Can we talk about Christmas Crazy for Kids for a minute? Please?

YOU GUYS!

After watching donation after donation roll in and after reading amazing email after amazing tweet after amazing email, I'm beginning to wonder a little something. If I ask y'all for some help curing the common cold, are you going to manage to cure cancer? I set a goal, y'all smash it, again and again and again. Words can't even express my gratitude.

All I have is "thank you." So, thank you.

We (and I do mean "WE"--none of this happens without each of you) are currently sitting at just over $2100. Already Alle Kiski HOPE Center is looking to have a better Christmas than they expected as $750 worth of gift cards are headed their way tomorrow. And, yes, I said gift cards. You see, they are a short-term domestic violence shelter, meaning their residents are limited to a 30 day stay. They do get help from various groups to provide Christmas magic, but it requires that they provide the information about residents now. The people who are in the shelter now will not be the ones there next month. Y'all saved them from their usual annual scramble to try to pull something together for kids who they may not even know about yet. Gift cards will allow them to shop for specific items for those kids, and may give some parents a chance to select gifts for their kids at a time when they are mostly focused on survival.

You did good.

Additionally, because the original goal was smashed in such magnificent fashion, I did a little digging around regarding another domestic violence shelter in Pittsburgh. The Women's Center and Shelter of Great Pittsburgh is another agency that does amazing work, and we're going to be adopting two families for Christmas this year.

The holidays are often a time of year when domestic violence agencies provide the most support, so your help is about as perfectly timed as it gets.

(Slightly off topic--I know so much about what these agencies do because I used to work for a company that sold software to them. I spent mucho time in shelters nation-wide providing support and training, so I've seen firsthand how needed their services are. If you are outside of Pittsburgh and interested in starting a little Christmas Crazy fund for your local shelter, send me an email. I am more than happy to help however I can.)

That brings us to the rest of the money. HOLY SMOKES! TOYS! LOTS OF TOYS! I'm going to be delivering a mega-truckload of toys to Toys for Tots on November 30th. I can't wait. More information about that bit of fun (including lots of pics) is headed your way in the days to come.

So. I was going to close up the PayPal account tomorrow and declare a job well done. However, a few people have emailed and asked to be able to help beyond tomorrow. I think there is enough time to make it all work, so I'm extending it by a week. If you've got a buck or two sitting around, you've got until November 20th to toss it in the Christmas Crazy pot. Can we make it to $3000? I think we can.

P.S.
I'm not above making you all weepy again, so compliance is probably your best option. Just sayin'.