Among all industrialized nations, the U.S. has the largest population of homeless women and children, with 1 in 30 children facing homelessness every year. Homelessness is a heartbreaking situation that puts individuals at an elevated risk of illness, hypothermia, and malnourishment. With the holidays upon us, being homeless is more distressing than ever. As millions across America are gathering with family, those with inadequate food and shelter feel particularly alone.

Thanksgiving has traditionally been a time of to share food and company, while expressing gratitude for the things we have. Historically, Thanksgiving commemorates the day in which the Plymouth colonists shared a large feast with the Wampanoag tribe. Having just settled in America, the colonists struggled to find food and adequate shelter, causing many to fall victim to famine and disease. The Wampanoag’s sought to educate the colonists on local agricultural practices to help them boost their bounty. In November of that year, the colonists harvested their first successful corn crop. In celebration and gratitude, they prepared a feast to share with the Wampanoag tribe, which has since been called Thanksgiving. 

With every holiday season, retail stores notice an immediate surge in business as holiday shoppers scramble to acquire every item on their list. Yet, in unison with soaring sales, employee productivity tends to noticeably decline, as employees shift their focus to the festivities ahead. Unfortunately, this waning productivity prevents many small businesses from harnessing the full potential of holiday sales. Here are a few tips to keep employees on task this winter.

The holidays are traditionally a time of giving. They are a time when people reconvene with family and friends to celebrate the blessings in their life, while spreading generosity and kindness in return. Even small acts of kindness have the potential to transform someone’s day and make the cold days of winter feel a little bit warmer. Here are small ways that you can embody the spirit of the holidays and give back to the community at large.

Leaves are scattering the streets, fields are dusted in frost, and the days are gradually shortening. Somehow, the year has sped by us and winter will soon make its entrance. Unfortunately, accompanying the seasonal changes, homelessness continues to rise nationwide, and many Americans are dreading the cold nights ahead. Rescue missions have ramped up their efforts in attempts to cater to the influx of needy residents. Yet, donations are being swept off the shelves just as soon as they arrive. There is no time more apt to make a charitable end-of-year donation. Before you start scraping together clothing and canned food, take a look at some of the items most needed by local homeless shelters.

The U.S. spends $30 billion a year on official development assistance overseas, according to Oxfam America. That works out to $80 for each person abroad we help. We have foreign aid because it protects our national security with hopes it will reduce poverty and injustice that fuel social tensions and destabilizes countries. It also helps with our own economic interests because aid can support the generation of demand for U.S. goods, which builds stable trading partners and based on the morality of our country "it's the right thing to do" because it may help advance human rights and in turn democracy. Anyone picking up a newspaper over the last couple of months has got to question if our aid has made countries more stable, brought democracy to the rest of the world or created a larger demand for U.S. made goods.

Wow! We had a huge response from all of you trying to help our pets! Thank you so much for taking the time to help pet shelters all over the U.S. We will be sending emails to the winners today, letting them know how to shop at DollarDays to redeem their awards!

I just don't know how it happened. I was doing my usual thing, playing in the park while my mom kept a watchful eye over me (even though her phone looked like it had some captivating stuff on it!). A few friends showed up and we played and played, with tennis balls and Frisbees mostly. We did enjoy a few awesome games of chase.

Actually, when I look back on this fateful day, I think it may have been the chase that got me in trouble. There was a new guy at the park that day. I didn't really know him, but he seemed friendly. I was chasing him and the next thing I knew, I was lost. Not my neighborhood! The new guy had vanished and there I was, roaming the streets. It was dark now and I knew my mom would be worried sick about me, and I missed her terribly. I was hungry too. It got late, so I found some soft bushes to snuggle into for the night and fell asleep. When morning came, I was so scared that I ran into the street and almost got hit by a car. Minutes later, a nice lady pulled up in her big truck, got out and started walking toward me, slowly. I was so happy to see someone that I ran up to her and hugged her. She hugged me back. 

She put me in her truck and took me to a big place that had lots of other dogs there, all locked up in cages. She put me in a cage too. All I wanted was to go home and see my mom. My cage had two soft fleece blankets in it, so I took a nap. When I woke up, they fed me some kibble, gave me some water and took a magic wand and swooshed it over my shoulders several times. I was sleepy again and dozed off, only to wake up to the sound of my mom's voice.

I was elated. My tail was wagging so fast that it could have dusted every table in our house. My mom found me, thanks to the chip in my shoulder that I got as a puppy. To this day, my mom and I are so thankful for the pet shelter that saved my life and reunited us. 

If you love a pet, like my mom loves me, please consider nominating a pet shelter from your town to win in DollarDays' $5,000 Facebook Merchandise Giveaway for Pet Shelters. Every shelter can use warm blankets, toys, cleaning supplies and even treats.