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I recently listened to a segment of the Dave Ramsey show where he was talking about everyone filling in the following sentence:
“I save so that I can __________.”
What would you fill in the blank. For us, part of our answer would be, “We save so that we can give.” Not only does saving money on groceries allow us to do this, but just the way we shop allows us to do this too. There is so much in each week that is free or pennies that others can use. If you see deals for free items and pass by them thinking that it isn’t an item that your family would use, I want to encourage you to think about who else could use that item. There are many groups that would love to have your glucometers, shampoo, razors, food, and pretty much anything else that you can buy. Some groups to contact would be:
Churches
Medical Missions (local and abroad)
Food Banks
Homeless Shelters
Battered Women’s Shelters
Red Cross Disaster Relief
To give you an idea of the needs out here let me highlight one organization in my area, the Oliver Gospel Mission. This is a mission in downtown Columbia SC that has both a one night shelter and a long term leadership program. As you skim this list there I hope you see so many things that we have opportunity to buy for almost nothing. While you might not be in my area, I would venture to guess that the organizations in your area have needs very similar.
Current Needs:
Non-Perishable Food
Sugar – 5lb bags or larger
Coffee
Kool-Aid Drink Mix – unsweetened
Tea Bags
Non-dairy Creamer
Spaghetti pasta
Canned Vegetables (#10 cans preferred)
Grits
Parboiled rice (Important: parboiled, not regular rice)
Disposable salt and pepper shaker sets
Paper Products
Paper napkins
Plastic knives, forks and spoons
Styrofoam coffee cups (small)
Clothing
Men’s underwear (new) Sizes 32 – 4
Undershirts: Sizes M-XXXL
Jeans: Sizes 32 – 46
Long Sleeve Shirts: Casual or dress, all sizes
Tennis Shoes: Sizes 8–13
Socks
Belts
Winter coats: Sizes M-XXXL
Knit hats
Baseball caps
Back Packs – new or used
Toiletries & Medicine
Travel Size: Soap, Shampoo, Lotion
Shaving cream
Disposable razors
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Aerosol deodorant
Tylenol – bottle or individual packets
Antibiotic ointment – tube or individual packets
Band-aids
Combs/Brushes
Antacid tablets
Cold and Flu tablets
Office/Program Supplies
Copier Paper
Pens
Stamps
Highlighters
White-out
Envelopes (#10) with window
3-ring binders (3” only please)
Notebook paper
Large print Bibles
Cleaning Supplies
Mops
Broom
Disinfectant (Lysol, Pine Sol, etc)
Bleach
Liquid hand soap
Latex gloves
If you are in or around Columbia, you can get information on dropping items off on their website.
