Some good ideas for Charity

Hey guys! Its the Christmas season, and who is ready to give? I think it a great time to give to others, an it is encouraged all through the year! This Christmas, maybe we should give to needy instead of buying some things for ourselves?
This Christmas, I'm giving up expensive Ipod speakers to give to the ALS association. This is very, very close to my heart because they were the people who helped me through my dad's illness, and now the passing. In his memory for the future Christmases in my life, I will give up an amount of money in place of a Christmas gift for myself. If you have lost a family member or a friend in the past, I think you should do the same to honor them, and make sure the find the cure to save other people the pain of losing someone close to them. :)
Another thing I have seen in my mall lately is giving cards to your local VA hospital. Its for disabled veterans who have to stay in the hospital. If you have never been to the VA, the environment is very...depressing. I could not stand it in there the first time I went. I almost cried. Please help these Veterans the most, they cry when they see peoples cards, and I feel as if we don't give the veterans enough respect. So call up your local VA, and ask if you can send a card! Even a few words like "Merry Christmas" or "Thank you for serving our country." would make a Veteran's Christmas.
Hopefully some people take these suggestions to heart, and make someone have a really Merry Christmas.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!