[Noah930]

Like Angela said, don't let a few not-so-truly-needy or ingrates spoil your desire to help. Just find a family that is truly needy and appreciative next time.

My wife and some of her friends did the adopt a family thing this past holiday season. Somehow the family was discovered through someone's local elementary school. Teachers seem to have an idea of which kids come from the really needy families. My wife was a little surprised when they dropped off the gifts this year; there were bare concrete floors (and not in the uber fashionable polished concrete modernist industrial look), exposed plumbing, bed in every room, etc. And the family (and kids) seemed truly grateful. The family offered them refreshments, asked my wife's group to come in and talk, etc. Very rewarding, and definitely something that would make you want to do the same for them annually, if not every month.