Charity and Americans

I give to the food banks and I give to the clothes bank. I also leans towards education
I should tell you a story about something that happened at agrocery store last Sunday

I've seen people eating food right off the grocery store shelf. In the big city you see all kinds of sad things - sometimes.

William and I entered the grocery store and there was this lady shoving a leaflet into a young mans face. He just smiles and says thank you anyway.I was shocked and confused. So she takes of into the store and the smiling young men hands me a leaflet. He was collecting food for the people suffering from aids in our community. I was so ashamed because of what the other lady had done, and I don't even know her. Well to make a long story short William and I donated a jar of peanut butter.

I have several charities that I give alittle bit to. Catholic charities, An organization of monks, a childrens hospital, the veterans. I also donate anything I don't use to Goodwill and I give to food banks during the holidays. I don't have much to give but I try to give a little donation here and there.
I believe strongly in helping when we can in our communties. I hope someday to be in a position to do more.

I think Americans do give more to charity. But I think Americans give much more to other countries than here in the U.S. If I'm wrong then I apologize.
I can't afford to give money to charity. But I do give my time to help out at places like the Salvation Army during the holidays.
The post office here collects can goods. Myself as well as others leave can goods near our mail boxes for the mail carrier to pick them up. We're told where to put the can goods.

I give primarily to animal charities like the local no-kill shelters, Alley Cat Allies, HSUS, etc. I also always put some cash in the jar when we are at Petsmart for whatever shelter has a jar set up that day.

We will also choose a family or child to help out this holiday season, probably off one of those Christmas trees if nothing else presents itself. One year our homeschool group adopted a family to buy gifts and food for and I thoroughly enjoyed doing that.

I hate to sound like a conservative but I remain unconvinced on food kitchens. It seems to me that if you can't afford food you should qualify for food stamps. My friends on food stamps have far more money for food than I do. I can't imagine spending as much on groceries as some of them get on food stamps. If you don't qualify for food stamps then you should be able to buy food as long as you aren't being irresponsible with your money. I personally know too many people that spend all their money at a bar or on a Wii then complain that they can't buy food.

That said, I would happily donate food to someone that had unexpected circumstances or expenses like an illness, broken down car, etc. and could not buy food for a short period. I just don't want to feed the chronically irresponsible.

Our chapter of Young Astronauts Club is doing a food drive and I will contribute a lot to that even though I am unconvinced.

Yay charity.

I used to work for Catholic Charities. They're terrible to their employees (acting like we're doing charity when we're just trying to have a job - and there's a BIG difference) but they are otherwise a very VERY good charity in the community.

I drive about 30-35 miles to donate my 'fat' clothes now that I have lost so much weight to a Goodwill in a rural area that GIVES them to those in need.. ALL are SUPPOSED to, but the local one does not. "we have too much overhead since we built the new building"..
So I take my donations where they will do the most good.

Good to see this Peter, sorry I haven't been around.

L.

btw, of all the clothes a thrift store gets the big man (fat guy) stuff is the rarest..

Sadly, often the "chronically irresponsible" are irresponsible enough to also have kids. The kids shouldn't have to go hungry because of stupid parents. Not in America !!!

Yay Lloyd - I hope you feel better with the lost weight. I bet it was really hard to lose it. The body is so stubborn that way. Aaaahhh!!!!

Andrea .... it is a shame that the only people you have come in contact with ... that claim they cannot afford food .... appear to be irresponsible with their allotted food budget ....... whether from hard-earned cash or food stamps ....

I personally know MANY people who need the food banks or food cupboards ..... people who DO NOT qualify for food stamps for whatever reason ..... usually because they ARE working but not making enough to make ends meet .... just too much to "qualify" for assistance .....

Have you ever had to apply for welfare? .... they expect you to provide PROOF of everything .... and assume that you are some kind of no-good asshole who is out to rip the government off ............. even though you may have been one of the pillars of the community up until some situation beyond your control forced you to use up all of your savings and every last penny that you could get your hands on to support your family ...... forcing you to hang your head, swallow your pride, and basically BEG the idiots in the government office to please give back a little bit of what you contributed to the system ..... please help you feed your family ......

I'm not saying that there aren't some people out there who abuse the system .... I am sure that there are many who have done so ...... which is one of the reasons why those who truly need help are treated with such contempt by those who feel that they are just using the system to be lazy sponges .....

For those who fall between the cracks .... and cannot qualify for food stamps .... or who DO get stamps, but have so depleted their cupboards and freezers, they may be buying what they can freeze and store for future use .... and be leaving themselves short of funds to purchase daily/weekly necessities in the fresh foods area .....

I have supported food banks for years ....... even though many people seem to believe that they are NOT necessary ....... Trust me ... if you have EVER had to go to the welfare office and try to get assistance ...... you probably would leave there with NOTHING but a broken spirit and a death wish ....... and sometimes, a food bank, a food cupboard, or a soup kitchen is all that stands between some people and suicide ....

For my part, I will continue to support the food cupboards ... and I will continue to feed strangers that need it ....... there, but for the grace of god ... go I .........

sorry for ranting on your thread, Peter ...... didn't intend to ...

I am not sure exactly how I want to comment here.
I had a very lucrative job. But I was diabetic, suffered from some mental problems, and a bad back (which I got from lifting at work - 2 herniated disks).
When I had 30 years in and qualified for a small pension with a tiny supplement until I reach 62. My company requested I 'retire' and apply for disability.
That was in 1999. I have been fighting for disability ever since. To no avail. I have several conditions, but as they are not all from the same thing - I don't fit in any of the prepackaged boxes. I just went to my last and final hearing last week, and it doesn't look good. There are 10,000 jobs in Michigan that I can supposedly do sitting on my fat butt. (For minimum wage, hundreds of miles from where I live).
This summer the company I get my pension from went bankrupt. So far the pension guaranty company is giving me my pension, but it is not guaranteed until I reach 62. And the supplement could drop off at any moment. I could even have to pay back some of what I have received. I also lost all my medical/prescription/and burial insurance. Which takes away from money I used to use to buy essentials.
My pension just covers my mortgage and utilities.
I also get a few food stamps (just raised to $96 a month). But those do not cover paper products, my diabetic supplies, or my ostomy supplies.
Actually, I should have stayed working, and made the company deal with me... but then I probably would have been fired, and not even have the pension I am getting until I did reach 62.
And all that would have come to a screaming halt this summer when they went bankrupt. The company that took over, cut wages and benefits. So where would I be now???
I hate having to use food stamps. I hate the months I do visit the food pantry (months where the house insurance or taxes are due - my money only goes so far). I do drop off a little something during the summer when I am doing a bit better.
I also stick a buck in the jars that show up in the stores when there has been a burnout or someone's child needs transportation to a hospital for extensive treatment of a serious illness. I have dropped a bag of dog or cat food off at the pound. I have paid for someone's coffee that I know may be a bit poorer than me at the local restaurant. (And no I do not eat there often - I will stop in for a cup of coffee when I need to talk to my daughter who cooks there - as she has no phone - we live in opposite directions from town and don't get together often). I collect used clothing from my kids and take it to the goodwill or the local free store. I have not had new clothes since 1999. I get what I have as hand me downs or at the free store.
So am I charitable, or am I a charity case???? I do what I can, when I can.

Sorry, I kind of went off topic there - some of the comments above hurt my feelings a bit. I just wanted to explain that it is not always all black and white. Some of us do fall into gray areas.

K.S. and Sharon R. RANT on my thread - YAY. I agree with you so much !!!! It takes A LOT to qualify for food stamps in most states - or stay on them once you qualify. It's easy to fall in the cracks of society when you're poor enough (and usually the working poor - PEOPLE WHO WORK HARD!!!). For some reason it's the right wingers who KNOW all these "lazy dead-beats" they use as an example to mock the whole welfare and charity thing.

