My proverbeal oxygen mask

There is a reading, I'm not sure which daily reader it is in, though I'm pretty sure it's "Courage to Change", that talks about self care. In it, it talks about how when you are on an airplane, if there is an emergency, you are to put your own oxygen mask on first, then help other people. It extends this to your daily life. You can't help anyone else unless you are taking care of yourself first.
This season I'm working on putting on my financial oxygen mask.

I remember a few times as a kid when my family received 'donations' from the community. One Thanksgiving and Christmas we came home to find a box full of food on our door stop. The same church sent presents for me one year. I remember getting fee waivers in school for AP tests. And I remember my mom talking about the food pantry a few years ago and the types of food she felt okay taking from there. Our family has definitely felt the kind hand of others.
And I can't help but want to give back. I want so much this year to donate to the Capital Area Foodbank, and to DC Central Kitchen, and So Others Might Eat, but donating funds would be financially irresponsible. I still owe $3000 in credit card debt. My own financial oxygen mask isn't quite on yet, and it would be irresponsible for me to try to help someone else out financially right now.
I'm trying to make peace with this.
This morning/afternoon I spent two hours folding and stacking boxes and folding and stuffing info cards into envelopes. The Quaker meeting I go to does something called the Shoebox project. Tomorrow they will take these boxes and stuff them with socks, underwear, gloves, hats, etc, and the info cards, and they will be given to local organizations that handle the homeless in DC. I can't give money this year, but I can give time. And I'm thankful that I can even give back in that way. I don't view my childhood as having been impoverished, and I know it could have been so much worse. I couldn't imagine being homeless or hungry on a daily basis. So while I can't give money to all the organization that do amazing work in DC, I can give them my time, much like people did for my family. It isn't much, but it is what I can give right now. For that, I am grateful.
And I'm grateful that I've almost finished putting on my financial oxygen mask.