We thank our customers, contractors, and friends...

It's the big things, AND the little things that matter.

On Tuesday evening, our landlord brought our shared house a 15 pound turkey for Thanksgiving. She brings something to us ever month when she picks up her rent check - as a little "thank you". Although we appreciate the sentiment (her charming gratitude for us paying the rent..) we all had holiday plans, and everyone know what that means - 15 pounds of freezer space on a turkey that we didn't really deserve - or would ultimately appreciate, as a kind donation.

Most local DC food banks and churches places have run out of turkey donations - and yet, it was too late to do it last-minute, too - we would have had to wait for an announcement on the news for new drop-off locations. Hunger in the DC area has been high, with unemployment rates still rising.

We didn't need to have the turkey. Somebody else who needed it, did. Otherwise it would sit there until at least Christmas, so I put it in the fridge to let it defrost, and slept on it. Wednesday morning arrived and had to think fast.

I didn't have time to search down a church and get out to it - to be honest, I have a ton of things to do before tomorrow, aside from hunting down a day and a time for a last-minute turkey donation.

And then it came to me: CraigsList. You can find so very many things you need on Craig's List. And people who need things. A woman that she needed a holiday turkey desperately had posted the day before in "Stuff Wanted". She hadn't taken the ad down, so I assumed she may still be in needed, and my roomies and I agreed to call her immediately.

I told her I had a turkey she could have, and how it had actually come from our landlord, but we didn't need it. "I can drive," she said. "I can come over now if you give me the address.." She was at my door 15 minutes later, with an SUV holding a waiting, smiling son. Her name was Elsa. I handed her the heavy, cold poultry. I mumbled that it hadn't been defrosting too long, only about 15 hours, so I hoped it would work for her. She just said, "Thank you, thank you very much..." Her child, not school-aged, stuck his head out the window (there was a baby carrier in the front) who rolled down his window to smile and wave. My roommates kind of crept up behind me.

The cute little boy in the back gawked, and we gawked back, but it was friendly, and curious, a tiny last wave. I didn't learn the child's name or where they live or why they couldn't afford a turkey. I didn't have to feel a mistrust - even if you were just being frugal, a turkey is something you definitely need to save money on. I don't know the ending. I got a hug and a tiny twinge of relief that I was able to help somebody today. But it occurred to me that my optimism is definitely better when I am able to do just a small, decent thing for somebody now and then.

I believe that most people are like that, and I would really like ask you to support a cause this year. To be honest, I personally have invested much money in this business for rewards that will reap slowly. But I try to give wherever I can in whatever ways that I can, because I believe giving truly IS recieving.

This year has been a tough year for many people, and so many people are giving in so many ways, I hope you find a way to support a cause of your own this year. An amazing charity that helps women with homelessness and trauma issues, helps them get job training and recovery tools, and provides almost every tool for a healing a woman who is suffering can possibly need, is at N Street Village. If you don't have a specific charity in mind, please consider donating something (even products) to N Street Village this year.

Have a safe, warm, and Happy Thanksgiving.

-Melissa Brewer
Taking the Work from the work-at-home job hunt.