Today marks the traditional start of the Holiday Shopping Season. With that in mind, here is a link to the Downtown Phoenix Journal’s recent article on the benefits of shopping local – plus some tips on how to do it.

Also, the City of Phoenix will be collecting items for those who won’t otherwise have a comfortable Christmas. Blankets, warm clothes, and warm shoes are all being accepted (full list here). It is really easy for me to forget how much the weather changes here in the Valley. Without a roof or a heater, our winter nights can be fairly grueling for our Street Family. The program launched this past Tuesday and will run until the middle of March.

That’s all for this week. Good wishes to you and your family as we enter into this Holiday Season!