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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Ways to: "Clothe the Naked"

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1) Try not to "overindulge" your children or grandchildren. Next time they want the latest fashion trend item (if they don't really need it), why not offer to buy it for them IF THEY save up half of the cost of the item first, and then donate that money they saved (from their allowance, job, etc...) to the poor/homeless. If they do that...offer to pay the full amount for what they wanted. This teaches them patience, and the joy of charitable giving.

2) Create, or join an existing group, that gets together to knit, crochet, sew... new clothing for the poor/needed. My parish has such a group that prays together while making "Prayer Shawls" to donate to those in nursing homes, the military, etc... You can read more about their ministry here:
http://www.stbernadetteopny.org/index_files/Page740.htm

3) Gather unwanted/unneeded clothing (by yourself or with a group: Church, family, neighborhood, etc...) and donate them to a place like St. Vincent De Paul's, Goodwill, The Missions, a Homeless shelter. You may want to make sure 1st if they need such donations and/or which types are needed most... as some places simply discard "excess" donations.

4) Volunteer at such a place (as mentioned in #3) to help with washing, sorting, folding, etc... the clothing that is donated.

5) To to stores about donating their returned or slightly "irregular" clothing items to the needy. Perhaps offering to help transport it (or arranging with the agency you'd like to donate it to) will encourage the stores to consider making such donations.

6) Within a couple of weeks after buying (for example) a new coat, donate your old one to a needy person: a homeless person you've seen, or a poor family member, etc...

7) Buy Gift Certificates from thrift shoppes or other clothing stores and give them away to the needy and/or an agency that helps the poor & homeless.

8) Offer to mend clothing for those who are unable to: elderly or infirmed family, friends and neighbors, those in nursing homes, an agency that collects donated clothes.

9) Fight "Sweat Shops" and boycott their products so that one day their workers will be able to clothe their own families by earning just wages.

10) Dress modestly and encourage your children (and others) to do so by your word and more importantly, your example.

11) Dress as frugally as possible, cutting out unnecessary spending, and give that "excess" money to those in need.

12) Buy clothing attached to a (good) cause so that your purchases serve a 2-fold purpose (for example funding Breast Cancer research, etc...) Be sure to research the causes you are supporting first, as sadly, many use the money for "anti-life" purposes.

13) Buy/wear clothing with a message: Pro-Life, Pro-God, etc.... I have some at my storefront here: http://www.cafepress.com/artists4god/5696443 and on my other storefronts mentioned in my other blogs posts.

14) Fight pornography and the indecentness (lack of clothing!) it promotes.

15) Teach someone (your children, etc...) how to make their own clothing or clothing for others by sewing, knitting, etc... If you don't know how yourself, why not take a class with them?

Please add your own ideas to this topic on "Clothing the Naked". Thank you in advance for your help. God bless!
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1 comment:

Louise said...

Thanks for posting! I wish I could help.....