friend” effort for lack of a permit. And city officials say the couple most likely will not be able to obtain one.

“We don’t really know what they want, we just think that they don’t want us down there feeding people,” said Bobby Herring, a Christian rapper who goes by the stage name Tre9.

Dallas

Dallas has also adopted a law which greatly restricts the ability of individuals and ministries to feed the homeless….

A Dallas-area ministry is suing the city over a food ordinance that restricts the group from giving meals to the homeless.

Courts dismissed Dallas’ request for a summary judgment last week, saying the case, brought up by pastor Don Hart (in video above) may indeed be a violation of free exercise of religion, as protected by the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the blog Religion Clause reported.

In the court filing, the ministry leaders argue that their Christian faith requires them to share meals with the homeless (Jesus did!) and that the requirement that even churches and charities provide toilets, sinks, trained staff and consent of the city keeps them from doing so.

Las Vegas

A few years ago, Las Vegas became the first major U.S. city to specifically pass a law banning the feeding of homeless people….

Las Vegas, whose homeless population has doubled in the past decade to about 12,000 people in and around the city, joins several other cities across the country that have adopted or considered ordinances limiting the distribution of charitable meals in parks. Most have restricted the time and place of such handouts, hoping to discourage homeless people from congregating and, in the view of officials, ruining efforts to beautify downtowns and neighborhoods.

But the Las Vegas ordinance is believed to be the first to explicitly make it an offense to feed “the indigent.”

That law has since been blocked by a federal judge, and since then many U.S. cities have been very careful not to mention “the indigent” or “the homeless” by name in the laws they pass that are intended to ban feeding the homeless.

New York City

New York City has banned all food donations to government-run homeless shelters because the bureaucrats there are concerned that the donated food will not be “nutritious” enough.

Yes, this is really true.

The following is from a recent Fox News article….

The Bloomberg administration is now taking the term “food police” to new depths, blocking food donations to all government-run facilities that serve the city’s homeless.

In conjunction with a mayoral task force and the Health Department, the Department of Homeless Services recently started enforcing new nutritional rules for food served at city shelters. Since DHS can’t assess the nutritional content of donated food, shelters have to turn away good Samaritans.

Can you believe that?

The bureaucrats are officially out of control.

In America today, it seems like almost everything is illegal.

One church down in Louisiana was recently ordered to stop giving out water because it did not have a government permit.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I sure am going to give a cup of cold water to someone if they need it whether I have a permit or not.

It is as if common sense has totally gone out the window in this nation.

Over in New Hampshire, a woman is being sued for planting flowers in her own front yard.

This is the kind of thing that makes me glad that I have moved to a much more rural location.  People in the country tend to be much more relaxed.

Sadly, those that love to micro-manage others continue to get the upper hand in America.  Back in January, 40,000 new laws went into effect all over America.  The politicians continue to hit us with wave after wave of regulations and laws with no end in sight.

All of this is making America a very unpleasant place in which to live.