This Year, Let Charity Begin At Your Holiday Party

As the holiday party season comes into full swing, totalhomesupply.com has initiated a way to help the needy while still enjoying the spirit of the holidays. Hunger knows no season, and current economic conditions have left food pantries in dire need of donations. Total Home Supply is encouraging companies across the country to collect non-perishable goods at their annual holiday get-together and donate them to local food charities.

§ Talk to your party coordinator about setting up a box or a table where partygoers would be able to leave their donations. Ask them to email everyone who will attend the party about the food drive being held at the party. Have volunteers in place beforehand to remove the donations from the party for delivery to the chosen food pantry.

§ Animal shelters and pet pantries are also in desperate need. With the down economy, pet shelters are overwhelmed with family pets that have become too costly to keep. Some local communities have created pet pantries, where families receive donations of pet food and supplies, making it possible for the animals to remain in their homes, not end up in a shelter where their fate is undetermined. If your company is animal friendly, consider accepting donations for a local animal charity.

§ Most communities are also in the process of having coat drives for the homeless. Collecting warm winter coats at your party is another way of incorporating a charitable act into a night of fun and celebration.

§ If the idea of dealing with coats, cans of food or bags of kitty litter is not something your company can handle, there is always the donation jar. For charities, cash is a commodity always in short supply.

So, in the next few days, we invite you to send this blog post to anyone and everyone you know. If we can get even 10% of the people who read this to initiate a food drive at their holiday party, think of all the families that will be helped by this small act of kindness.

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Social Networkers: Use Facebook and MySpace to spread the idea:

Encourage your company to accept food items at your holiday party for donation to local food pantries. Click on the link below for details.

“Feed the hungry, then yourself: Make your holiday party a pay it forward event.”

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There is no greater feeling than helping one another. Begin this holiday season with a charitable act where so little can help so many.

Charlie Rangel: Sit Down & Shut Up

I'm sorry, but I've had enough of Charlie Rangel. He did wrong, he got caught. End of story.

I'm tired of hearing that he is a wounded war hero. Sorry Charlie, that is not the exclusive club you think it is. Everyday for the past 10 years, we have had our servicemen and women wounded. Yet when they come home, after all they have seen in war, they are expected to fit back into society. That means playing by the rules and being good citizens. Charlie, your constant whining about your war history over 50 years ago, is a slap in the face to those who have been in the thick of battle for 2, 3 or 4 tours of duty in a warzone.

It seems to me you've made a pretty good life for yourself. Definitely a lot better than our many veterans dealing with post-tramatic stress syndrome or severe brain injuries.

Granted, you have done many great things for your district. It would never have had the resurgence it has experienced without you. For that, and your military experience, we thank you for your service to our country. But enough already. You are not the wronged party. You made severe errors in judgement, and now feel these mistakes should all be erased because of who you are. Be glad you're not going to jail.

So stop crying and take it like the war hero you say you are. Stop disrespecting our serving military and save what little dignity you have left.