Collecting things to donate to the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission was rewarding in many ways. We were able to get rid of a lot of things we didn't need any longer that were still in great condition and know that they would benefit someone in need. We made a HUGE dent in our books and stuffed animal collections. We were really proud of Braelin who gave away a LOT of her beloved stuffed animals with a wonderful, giving attitude. I was surprised by several she chose because they looked brand new, some with their tags still on them. She even gave away some of the pigs from her beloved pig collection! That was when I knew she had truly caught the spirit of giving :) Owen came up with considerably less animals to donate (which was not surprising) but he had a very willing and happy attitude. He even decided to give away his Magic Treehouse book collection.
It was amazing how easy it was to find so many things to give when focusing on how it would benefit someone else. Braelin kept saying how she knew some kid was going to LOVE each of the stuffed animals that she so lovingly chose to give away. Travis was just pretty happy that we were getting rid of stuff and made it really easy by going through the garage and filling up a laundry basket of books. I gave a large amount to Braelin's school and still had plenty to donate to the homeless shelter. Travis came through at the very end with clothes and a few jackets. This was awesome since he is a minimalist when it comes to clothes and usually wears his stuff out before buying something new.
The Wuerches brought over quite a few bags filled with a variety of great things including two lap desks that will come in really handy for a couple of kids. A few friends were also kind enough to bring over several bags full of many useful things as well.
Dropping off all of the stuff at the mission was interesting. There were only a group of men hanging out in front so Travis had us stay in the car to find out where we should drop everything off. They sent some nice, happy men to take everything out of the back of our van. One made us laugh by saying he wanted the stuffed dog at the top of the bag he was carrying :)
Owen said, "It felt good thinking that we could do something for someone living in such a challenging situation. It will make a big difference for them and yet it was so easy for us." It really isn't that hard to make a positive difference in someone else's life. Sometimes we just need to remember that we are all children of God and are on this earth to help each other! We can't wait to get to help again when we get to make and serve dinner at the mission next month!We are excited to share our experiences with Widowers Week :)
-- Rebecca
