Our globe, 2024

Listening on the radio to the horrors going on in Syria, the torture, the suffering of mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers searching in vain in their war-torn nation for members of their families amidst the ghastly wickedness of Bashar al-Assad, I stopped to look around my living room: the books, the cheery fire, Jackson asleep on a daybed, colorful rugs, art on the walls, applesauce simmering on the stove — and I thought how can this be the same world? And, since it seems to be, how do those of us with these comforts live with the images of fellow global citizens with nothing to their names but a shawl, a cart of possessions, a cup of tea?

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the current state of affairs. And even if one narrows one’s scope to just our continent; our nation; our state, county or town, we can still find a range of needs so much greater than our own. I can only think that we’ve failed as sentient beings — with all that we’ve been given in our miraculous and stunningly beautiful world, power-mongering and violence seem our fate. What to do?

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

I’ve spoken to many friends and I find there’s two basic responses to where we find ourselves this holiday season. One friend surprised me by saying, “I’m taking care of myself this year,” implying that so many folks have chosen leaders for whom the interests of their voters are the last thing on their minds (despite political promises to the contrary). “Many people have voted against their self-interests. I’m not going to be helping them. Period.”

Another friend said, similarly, “Stop asking me for money. I’m beginning to feel like the entire world thinks that everyone else owes them a living!!! This reinforces my entire urge to ‘just say no’ to everyone.” Holing up for the duration of our currently bifurcated nation (and world) is certainly a choice, but for how long?

On the other hand, many people though dispirited and discouraged are strengthening their will and stepping up to help others less able-bodied or well-resourced than themselves. To that end, I solicited some advice about the faves of others for year-end giving.

Keep it local

Everyone needs to eat, and with prices what they’ve been currently, food insecurity has become more prevalent on the Peninsula. Across-the-street neighbor and longtime friend Ann Gaddy says, “Our food banks do such a fantastic job! People on food stamps don’t get enough credit to make it through the month. Food prices are just so high. The food bank can make a huge difference for the people in our own community. Feed the hungry and help the poor.”

Ann is so right. I got some recent information from Michael Goldberg, executive director of the Ocean Park Food Bank, who lays out some of the pressures our food banks are experiencing. “We’ve actually had 100 more families than last year come in for our special Thanksgiving meal give-out: 352 versus 250 last year. Now we’re making sure we have enough special items for 350 families for our December special meal. In 2024, we averaged about $18,000 a month in donations but this calendar year, we’re averaging only $7,000 a month in donations.

“We normally buy eggs, milk and cheese among other items, but inflation has hit us hard just like for everyone else. One of our main warehouse sources, Northwest Harvest, has been sending us about half the food it used to send. We’ve had to make up the difference by buying more canned goods. Some of our board members are contributing monthly to our operating costs. In January, we will be discussing if we need to cut back on our food purchases if there is a dramatic reduction in the donations generated by the Corder Foundation Matching Grant program.”

No doubt the St. Vincent de Paul Ilwaco Food Bank, which has a matching donation by the Loren H. Corder Foundation for the month, is having the same problems. Phil and Nancy Allen always give to this food bank and also note, “It’s run by wonder woman and good friend Rachel Gana.”

Kathleen Sayce, one of the founders of the South Pacific County Community Foundation, writes, ”My top choices from the funds list are: Greatest Needs Fund, Community Food Fund (goes to local food banks), Food4Kids Fund, and Pacific County Immigrant Support. The donation links to all these organizations are on our website (spccf.org).”

Jerry Macy writes, “Sally and I have shifted nearly all our giving to local needs. Two of the nonprofits we support and strongly endorse are, first, the Ocean Beach Hospital Foundation. Our local hospital and clinics provide the first line of health care for our residents and visitors. Everyone who lives here or visits benefits from local care, especially with the forthcoming express care facility soon to be constructed.” He also mentions another an organization that will need more help than ever in these coming years. “We also support the Pacific County Immigrant Support. Local immigrants are our neighbors and a critical element of our local economy. Many of them are constantly on the edge of financial survival, requiring community support for multiple needs.”

Nancy Gorshe confirms many of the above and adds a couple additional ones to her giving list: Crisis Support Network, Peninsula Poverty Response, Humane Society, and Rebuilding Together.

Regional and international

Nancy Allen also notes, “We donate to the Northwest Pilot Project, the Portland nonprofit which provides housing options to low-income seniors. We were introduced to this by the late Ruth Schuld [mother of Marla McGrew] 15 years ago, who was a long term fundraiser for this group. Over these years, their newsletter has been filled with examples of what they are doing to help individual seniors. This is joyful news indeed in our current housing crisis.” (www.nwpilotproject.org)

My sis is a volunteer and also donates to her local Habitat for Humanity. Starla even organized a group of women friends and neighbors as a birthday celebration for herself. We gathered to help paint a house she’d been working on near our old elementary school. After painting, everyone had cake and ice cream! As she says, “Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization to consider. Donating financially to them or rounding up your other friends who don’t need Christmas presents and volunteering hours to build a house for someone else is a pretty rewarding and satisfying endeavor.”

She also writes, “Internationally, my favorite giving option is Heifer International. You can buy a hive of bees, a flock of chickens, a goat or two and it changes a family’s life completely.” (heifer.org)

Creature comforts

Yes, people are suffering all over the world, but I often feel worse about the damage we’re doing to our fellow creature citizens as we destroy more and more of their environment, habitat and food supplies. The longer we study our fellow animal/fish/bird beings, the more we find out about how intelligent they are: they have languages, traditions, feelings and cultures. So I try every year to give something to the World Wildlife Fund. The beings who cohabit the earth with us are suffering from ills we cause, yet we cannot talk to them, apologize or try to explain our mess-ups. They are innocents that we harm often without thinking.

So whichever road you take this holiday season — “I’ve given enough all year long” or “I’m ready to support a couple other people, organizations, and creatures this time of year” — I hope you’re one of the lucky ones with friends around you, good food, laughter, and new dreams for the new year.