More toilet paper thoughts

When you give, for your holidays,
when you put food in the barrell, or drop off a toy or pull a name off a giving tree

remember hygiene products as part of your giving. Many church food banks give out only food, and government help consists of food stamps which can be used for nothing else. And that's fine, and wonderful -- thank god there are people and places that provide food. There can be no more basic help than that.

But if you've been living paycheck-to-paycheck, and the paycheck stops, or if you are waiting for unemployment payments to begin or be renewed, or if you are just struggling to get yourself back on your feet, there are non-food needs.

I begin with toilet paper, especially for families, but there is so much more. Soap; bar, dish, laundry, shampoo. Personal cleanliness is not optional when you're looking for work. A faintly odorous person in stained clothing is rarely a priority as a new hire. What about wax paper or aluminum foil so that leftovers or opened food can be wrapped and saved and used at a later date? Diapers for families with little ones -- a pack of diapers would be a luxury for many a mother thrown into need or just struggling to juggle one more need. And feminine hygiene products. How embarrassing to have to make-do in that part of life, or, worse, to have to ask someone behind a desk for such a thing.

If your food barrel asks for "non-perishables' you can donate any or all of these products. The store clerks might think it a little odd to find in a food barrel, but the distributing agencies know that this speaks to an unheard, unadvertised need. This is a big reason they take cash donations -- to buy the non-food products.

So, if you'd like to do something a little different this season, or donate  a different sort of charity, throw in a bar of soap or a roll of toilet paper. The person who doesn't have to ask a stranger for such will thank you.