title: Random Sacks of Kindness
author: Salter, J.L.
description: At Christmas, they could mean so much more than sandwiches.
  When Josh Donovan spots the attractive young lady eating her sandwich alone on the nearby park bench, he figures she's likely just one more downtown office worker who's skimping to get by in the tough economy. At least she apparently has a job. Josh surely doesn't, and his weeks of unemployment (after his Army hitch ended) had already run out before he even arrived in this small Tennessee town. As he begins to encounter some of downtown's homeless individuals, Josh realizes that without bed and board at his uncle's small farm, he might also be existing right on those same dark, cold streets. Laura has noticed Josh and initiates contact. But is she interested in Josh himself or in the sandwiches and chips he's sharing with those homeless folks? Or both? She does not reveal much about herself, or where she works or who she works with. Already providing what assistance he can at the pavilion and on the town square, Josh sees both the big picture and its individual faces. In his methodical job search, he also discovers numerous needs for workers, even though the local offices and businesses don't seem to have enough money or fiscal confidence to hire anyone. Together, he and Laura look for solutions outside the proverbial box. While there are shelters and food banks currently operating, they appear to be serving mainly a mobile portion of the disadvantaged population. Josh sets out to help those with less mobility who have fallen through the cracks by bringing them a small but much-appreciated meal. He doesn't think his efforts are all that important until Laura identifies them as Random Sacks of Kindness.