I want my Charity back

I love to help, really I do.  If I wasn't a mother of 9 I would probably belong to the Peace Corp. or Red Cross or something and travel around helping people when tragedy strikes.  That's when I feel the best.  Last week a family in our neighborhood had their home burn down.  They have 8 children and pretty much lost everything.  In my attempt to "save the world", I started gathering everything I could think of and then went to the store to buy them hygiene stuff and odds and ends that one might not think of.  It feels really good to think you are saving someone.  I was so excited to go offer my goods this morning and know that today they would be able to brush their teeth with brand new toothbrushes and dry off with new, clean towels. 

When I showed up to help sort through all that had been donated and give of my own stuff, I was shocked to see the amount of things laying before me.  Wow, people have really stepped up.  They may have more things now than they did before the fire.  Assuredly, they may not get to my deodorant before it expires.  My new towels were thrown into a huge bin of other towels and the toilet paper with all the other many rolls.  It should still feel good to know that we did what we could, but in all honesty... it didn't really feel good at all.  I wished I could take it all back and do something else.  Nothing I bought would truly make a difference for them.  It may even make it worse, she could walk in.. take one look and say "what am I going to do with all this soap?". 

I'm really not complaining, what a wonderful gift to this family to have had so many people reach out and give.  The amount of clothing was surreal.  But what I did decide is that I'm going to be the last one to donate in the future.  See what got missed or forgotten and then fill that hole.  I want my offering to be useful, not tossed in with the other 12 tubes of toothpaste.  In the end, I know it will all get used and our time helping was probably more useful than anything we brought.  It's refreshing to see there is still much good in the world.