Warm Socks, Warm Hearts - Local Drive Fosters Both

 Above: It will be fun to play Santa for others this winter. Even if budgets are tight, there's a project in the community for all of us.

Every year we're reminded during the winter holiday season about opportunities to remember less fortunate members of the community as we shop for little remembrances for friends, family and colleagues.

When my son was younger, we used to enjoy shopping for the Giving Tree project at the old Sea-Tac Mall in Federal Way. He graduated from high school some years ago and I recently realized it has been a considerable time since we have directly placed a purchased gift for a needy person.

These Merino Wool socks pictured above will go into a box of donations being collected at the Fife office of the Pierce County Community Newspaper Group, 2588 Pacific Highway, (253) 922-5317, who are participating in a drive to bring homeless men, women and children warm pairs of socks for our neighbors who don't have the luxury of coming home every night to regular roof over their heads.

Last week I read about the drive when I stopped to read a delightful pull-out section devoted to gift giving ideas in the current issue of the Tacoma Weekly over a cup of coffee. When I say "delightful", I truly mean just that, as a veteran reader of such sections for more years than I want to admit!

The very first piece in the section on what you might not want to give say, from your mother's point of view will bring a broad smile and wink - to anyone who has secretly has had just a little too much of their own, their siblings, friends or even a total strangers darling children. Top quality research from an enterprising local journalist! Oops Santa! Can you forgive me - just this once?