I decided a few months ago that I was going to treat myself to a 4-day getaway from Los Angeles and visit Chicago. I got a free airplane ticket, but had to pay the hotel in cash, which I  really couldn't afford. I found a travel website where a discounted 3-night stay was purchased from a recently opened hotel. About three weeks before the trip, I had to regretfully cancel and only then realized the room, while transferable   to another person, couldn't be changed to a later date and wasn't refundable. For the next two weeks I tried selling it on Craig's list with no success. Five days before the "big weekend", I gave up trying to get any money back and decided I'd contact some acquaintances who live in Chicago and offer someone a free "staycation". After trying a handful of people all of whom already had their own plans, I was determined to have the room not go to waste. That's when it suddenly occurred to me that I was looking at the rooms in the wrong way. Instead of viewing them for vacation purposes, surely there must be a way to put them to good use, and that was when the idea that some sort of shelter might be able to use it. I eventually found one whose focus is aiding victims of domestic violence. This particular one was willing to listen to my out-of-left-field story and made it easier to transfer the rooms. The shelter was working with a desperate woman and her daughter, who were fortunately able to make use of the room. I was later told by the shelter " _ ". What did the author finally do with his room reservation?
He sold it to someone on vacation. He used it for domestic violence. He put it off to a later holiday time. He donated it to needy strangers.