HOW RUDE to kick a poor hungry person, when they're down, like that !!!

I really don't know right wing from left wing ....... but I do think it is wrong to lump all people into the same categories .... and I'm glad you weren't upset that I took up so much space on your thread ...

People are people ..... and every person that I know has been hungry at one time or another .... the difference is -- some can just go to the refrigerator and fill that hunger .... and others don't even have a refrigerator or food ... and go days without any food at all ......... that adds to the misery ....

I have been on both sides of this particular issue .... some of the worst times in my life were when I was homeless and hungry ... even though I worked hard for what little money I had ... the hunger made everything seem so much worse than it probably was ..... the despair and sense of hopelessness really are indescribable .... so I won't try to describe it ....

I vowed that I would do what I could to help others ..... if and when I was in a position to do so ....... people need a hand up ... not to be looked down on and despised, or to be kicked while they are down ...... and everyone needs to eat ....

Thank you K.S.

As usual - the comments are so much better than the article (a good thing)

food stamps is not alot... it does help, i had been on them and received less than 100 for 2 people for a month some people receive 30 for 1 person..... it is difficult to shop with the cost of food.... basically you live off of pasta and rice, very little protein can be bought.

I try to help out my daughter's and their friends.

I've been that mom going without food so the kids can eat. Fortunately for me, I've always given when people are collecting so I eventually learned to ask for help without feeling guilty. There's so many comments here that brings back memories. I hated being on food stamps. You are looked at with a certain look by so many cashiers. I did get enough to feed me and my children for a month each time, but then, I was raised in a poor family and didn't have a lot of the "must have" items that most people think they can't live without. After I got on my feet, I had 2 family members say ignorant things to me. One person say to me that no mother doesn't have a source of money for her children. This young lady has always had everything she wanted, came from a branch of the family that made over 2000 a month for 3 people, and then married into a rich family where the inlaws bought her and her hubby a house and car and continue to make sure they have whatever they want. The other person said to me, "Well, you know you can always have money if you need it." I wondered why they weren't telling me those things when I didn't have food for the family, but bit my tongue, and just reminded myself that these are the mentalities that people in need have to deal with, so it's important not only to give, but to give willingly and cheerfully.

Also, I agree about the comment of gray areas. I've heard so many people say "They choose to be homeless." Well, that may be true. Some women choose to be homeless rather than to be beaten any more or kept prisoner by a husband who is abusive and controlling. They may choose to be homeless to save their children from sexual abuse. Some men may choose to be homeless because they are just too darned depressed to deal with the hoops you have to jump through to get another job or financial assistance after having been laid off 3 times in a row. Some people choose to be homeless because they have medical bills which have drained them and they chose to pay them rather than keep paying other bills. I think of the icy winter nights and wonder how anyone can really thing someone rationally chooses to sleep out on the streets. But, the people who don't see the gray areas have mostly been sheltered from a lot of life's ugliness. They are lucky, so they don't have a clue. It's to be expected.

Oh, sorry. I didn't mean this to become a novel, but I love your article and I think a lot of people will get a lot out of it.

I know this is an old topic, but it has given us some good discussions. Did you guys hear that congress might pass a bill to eliminate charitable tax deductions and give donors a 15% tax rebate instead? That is going to have a big blow on charities if it passes. See this link at philanthropy for more informationTax deductions

I didn't know that Americans give the most money to charity - though I suppose it does make sense. Our family typically gives to Heifer International during the Christmas season and we're planning on giving to Classwish during the school year. We've been fortunate enough to have a great education, but there are plenty of schools that need things as simple as books. I actually just recently found out about the charity via an event called the Kindness Cab. A man named Leon drove across the country in a cab and kept the meter running the whole time. He gave the total amount shown on his meter to Classwish at the end of his journey. Such a cool event, and it introduced me to a great charity!