Sleep in and participate in our Alternative Black Friday instead

Let your materialistic peers set their alarms for 3 a.m., so that they can freeze outside a big-box store hoping they don’t get trampled scrambling to buy cheap stuff on Black Friday. Do yourself and your community a favor instead - roll over, catch a few more winks and then spend your holiday dollars on local causes instead.

 

Think of the Christmas joy you will feel when rich and obnoxious Uncle Freddy gives you a gift you don’t want, and, in return, you hand him a festive card that says, “Instead of giving you some junk you don’t want, I instead donated $20 in your name to feed the homeless.”

Here are our personal choices. Please use the Comments section below to give us your suggestions:

• Advent House Ministries - For more than 20 years, Advent House Ministries has helped thousands of people with food and shelter and provided services to reduce illiteracy and increase employability skills. This year alone, they served nearly 32, 000 meals to 650 homeless and 1,300 non-homeless individuals. Of those, 217 were veterans and 357 were children. When you are standing outside Wal-Mart or Target for that great deal this Black Friday, think about what a $50 gift would mean to this organization. It would mean a great deal. Advent House is located at 743 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Lansing. (Suggested by Bill Castanier)
• Capital Area Humane Society - When times get tough, they get even tougher for pets. The Capital Area Humane Society works hard to make sure dogs and cats are placed in loving homes. Please do something nice for our four-legged friends this season. They do so much for us. (Suggested by Bonnie Bucqueroux)
• City Rescue Mission - Between January and June 2009, meals served and food baskets given: 44,069. Nights of shelter provided for men: 9,111, women: 3,141 and children: 2,869. (Suggested by Wes Thorp)
• Lansing Area AIDS Network Client Services - The donations to this will fund necessary needs such as emergency housing, utility assistance, medication assistance and the food bank for persons living with HIV in the greater Lansing area. (Suggested by Todd Heywood.)
• Open Door Ministry- The Open Door Ministry is a broad-based, ecumenical and community ministry. It is built upon Lansing Central United Methodist Church’s years of ministry with the homeless and working poor in the shadow of our state’s Capitol. Incorporated in 2004, our goal is to meet people at their point of need. We welcome people through the open doors of Temple House/Central UMC, offering them the right hand of fellowship, empathic listening and solidarity in the face of intolerance, injustice and an inhospitable environment. Our compassionate response invites all into a strengthening, healing and transforming relationship with Jesus Christ, who cares about our every need. (Suggested by Chris Singer.)

Pay more and like it

Another great option is to visit the Everybody Reads Bookstore on Michigan Avenue next to Gone Wired. On Black Friday, all of their prices will be HIGHER, with the extra proceeds going to the Greater Lansing Food Bank. In keeping with their contrarian spirit, the bookstore will be opening five minutes late and closing five minutes early. We think this is an even better idea than the Adbusters/Culture Jammers “Buy Nothing Day” Black Friday alternative.