I love my guys

As in, the guys I work with.

And yes, I can say "guys" without being exluding anyone, because up until last Monday I was the only female.

sidenote - so far I really like the new girl. whew! I was a little worried. you never can tell when you add a 2nd women into the mix

Anywho - they are soooooooo generous. No, really.

Every year, we do a Habitat for Humanity build. Who shows up varies depending on travel schedules, but we regularly have over 50% participation.

For the past five years, we've donated food to the Thanksgiving food drive sponsored by one of our business partnering groups.
This year? We decided to provide our own basket (an entire Thanksgiving dinner contained in a laundry basket). Considering the entire company is only committing to six, and we're the newest, and one of the smallest, divisions in the company, providing our own is, relatively speaking, a big deal.
Not only did we provide an entire basket, our management threw in an additional gift card to Kroger (I have no idea for how much, they didn't want to broadcast it), and we had enough extra donations (items & cash) to provide additional laundry baskets and food items.
And now I have guys complaining because they didn't check their email in time and didn't get to bring anything in.
Didn't get to! I love it! They're complaining because they didn't get to donate!

In addition, every year for the past three years we've adopted a needy family for Christmas. The program is to provide food, toiletries, clothing, & small gifts to families at Christmastime. Well, let me tell you, we don't just adopt the family, as in oh-I-guess-we'll-buy-what's-on-their-list. Oh, no. With the family's permission, we meet with them in their home. Talk to them. Find out what's going on. In the past we've rallied together to provide beds (like entire beds, twin up to queen size), televisions, DVD players, a new front door, door knobs & locks, school supplies, extermination services (bedbug), and more. Oh, and basic food & toiletries? Pshaw! How 'bout so much food they ran out of room in their cabinets?
So this year? We're adopting two families.

I love it. I love my guys. They're awesome. Yes, I'm bragging. I'm bragging on them.

They're awesome.

*note* - because I always wonder about this - the charities we work with do an awesome job of making sure the families we donate to are really looking for a hand up, not a hand out. In every situation so far they have been "working poor" - every parent working full time outside the home, but still struggling to make ends meet.