Lend A Hand

 Katrina victims gratefully receive donated items.  They constantly thank volunteers for traveling and assisting them.   But they often do not have choices.    So Cheryl W. and I went to the Home depot.  Cheryl asserted that the least expensive items were best.   She was hesitant to make a decision on lighting, feeling conscientious that she was not able to afford these basic home features.  But once she saw how the floor finishes and lighting would coordinate with her new home, a big smile crossed her face.  Many of us have felt the personal joy of buying for Christopher House families at Christmas.  We want the recipients to love what we have chosen and we feel content providing these gifts.  But today I felt the joy of watching someone else make choices; choices that are not life and death, choices that do not influence shelter, health, or financial security. No, these choices involved color, finishes, and the personalizing of a home, Cheryl’s home, destroyed by flooding two years ago.    Julie Brown