Since I retired, our budget is also more constrained ... but we do give to our church and to charities such as The Salavation Army at the holidays.

Beyond that, we've sponsored a young girl in Mexico and do volunteer work to help an Appalacian organization called the St. Jude Mission which collects clothes, appliances and furniture to help people in this economically depressed area. I didn't get to last year (2002), but this year I hope to go with a group of guys down to Appalacia to help with home repairs and other projects like that. We collect and send just over one fully loaded semi-truck a month from April to November.

Same group also helps collect medical equipment and school furnishings for Guatamala and Uganda. we've furnished schools and a hospital with significant amounts of equipment.

I'm a member of a fraternal/charitable organization that this past year collected over $11,000 for a young boy who needed a liver transplant, and over $30,000 for a man suffering from cancer (who had no insurance). That group also raises money for a variety of charities. Some donations to these activities as well.

Visit with and deliver communion to shut-ins.

Don't know if you count all that as charity, unless you think in terms of keeping me off the streets.