I venture to Craigslist often and search the site for people that need help/assistance. In December 2021, I came across a post from a woman asking for a used toy so that her daughter could get a Christmas present that year. She was currently living at a homeless shelter in NYC.
I spent that whole day on the phone trying to find out just how many children were homeless in my area. Turns out there were nearly 300 children, 12 miles away from where I reside. I wrote several articles on different platforms trying to make awareness to the problem, and come Christmas morning, of the tens of 1,000's of people that read my articles, according to the Director of those shelters, only 20 children received gifts, and those were the gifts that I personally had provided.
I have silently worked as an animal rescuer for North Shore Animal League for the past 2 decades, along with other nonprofit organizations. It is usually crossed paths with others like me, and it always seemed to be just us that were volunteering out time to help animals in need.
AndyFrank, I admire the direction of your post with the concept of helping children and animals. Me personally, I have no one left in this world and I made a personal choice long ago to be "That Guy". That Guy that helps his neighbor, 'That Guy" that goes to the aid of a person who is injured, "That Guy" who rescues an animal, or "That Guy" that takes off his wool sweater and gives it to a homeless person. None of these people know who I am, not even my 1st name, to them I am just "That Guy" that helped them to get them back on their feet again.
In my experience, if a person was going to help someone, they would have done it already, and in a SHTF situation, if they haven't helped anyone by then, surely, they are not going to help anyone with SHTF going on.
Point being, why wait. Help your fellow man, and 4 legged kindred spirits now.