We’ve been in our new house for a month now and we’re still unpacking the mountain of boxes filled with our accumulated material wealth. The good news is that garage no longer looks like that warehouse at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie. Two cars fit in the three-car garage. My husband even has the beginnings of a small workshop out there. Even so, there is much to do. I’m still on the injured list, the holidays are upon us, and the world seems to be in a constant state of grief, anger, violence and fear-fueled hate. What’s a girl to do?
Then last week this appeared in my Facebook feed: Fifteen Things for When the World is Shitty and Terrifying. Reading it made me feel a bit better. There are things I can do in my own little corner of the planet.
You may remember that before we put our old house on the market, we filled a couple of dumpsters, held a garage sale, and made multiple donations to a local thrift shop. You’d think we were done shedding stuff. Not quite. Many of the things I saved and packed up last summer now have me saying, “Meh,” when I open the box. Extra linens, towels, and surplus kitchen items. All still usable. Still pretty clean even. Things I simply don’t need.
Fortunately, I discovered a Catholic Charities/St. Vincent’s (Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada) donation drop-off just a few blocks away. When they sell my usable items at one of their thrift shops, the profits help purchase food that they give to those in need–without regard to faith, race, or circumstance. In Reno alone, they feed an average of 500 meals each day to hungry men, women, and children.
So while I may be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the chaos that exists in my home and in the world, I can do something. I may not have a lot of money to share, but I do have an overabundance of stuff. Giving it away declutters both my house and my heart.
We can all seek out helpers in our communities and join them. Maybe, by adding our own goodness back into the world, we can help it heal. It certainly can’t hurt.
Lorie Smith Schaefer 
St. Vincent’s is a good place……..
From: Lorie Schaefer To: debbieyaba@yahoo.com Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2015 10:25 AM Subject: [New post] Adding a little goodness back into the world #yiv9955667609 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv9955667609 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv9955667609 a.yiv9955667609primaryactionlink:link, #yiv9955667609 a.yiv9955667609primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv9955667609 a.yiv9955667609primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv9955667609 a.yiv9955667609primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv9955667609 WordPress.com | Lorie Smith Schaefer posted: “We’ve been in our new house for a month now and we’re still unpacking the mountain of boxes filled with our accumulated material wealth. The good news is that garage no longer looks like that warehouse at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie. Two cars” | |
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Yes, they do good work. In Carson City I always gave to (and shopped at!) Classy Seconds run by Advocates to End Domestic Violence. Many worthy groups doing wonderful things. Merry Christmas, Debbie!
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Yes….a good reminder. I need to “declutter my closet and my heart”… first, though, I need some boxes. Best to ask the Princess to bring home some… 🙂
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Decluttering does feel good. Large trash bags work too, especially for linens and clothes. Merry Christmas!
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I loved this post, Lorie. There is a world of wisdom in your sentence, “We can all seek out helpers in our communities and join them.” It wasn’t until I married Joel that I understood the importance of these helpers and joined their ranks whenever possible.Thank you for writing this.
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Helping out connects us to other good people around us and reminds us to count our blessings. Merry Christmas to you and Joel. xo
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