Normal Christmas and New Year ?!?!?!?!?!

[Pavlik07]

Let's see how many people in the community want a normal Christmas and New Year without Covid-19!!!

[Korth]

@darlicious 

Blame my brownie point hoarding habits on my parents. Though I assure you I have managed to disappoint and defy their traditions in other ways. 😁

Others have helped me out of a few rough spots before. Small things for them, huge differences for me. Too many of my friends work charity for me to avoid doing what I can, lol.

[darlicious]

@Korth 

It doesnt take being homeless to be hard on phones....look at my bf and the pile of smashed phones  left in his wake at least the ones he hasnt lost......

I live close enough to the dtes and worked in the dtes years ago now to be quite familiar with the of whys and hows they got there and the choices theyve made or continue to make that keeps them homeless. Its that 1/10 or 1/100 that the gift of a phone plan makes a life changing difference. Given my current waitlisted and unemployed position I'm just trying to maximize what i can donate to do greater good.....good karma brownie points are priceless and it looks like you already have quite a stockpile already!

[Korth]

@darlicious 

I guess I'm more particular about the burner phone thing because I've already repaired so many units for somebody who works at a stepping stones place. I know my local homeless and needy folks already have access to free phones.

All the used donated phones end up being wiped/reset and given to "clients" who desperately need working phones (with phone plans). Then all the broken devices get put into a box which eventually lands on my workbench, lol. I'm able to "refurb" most of the non-iPhones with simple hardware repairs, part swaps, or firmware fixes. I have a buddy who works on the iPhones. We're sometimes given parts budgets to salvage more working units when demand is high and supply is low.

Most of these local homeless struggle with hard substance addictions. Along with all sorts of hard lifestyles (and hard people) attached to the hard addictions. Lifestyles which are particularly hard on their phones. I've seen quite a few units which were (allegedly) smashed by the police.

[darlicious]

@Korth 

     There are a lot of good honest homeless people that own their phone and rely on free wifi to communicate with friends, family etc.....what they dont realize is they can get a pm $15 plan with no fixed address and no credit/banking info and with a little help to activate the service whether its access to a laptop or advocating/representing them to activate in store .....

    I only made the suggestion because i could supply a card for autopay and a $5 donation towards service (and a box of cereal). With the london drugs promotion this week of a free sim card and an extra $10 credit setting them up with a service for $15+tax ($16.80-$5( kelloggs card )=$11.80) For an investment/donation of $11.80 a homeless person could get 4 months of service (and $5 they would have to pay for the 5th month of service) would give them greater value and a step up for those genuinely seeking employment and stable housing than a $10  gift card for mcD's nutritionally poor overpriced meals ( not to say that your empathy and kindness is any way devalued by that statement.) Im just looking at the bigger picture and how the same amount of money could make a greater difference in a person's life when it is at its lowest......

.....at the very least you've given me an idea to work on for next year and a reason to talk to the gm at my locale london drugs to see if a partnership  can be made to run with the idea.....along the same lines as the telus internet for good program/ mobility access for low income families/seniors/pwd.

[Korth]

@darlicious 

Phones are a special problem for the homeless, lol. They change hands a lot. They vanish and reappear a lot. They get bought, sold, traded, taken, stolen, smashed a lot. Each homeless person has a different sad story, but each homeless phone has an unbelievably wild and sordid tale.

Feeding the hungry is one thing, at least there's a certainty that the food will be eaten.

Feeding into the endless burner phone cycle is something else that I find unappealing.

[darlicious]

@Korth 

Thats a kind gesture. With all the largesse of pm at this time of year instead of mcD's cards maybe some cheap sims from CCS and some kelloggs visa gift cards could get some of them a phone service w/the autopay reward for a couple of months that they can maintain afterwards. Talk to me next september when kelloggs starts their fall promotion.....i could donate cereal as well.

[Korth]

My family still has a tradition from our ancestral old-world cold-winter village. To invite some unfortunates into your home while celebrating xmas, share the holiday, let them be warm and clean, enjoy a feast, part ways with some gifts.

They're always careful to set some extra places at the table. And they'll drive around looking for lonely people to fill any empty spots. They usually target destitute families and focus on making sure the children get some cool toys while everyone gets clothes and blankets, etc. I think my dad would quietly slip some cash and treats into pockets before giving them a ride to wherever they need to go.

I think it's a fine tradition. It may not solve any problems in the long term but at least it lets people celebrate and enjoy one special day.

Alas, my modernized adaptation is to volunteer for the Sally Ann and give out some gift cards for McD's to needy folks on the street, lol. My small city has a large population of homeless indigents - including a fair number of troublesome belligerents who've been "sent" here from larger municipalities - so I'm wary about inviting any to my conveniently-located humble home.

[hTideGnow]

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@ashleyskye wrote:

I dont know....its nice to have a year off from my extended family!!! LOL

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Love this line.. but i wouldn't say anything.. just in case they are here in the forum!!!! LoL

Let's hope next year will be a Virus-Free Christmas.

[ashleyskye]

I dont know....its nice to have a year off from my extended family!!! LOL

But truthfully, I think everyone wants things to get back to relatively normal. I hope people have more compassion for their fellow humans aftet this, but it doesn't look like that where things are going in a lot of places.