Sharing and Helping

[CharlesW]

Since it`s the season for giving and most of us seem to be in a giving mood, I thought I might bring up the subject of those less fortunate.

My wife worked for 36 years as a nurse at a county hospital that served everyone, including those that had little or even no money. Some of the things she saw would be unbelieveable to many.
Now, I`m as much for people helping themselves as anyone. I have no use for free-loaders.
That said, I do have some sympathy for many of the people that don`t have anything even though they are trying.
People come to the hospital having no health insurance even though they might be working 60 to 70 hours a week at three different jobs. Minimum wage, no benefits and it isn`t because they are lazy. It`s just the way the world works sometimes.
Anyway, we donate a lot of clothing, canned and non perishable food to an Outreach Project here and they do a great job of seeing that the stuff goes where it is needed.
My wife goes to the local Target, Wal*Mart, Kohl`s stores at the end of the winter season and buys hundreds of pairs of gloves, mittens and caps when they go on clearance. The sale prices are usually 10 to 20 percent off, but clearance sales are often 75% off. $10 buys a lot of caps and mittens, $50 to $100 buys a whole bunch. She takes these to the hospital the following winter and any youngster that shows up without gloves or a hat doesn`t leave bare handed or bare headed. Remember, the kids didn`t have much choice in where and how they live.
My daughter has good job that requires she wear pretty decent clothes. Her cast-offs go to a battered women home here in our area. Many of these women get out of a situation with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. Decent clothing makes them much more likely to find employment and also makes them feel better about themselves.

I guess what I`m trying to say is why not look for some of the local charities where your contributions can really make a difference. United Way, Red Cross, all the rest do a great job, but they probably won`t miss the money you donate locally and it will really be appreciated by the local organizations.

As usual, I`ve written a book,
Sorry about that, but in case you haven`t guessed, this is something I feel pretty strongly about.

Merry Christmas!
Charles

[cwcad]

I am glad that you pointed that out. With all the frenzy of the promotions that have been going thru the board lately, I know that I really kind of forgotten the less fortunate.

There will be alot of things that could go to the area shelter`s after the Holiday Season that will be from this house.

Will get my wife to keep me informed of the sale`s at the area stores. It is something that I had not thought about. Good idea!!! Will follow thru with your suggestions.

[Brenton]

Every few years my wife and I spend all our money so we too can be less fortunate.
No, we don`t "give" or "help," but we empathize.




Just kidding. "Charity" is an old English word for love that should be given its full meaning again.
Cheers and Merry Christmas.

[CharlesW]

Every few years my wife and I spend all our money so we too can be less fortunate.
No, we don`t "give" or "help," but we empathize.

We have done the "Have not, Have" thing. Have is much better.

Charles

[CharlesW]

I copied this from another thread.

It was a good Christmas. Even better knowing that my mom, dad and I each "adopted" a child from the Angel Tree at the mall and bought them clothes, toys and each one a bike. I wish I could have seen their faces this morning when they got their gifts.

This is the type of thing I was referring to. It was great for this to happen at Christmas, and there`s still lots more that can be done all year long.

Charles

[Scott P]

I lke that idea about buying hats and gloves at low prices and then donating. You can really stretch those dollars to help more people. I usually end up buying a case or two of various food items to give to local shelters. A lot of the extra stuff we don`t need since the move will go to a few local charities for sale in their stores.

[CharlesW]

I lke that idea about buying hats and gloves at low prices and then donating. You can really stretch those dollars to help more people. I usually end up buying a case or two of various food items to give to local shelters. A lot of the extra stuff we don`t need since the move will go to a few local charities for sale in their stores.

When the local food stores have the canned goods on sale at the really low prices periodically, (15 to 25 cents a can), we buy several cases for donation to the food bank and the outreach project. $20 to $50 buys a lot of canned corn & beans. Most of the stores don`t give you a bad time if you tell them what it is for. They don`t offer to match what you are doing, though.
My former employer would do the matching thing. Whatever approximately 200 employees came up with, he would match it. Some of us really tried to get into his pocket, but I don`t think he even noticed. Class act. He donated the money to build a hospice in an area that he felt needed one. He also payed the college tuition for several young people whose families couldn`t swing it.

Charles

[Tex Star Detail]

Not to hi-jack the thread, but when my Son was diagnosed with cancer, our lives changed. We had hard times, and I had to quit my job. We were living at the hospital in Houston, Tx. (Texas childrens Hospital, about 4 hours from where we are now) All our stuff in storage. We took both our cars, one to drive, and one filled with clothes, food, ect. We had a small skillet in the room, ect. to cook small meals. We were there for a few months. We have 3 Children, so the other 2 were there also. What a mess. To get to the point, we had a BUNCH of help. People donated food, coupons, baby sitting service, so me and the wife could actually go outside together. Just small things that we couldn`t do, we could do.
Then, we had to fly to New York City for more treatment. We coudn`t afford plane tickets, or anything. I was part of another forum, and they raised over $4k for us. We even had someone DONATE FIRST CLASS TICKETS....ROUNDTRIP. I tried to find the thread on the other forum, but they cleaned up the site and it was deleted. Sponsers donated items for me to raffle, ie. hoods, pcms, powertuners, ect.......One sponser even sent me a fiberglass hood for my car, for NOTHING. He said it was a gift, since I did not have money to mod the car.....

ALL IN ALL, there are people that care out there, and my Family knows first hand. It is very appreciated by those who receive. Now, my Wife and I donate back as much as we can. Cooking for the Ronald McDonald house, donating baby wipes to the Hospital (they don`t supply them) ect......


Sorry I wrote a story myself.........

[maximv1]

i try to give to the kids outside of stores collecting for boy scouts, girl guides, etc. we give our used clothes that are in good shape to the salvation army as well as money. we are not rich or even well off, but i feel a few bucks means more to a charity than to me for a pop, or dinner out. i try to be thankful for what i have and realize there are alot of people with less. not only does it make you feel good, but to help someone who needs it is the reward.

[CharlesW]

One thing that I think I should have mentioned.
You should only give in relation to your own specific circumstances.
Charity is great, but so is taking care of your own family. There can be lots of reasons that someone doesn`t give and it isn`t because of being selfish.

At one time, I worked with a guy that seemed like the biggest cheapskate/tightwad I had ever met. Good job, good pay. Many people made comments and he just ignored them. After I worked with him for a few weeks, I found out that his daughter had leukemia and every dollar they had was going to an attempt to do something for her. I did shut a few people up after I found out, but he didn`t want to tell anyone else. All I would say to the people that said something was that you shouldn`t comment about people when you have no idea of their actual circumstances. I still feel that way.

Charles

[Tex Star Detail]

One thing that I think I should have mentioned.
You should only give in relation to your own specific circumstances.
Charity is great, but so is taking care of your own family. There can be lots of reasons that someone doesn`t give and it isn`t because of being selfish.

At one time, I worked with a guy that seemed like the biggest cheapskate/tightwad I had ever met. Good job, good pay. Many people made comments and he just ignored them. After I worked with him for a few weeks, I found out that his daughter had leukemia and every dollar they had was going to an attempt to do something for her. I did shut a few people up after I found out, but he didn`t want to tell anyone else. All I would say to the people that said something was that you shouldn`t comment about people when you have no idea of their actual circumstances. I still feel that way.

Charles

exactly :yes: :yes: :yes: