I really wish I had a picture to go along with this post, but unfortunately, I don't.
The other day I volunteered at the Toys for Tots warehouse.
I helped sort the toys into age groups so that the marines could fill the orders as they came in.
There were lots and lots of toys for the younger kids,
but hardly any toys or gifts for the older teenagers.
Gayla, myself and another friend thoroughly enjoyed giving our time for a couple of hours.
It felt really good to be helping out.
I talked my husband into going with me a second time.
When I went back tonight to help out again,
several marines were standing out in front of the building explaining that they didn't need help
because they had run out of toys.
It's very sad because they have already given out 450,000 toys and still have about 30 organizations to give toys to. They said there are still 20,000 kids who need toys for Christmas.
The YMCA was very upset at the marines because they didn't deliver enough toys to fill their order. The marines spent $25,000.00 this past week to buy more toys because the donations just weren't coming in as much as they did last year.
Don't get me wrong, people are generously giving.
I saw the toys myself.
But there are more families who are in need this year.
I applaud these marines and their efforts to help the kids of families less fortunate.
Here's a story one marine told us that happened to him and another marined just today.
Two women got really upset because the toys ran out. One of the women called the WHITE marine the devil and threw holy water on him and then preceded to rant and rave that the reason they weren't getting the toys is because they are black. The funny thing is the second marine who is BLACK was standing right next to the other marine the whole time.
I think it's really sad and horrible that these women have developed a "gimme" attitude.
In my opinion they are the type of people who expect government hand-outs instead of getting off their butts and trying to make their lives better.
It makes me really mad that some people are still so ungrateful even when people are giving of their time, their money, their hearts to make someone else's life a little better.
These men, these wonderful young men have been working their butts off with hardly any volunteers to help and this is how they get treated?
Shame on those who EXPECT a handout
and BLESS those who have a LEGITIMATE need.
I know the difference. I hope you all do too.
God bless America and all of the men and women who SERVE our country.
I think this happens often. Perhaps the woman did not 'expect' a handout and perhaps she was just at the end of her rope and did not know how she was going to face her children on the holiday without gifts. She needed better coping tools and support. She needed to prepare her children for this and perhaps they could volunteer on Christmas. I know this doesn't help you OR the marines. We live in a society of getting things and not getting love and not sharing as much as we should. YOu did the right thing and so did the marines.
ReplyDelete