7 ms·

Tell HN: Everyone should have a holiday dinner this year

388 points by atdrummond 4y ago

I just wanted to let any HN users who are alone for the holidays - maybe even without a place to stay - that I want to make sure you have a good meal in your stomach tomorrow night and that you know that there are others who do care. HN has been an incredible resource for me. I have met friends, cofounders, and business partners on this site. My intellectual curiousity has been somewhat sated and my social circle made richer by this site’s very existence. I myself have gone through tough times and spent multiple holiday seasons on the street. I want you to know there are people out there who care about you and believe in you. If you need food to celebrate the holidays (or another resource, such as housing help for the night) please email me at the address in my bio. You may remain as anonymous as you wish, so long as I have enough information to get you the assistance you desire. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

addajones 4y ago
Very kind and generous of you. This is a wonderful community here at HN! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you as well.
photoGrant 4y ago
Just the message means a lot :)
StanislavPetrov 4y ago
Kudos to you for this. I hope your generosity makes a difference for someone who needs it this holiday season.
752963e64 4y ago
[dead]
trillic 4y ago
If you’re near Detroit and need dinner tomorrow. Email me. graham@eger.dev will drop off food no questions asked.
- sabertoothed 4y ago
  You're awesome!
  - atdrummond 4y ago
    Seconded!
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
beebmam 4y ago
I could use a few less dinners, in my doctor's opinion. Too bad for her :)
subroutine 4y ago
HN has the best content, best moderation, and best community on the web. I love this place. Happy holidays everyone.
gizajob 4y ago
Currently in Melbourne Australia having been dropped right in it by a friend who said I could rent their place while they're on holiday and then they changed their mind last minute yesterday, leaving me suddenly homeless on Christmas Eve. Currently in a park on Christmas day a three hour train ride away, because I had nothing else to do and rides are free today. Thanks for your post, it really cheered me up on a Christmas Day unexpectedly spent totally on my own, half a world away from family. Peace
- atdrummond 4y ago
  Please promise you have a place to stay. Happy to put you up somewhere if it will help. You have my email. :)
  - gizajob 4y ago
    I'll be cool thanks for your offer. I slept on the couches in a lobby of a swish hotel last night then got on a train at 7am. Hotels here are super expensive so I'm just going to wing it until I can get a room share next week or try and reschedule my flight out of here without it costing a small fortune.
    - atdrummond 4y ago
      Please don't let cost be a barrier. I'd much rather know you have a place to stay. There are plenty of resources here to make sure you're not on the streets on an ostensble vacation. You have my contact info. Be safe!
      - gizajob 4y ago
        Thank you cool dude. What's funny is that this trip was a treat to myself because I came in to some money this year, but I've been poor my whole adult life and now spending it frivolously even for a room for the night almost causes me visceral pain. Thanks for your support and offer to help. "it'll be right" as they say out here in Oz.
aireo 4y ago
A wonderful message. All the best, everyone. I wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy holidays.
sabertoothed 4y ago
HN is awesome, and so are you, OP.
techie128 4y ago
What a wonderful though! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you too.
caseyw 4y ago
This was moving. I read it aloud to my family. You’re a blessing, and I appreciate your generosity and kindness. I genuinely enjoy this community! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all!
tmpburning 4y ago
Great initiative, but the homeless probably need to stay out of the cold more then anything else today...
- atdrummond 4y ago
  I am happy to provide whatever is required by them to ensure they are taken care of for the holidays.
atdrummond 4y ago
"Great initiative, but the homeless probably need to stay out of the cold more then anything else today..." Saw this comment shadowbanned. Just so you know - I agree. I am more than willing to (and already have) help with shelter.
polar8 4y ago
If you’re in the South Bay Area and need dinner tomorrow send me an email and I’ll drop it off! cedricbosch at gmail
UIUC_06 4y ago
Tell me you know the true meaning of Christmas, without telling me you know the true meaning of Christmas.
revscat 4y ago
I just wish I had someone to talk to. This year, like last year, and the year before, and the year before… I spend it alone, hating myself for being the unlovable mass of fat and depression that I am. It’s just be nice if one night a year I could pretend not to be me, to pretend that there are people who have warm feelings towards me, who will not lock me up in a mental institution and then block me on everything from SMS to Discord for reasons I do not understand. I guess I pay can some psychological expert to tell me what to do. That’s what most advice I see seems to lean towards. Just… that doesn’t really help on Christmas Eve when the only human contact you had was with the UberEats driver who dropped off a double quarter pounder and fried apple pie. Honestly, I got two. It’s Christmas Eve after all.
- rawgabbit 4y ago
  Hang in there brother. Tomorrow will bring the promise of better days. Ask and you will receive.
- atdrummond 4y ago
  I’m happy to chat if you want. Standard disclaimer than I am just a dude with no training in either psychiatry or psychology or, for that matter, in being a good conversationalist. But if all you need is an open ear and an open mind, I’m here.
  - revscat 4y ago
    Thank you, but I’m not so selfish as to want to burden anyone with my bullshit. Some people get to have families. Some don’t. I’m ok with it most days. Today is just harder.
    - atdrummond 4y ago
      I promise it isn’t a burden. I’m home alone all weekend; my family is all hundreds or thousands of miles away. I truly would love to talk. Email is in the bio. :)
- napsterbr 4y ago
Kelamir 4y ago
This won't be an understatement to say that atdrummond, who posted this, make Christmas for me and my family possible. If you need help, do not hesitate to reach out! I'm really thankful for their help. It's a joy to see there are kind people like this.
- atdrummond 4y ago
  I am simply glad I could help. Thank you for your resilience and for being a good provider for your family and friends.
rlindskog 4y ago
I don’t have much, but if anyone needs some company in Seattle - please let me know.
MollyRealized 4y ago
I posted a longer variant of this to friends on Facebook, but please remember a saying that social media merely shows people's "highlight reels", not their day-to-day life. More than ever, people are struggling. Please do not attribute any weakness or negative quality to yourself if you are struggling yourself - you are among millions. And do not feel there's necessarily any strength in "keeping it to yourself." Many people are letting that build to unsustainable levels inside themselves. Be honest with a friend that you are struggling. If, for the moment, you are without friends, you will find that there are anonymous people who do care about you on Discords, chat rooms. Or on the end of a hotline. You don't necessarily have to have active plans of suicide to call a suicide hotline. A lot of the time, some people who kill themselves have deep apathy about life right up until a moment. I'll be honest that I am one of those struggling. I am not actively suicidal - I may possibly have some passive suicidal ideation (certainly the apathy and some lack of emotion) - but I am fortunate enough to have a good therapist. It is merely that I've lost a lot of people and gone through a tremendous amount of difficult change in the last year. My maxim in life has been this: at the worst of times, just take the next step forward. That's all you have to worry about, that one next step. They build up. Good luck to everyone here in 2023 with those challenges you find yourself facing. Don't feel as if you are excluded from the human race by your struggles. You are facing variants of what we are all facing.
Hani1337 4y ago
rent and electricity both bounced for me this month. as i spend christmas alone, i had some paté and instant cake mix for christmas eve lol.
- atdrummond 4y ago
  Please let me know if I can help. Here for you!
simne 4y ago
Greetings from Kyiyv, Ukraine! I'm near to ok now, but will not refuse help, wrote to Your email. Merry Christmas!
- atdrummond 4y ago
  I wrote back earlier - reply to me and we’ll sort something out for you.

