Saturday, March 14, 2009

A Saturday morning trip to the Salvation Army

I just dropped off four bags of donation items at the Salvation Army drop-off area on Center Street. There were two other cars ahead of me in line and the place was bustling. Good to see so many people there giving to charity. One of the things I love about my West End neighborhood is the proximity of services should you want to donate or volunteer. In addition to the Salvation Army for humans, there are also charitable organizations for pets, including the Houston SPCA just across I-10, which is near and dear to my heart, as I take my lovely pup there for classes once a week. There's also the Spay-Neuter Assistance Clinic (SNAP) on Durham Dr. I have never been to SNAP so I can't speak for how good or not good their organization might be.

During the short drive back home from the Salvation Army down Center St., I marvelled at the diversity of environments one can find in this neighborhood. There are beautiful townhomes with little landscaped yards, urban apartment buildings, factories with a sort of gritty charm, older homes made of wood surrounded by chain-link or falling-apart wood fences. It's the kind of place where you feel like you're in an enclave but just moments from the busy city. I love it.