Giving back

I have a friend on facebook that decided to do something different this year for her birthday.  In light of everything that has happened lately, most recently the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, she was inspired by Ann Curry's idea of 26 acts of kindness.  These 26 acts are to represent something good for each person or child who lost their life in that elementary school just a few weeks ago.  She started this movement by tweeting, “Imagine if everyone could commit to doing one act of kindness for every one of those children killed in Newtown.” My facebook friend took this idea and decided to have all of her facebook friends participate in one good act on her birthday to see all the good things that can come of a small act of kindness.  Once I was invited to the group, I knew it sounded like a great idea to get involved in and to help make a difference this holiday season. 

I went down through the list of ideas that my facebook friend had posted and I came across one that caught my attention right away:

I have always been an animal lover and animals have always been a part of my life.  I've had cats, dogs, fish, and hamsters growing up and I've been a vegetarian for 9 years because I can't stand the thought of eating an animal.  I spoke to Danny that day and we decided to buy bags of food to donate to a local humane society in the area.  I went on the Geauga's Humane Society website and they actually had a "wish list" of what they needed for their animals.  This list made it easier to figure out what kinds of specific food they need and what would benefit them the most. The next week, Danny and I went to PetSmart and bought two large bags of cat food (kitten chow and cat chow) and two large bags of dog food (puppy chow and dog chow). 

Last night, we drove out to the Geauga's Humane Society and delievered the food.  I stayed near the car since Danny thought if I went into the building, I might adobt every creature I saw.  However, it was still a wonderful experience for me.  Danny said they had a pile of donations that other families had bought for the humane society.  I felt really special helping out a place that helps out animals and I'm hoping one day we can adopt an animal from this shelter.  All in all, it was a good day for a great cause.  Danny and I loved it so much, we want to make it a tradition to donate to the local humane society every year around Christmas.  Its all too often that we lose sight of how much we actually have and not think of those that don't have those things that we take for granted.  For more ideas on the 26 acts of kindness movement, check out their facebook page.