388 points by atdrummond 4y ago

addajones 4y ago

Very kind and generous of you. This is a wonderful community here at HN! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you as well.

photoGrant 4y ago

Just the message means a lot :)

StanislavPetrov 4y ago

Kudos to you for this. I hope your generosity makes a difference for someone who needs it this holiday season.

752963e64 4y ago

[dead]

trillic 4y ago

If you’re near Detroit and need dinner tomorrow. Email me. graham@eger.dev will drop off food no questions asked.

sabertoothed 4y ago
You're awesome!
- atdrummond 4y ago
  Seconded!

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

beebmam 4y ago

I could use a few less dinners, in my doctor's opinion. Too bad for her :)

subroutine 4y ago

HN has the best content, best moderation, and best community on the web. I love this place. Happy holidays everyone.

gizajob 4y ago

Currently in Melbourne Australia having been dropped right in it by a friend who said I could rent their place while they're on holiday and then they changed their mind last minute yesterday, leaving me suddenly homeless on Christmas Eve. Currently in a park on Christmas day a three hour train ride away, because I had nothing else to do and rides are free today. Thanks for your post, it really cheered me up on a Christmas Day unexpectedly spent totally on my own, half a world away from family. Peace

atdrummond 4y ago
Please promise you have a place to stay. Happy to put you up somewhere if it will help. You have my email. :)
- gizajob 4y ago
  I'll be cool thanks for your offer. I slept on the couches in a lobby of a swish hotel last night then got on a train at 7am. Hotels here are super expensive so I'm just going to wing it until I can get a room share next week or try and reschedule my flight out of here without it costing a small fortune.
  - atdrummond 4y ago
    Please don't let cost be a barrier. I'd much rather know you have a place to stay. There are plenty of resources here to make sure you're not on the streets on an ostensble vacation. You have my contact info. Be safe!
    - gizajob 4y ago
      Thank you cool dude. What's funny is that this trip was a treat to myself because I came in to some money this year, but I've been poor my whole adult life and now spending it frivolously even for a room for the night almost causes me visceral pain. Thanks for your support and offer to help. "it'll be right" as they say out here in Oz.

