Hey gang,

Sorry to make this brief, but I wanted to throw an idea at you before heading out of town for The Rock Boat Cruise.  Once I have my feet back on dry land and a functional laptop, DoGoodedness will reopen for some well-intentioned business.

Call me a weenie, but when the temperatures here in Birmingham settle into the sub-freezing range, I become quite irritable.  My skin cracks, my cheeks get all rosy, and getting out of bed takes every ounce of effort.  I do some apprehensive finger crossing and pray that my water pipes don’t explode and drown Artimus while I am at work.  Maybe I’m just a big wuss, but this is not a fun time of year for yours truly.

As miserable as it may be for those of us who take refuge with our heating systems, the climate this time of year is much more crippling for our homeless population.  Those who cannot find safe harbor in shelters run a very high risk of freezing to death when the temperatures start dropping.  (Side note: I think this is why San Diego has so many homeless people.  After all, if you are going to be outdoors, why not be in a beautiful place?)

As you are replacing your old jackets with the new ones that Santa & Co. delivered, consider dropping them off at the local homeless shelter.  They will be much more appreciative than the moths in your closet.  If you live in Birmingham, might I recommend the Jimmie Hale Mission (tell them Chappy sent you) or the Firehouse Shelter.  Additionally, they will gladly accept blankets, gloves, and scarves.

If there is not a drop-off location in your neighborhood, then feel free to play distributor to those who are in need of such comfort (albeit carefully).  Buy some hand warmers (these are very cheap) and give them out, or pick up an extra cup of coffee for the guy thumbing a ride off of your exit.  

Do Good! 

Matt