Appreciating generosity

When we previously lived in the Woodlands the closest grocery store to our home was Kroger.  And I loved Kroger.  I felt like most folks in Houston were on the HEB bandwagon but I shopped there previously and thought Kroger was cheaper, so I stuck with them.  Fast forward a few years... our interim living was walking distance from an amazing HEB/Central Market hybrid and I enjoyed strolling over with Adam a few times a week.  Great looking produce, amazing meat, diverse product selection.  When we moved into Creekside Park we were now closest to an HEB and the Kroger across the street from it.  I have shopped both, and even if I pay a bit more to shop HEB, it is a much more pleasant shopping experience. 

As a newish mom, I appreciate door-opening in ways I never did before (and it happened quite a bit before - this is the South, y'know!).  What has impressed me about both HEBs I've frequented is how seamlessly they cater to parents.  Even if I look like I'm managing to unload my cart myself just fine, someone always appears from out of nowhere to help unload my cart.  They usually ask if I'd like assistance to my car (which normally I decline, but today I had everything in the bottom of my stroller when shopping and gladly took the offer!).  They also have "parent parking" right next to the handicapped spots, but unfortunately there are no shopping cart returns near these spots.  Magically HEB usually has a cart corral guy nearby offering to take my cart for me.  All these things happen without any exaggerated effort from their team members... it just seems that this is how things are done.  They will continue to get the majority of my grocery business!

As I was driving home I kept thinking of how I wanted to jot these thoughts down.  When I grabbed the mail there was a welcome card for Adam's PJ Library subscription.  PJ Library was started by a man who was inspired by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library literacy program, which provides nearly 500,000 free books each month to inner-city children in three countries.  Similarly, PJ Library sends free Jewish books and music to Jewish families with young children.  This gift is possible because of the generosity of philanthropists and community organizations (in Houston it is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston).  Our first book was all about Purim and featured raccoons and skunks and other forest buddies all decked out in their kippahs making hamantaschen for their friends for Purim.  Most of the books have a holiday theme and are sent per the kiddo's age.  Would I have started a collection of Jewish children's books for Adam otherwise?  Probably not.  Did we read the heck out of When It's Purim?  You bet.  Can't wait to get these every month.

I also simply cannot talk generosity without mentioning the great gift provided by Taglit-Birthright Israel. According to their website:

What is Taglit-Birthright Israel?

Taglit-Birthright Israel is a unique, historical partnership between the people of Israel through their government, local Jewish communities (North American Jewish Federations; Keren Hayesod; and The Jewish Agency for Israel), and leading Jewish philanthropists. Taglit-Birthright Israel provides a gift of first time, peer group, educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26. Taglit-Birthright Israel's founders created this program to send young Jewish adults from all over the world to Israel as a gift in order to diminish the growing division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world; to strengthen the sense of solidarity between Israeli youth and Jewish communities throughout the world; and to promote the idea of a trip to Israel for all Diaspora Jews as a critical part of Jewish life outside of Israel. Participants travel throughout the country, exploring sites of historic, cultural, and religious significance. They are accompanied for a significant part of the trip by Israeli peers.

I went to Israel through the generosity of others in 2004 with a group called Livnot U’Lehibanot (To Build & To Be Built).  In early 2007, following the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War, I returned with my husband as part of a program called the Galilee Fellowship, which at the time offered a RT flight from NY and two weeks of volunteer work for around $500.  Sure, my husband's not Jewish, but Livnot saw this as an opportunity to embrace and educate an interfaith couple and his trip was subsidized just as mine was.  Both trips were phenomenal opportunities for inner reflection, personal growth, lifelong friends, challenging hikes, rewarding volunteer work and amazing scenery.  I probably would have never visited Israel (twice, no less!) without the incredible generosity of both the Birthright program and Livnot's Galilee Fellowship. 

Yes, this entire post was spawned just because the kid bagging my groceries offered to help me to my car. 

I have spent many a mom afternoon watching Ellen with various sponsors showering deserving folks down on their luck with money and prizes.  I am not down on my luck, but I appreciate whole heartedly that there are people and organizations that may never know me directly but care about me and my kid and helping us on our path.  And whether it's feeding strangers' meters downtown (that's you, Jaime!) or being the 15th car in a "pay for the car behind you" line at Caribou Coffee (that's you, Ashley!), everyone can use a little help on their path.