aireo 4y ago

A wonderful message. All the best, everyone. I wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy holidays.

sabertoothed 4y ago

HN is awesome, and so are you, OP.

techie128 4y ago

What a wonderful though! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you too.

caseyw 4y ago

This was moving. I read it aloud to my family. You’re a blessing, and I appreciate your generosity and kindness. I genuinely enjoy this community! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all!

tmpburning 4y ago

Great initiative, but the homeless probably need to stay out of the cold more then anything else today...

atdrummond 4y ago
I am happy to provide whatever is required by them to ensure they are taken care of for the holidays.

atdrummond 4y ago

"Great initiative, but the homeless probably need to stay out of the cold more then anything else today..." Saw this comment shadowbanned. Just so you know - I agree. I am more than willing to (and already have) help with shelter.

polar8 4y ago

If you’re in the South Bay Area and need dinner tomorrow send me an email and I’ll drop it off! cedricbosch at gmail

UIUC_06 4y ago

Tell me you know the true meaning of Christmas, without telling me you know the true meaning of Christmas.

revscat 4y ago

I just wish I had someone to talk to. This year, like last year, and the year before, and the year before… I spend it alone, hating myself for being the unlovable mass of fat and depression that I am. It’s just be nice if one night a year I could pretend not to be me, to pretend that there are people who have warm feelings towards me, who will not lock me up in a mental institution and then block me on everything from SMS to Discord for reasons I do not understand. I guess I pay can some psychological expert to tell me what to do. That’s what most advice I see seems to lean towards. Just… that doesn’t really help on Christmas Eve when the only human contact you had was with the UberEats driver who dropped off a double quarter pounder and fried apple pie. Honestly, I got two. It’s Christmas Eve after all.

rawgabbit 4y ago
Hang in there brother. Tomorrow will bring the promise of better days. Ask and you will receive.
atdrummond 4y ago
I’m happy to chat if you want. Standard disclaimer than I am just a dude with no training in either psychiatry or psychology or, for that matter, in being a good conversationalist. But if all you need is an open ear and an open mind, I’m here.
- revscat 4y ago
  Thank you, but I’m not so selfish as to want to burden anyone with my bullshit. Some people get to have families. Some don’t. I’m ok with it most days. Today is just harder.
  - atdrummond 4y ago
    I promise it isn’t a burden. I’m home alone all weekend; my family is all hundreds or thousands of miles away. I truly would love to talk. Email is in the bio. :)
napsterbr 4y ago

Kelamir 4y ago

This won't be an understatement to say that atdrummond, who posted this, make Christmas for me and my family possible. If you need help, do not hesitate to reach out! I'm really thankful for their help. It's a joy to see there are kind people like this.

atdrummond 4y ago
I am simply glad I could help. Thank you for your resilience and for being a good provider for your family and friends.

rlindskog 4y ago

I don’t have much, but if anyone needs some company in Seattle - please let me know.

MollyRealized 4y ago

I posted a longer variant of this to friends on Facebook, but please remember a saying that social media merely shows people's "highlight reels", not their day-to-day life. More than ever, people are struggling. Please do not attribute any weakness or negative quality to yourself if you are struggling yourself - you are among millions. And do not feel there's necessarily any strength in "keeping it to yourself." Many people are letting that build to unsustainable levels inside themselves. Be honest with a friend that you are struggling. If, for the moment, you are without friends, you will find that there are anonymous people who do care about you on Discords, chat rooms. Or on the end of a hotline. You don't necessarily have to have active plans of suicide to call a suicide hotline. A lot of the time, some people who kill themselves have deep apathy about life right up until a moment. I'll be honest that I am one of those struggling. I am not actively suicidal - I may possibly have some passive suicidal ideation (certainly the apathy and some lack of emotion) - but I am fortunate enough to have a good therapist. It is merely that I've lost a lot of people and gone through a tremendous amount of difficult change in the last year. My maxim in life has been this: at the worst of times, just take the next step forward. That's all you have to worry about, that one next step. They build up. Good luck to everyone here in 2023 with those challenges you find yourself facing. Don't feel as if you are excluded from the human race by your struggles. You are facing variants of what we are all facing.

Hani1337 4y ago

rent and electricity both bounced for me this month. as i spend christmas alone, i had some paté and instant cake mix for christmas eve lol.

atdrummond 4y ago
Please let me know if I can help. Here for you!

simne 4y ago

Greetings from Kyiyv, Ukraine! I'm near to ok now, but will not refuse help, wrote to Your email. Merry Christmas!

atdrummond 4y ago
I wrote back earlier - reply to me and we’ll sort something out for you.