Charity
When I sent out my Christmas “cards” (mass produced greetings and news), I requested that if those who received the letter did not get me a gift yet and were intending to do so, they instead donate to charity the money they would have spent on a gift. Of course, I meant a charity of their choice because the important part is that they are giving.
I was caught totally off guard when I was asked which charity they should give to. I didn’t expect to be held accountable for my suggestion, which is something that I should have expected.
I thought about it a bit and replied that I didn’t have a favorite charity and that they should give to their favorite charity.
I have continued to think about the question, and what it comes down to is I don’t really know what happens to the money I do give to charity: how much goes to overhead and administration and how much goes to the people who need it, is the charity in trouble or is it a “rich” charity, what does the charity do, does it help old people, children, does it provide scholarships, does it ease poverty? These are some of the questions that need to be answered.
Maybe a more important set of questions is related to me. What do I want to accomplish with my contribution, what do I see as the most pervasive problem in a society full of problems, is there a problem so close to being solved that maybe my limited contribution is the one that puts it over the top, what do I want for my money, what are my priorities?
Most of these questions, I don’t know the answers to. The most pervasive problem in our society – the one that puts people at higher risk for drug abuse, AIDS, smoking, drinking, homicide (especially in blacks), malnutrition, low education and a host of other problems – is poverty. Now, what can I do against poverty (within the current limits of my minimum wage job and $24,000 in debt accumulated from a good education)? I don’t know.
So, what am I doing? I have donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association every year of my life (in other words, my mother has donated in my name for most of those years). The theory was that mom was happy to have two healthy children. It is also easy to donate to them through their telethon.
I have donated time to tutoring English to those whose first language is not English – this goes hand in hand with the literacy program. It is very rewarding in that I get to interact with a Russian from Tblisi, Georgia, and I can see slow progress being made by him.
I have also donated a very limited amount of time and blood (literally) to the American Red Cross. In exchange, they taught me CPR/First Aid, and they gave me a CPR Instructor’s certification though I have yet to get authorized to teach CPR/First Aid.
The there are the little things that probably all do. Our “spare” change thrown in a coffee can going to mental health patients or into a doggie bank supporting the local Humane Society. The Christmas change going to the bell ringer for the Salvation Army, and buying the occasional candy bar/cookies from the kids in front of the grocery store. (I do this, and I go to those car washes because I did the same thing, and it got me to the Soviet Union, which was a positive influence on my life.)
Anyway, I am interested in what your favorite charities are why. If you have any of that technical information, that would be great, too.
I was caught totally off guard when I was asked which charity they should give to. I didn’t expect to be held accountable for my suggestion, which is something that I should have expected.
I thought about it a bit and replied that I didn’t have a favorite charity and that they should give to their favorite charity.
I have continued to think about the question, and what it comes down to is I don’t really know what happens to the money I do give to charity: how much goes to overhead and administration and how much goes to the people who need it, is the charity in trouble or is it a “rich” charity, what does the charity do, does it help old people, children, does it provide scholarships, does it ease poverty? These are some of the questions that need to be answered.
Maybe a more important set of questions is related to me. What do I want to accomplish with my contribution, what do I see as the most pervasive problem in a society full of problems, is there a problem so close to being solved that maybe my limited contribution is the one that puts it over the top, what do I want for my money, what are my priorities?
Most of these questions, I don’t know the answers to. The most pervasive problem in our society – the one that puts people at higher risk for drug abuse, AIDS, smoking, drinking, homicide (especially in blacks), malnutrition, low education and a host of other problems – is poverty. Now, what can I do against poverty (within the current limits of my minimum wage job and $24,000 in debt accumulated from a good education)? I don’t know.
So, what am I doing? I have donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association every year of my life (in other words, my mother has donated in my name for most of those years). The theory was that mom was happy to have two healthy children. It is also easy to donate to them through their telethon.
I have donated time to tutoring English to those whose first language is not English – this goes hand in hand with the literacy program. It is very rewarding in that I get to interact with a Russian from Tblisi, Georgia, and I can see slow progress being made by him.
I have also donated a very limited amount of time and blood (literally) to the American Red Cross. In exchange, they taught me CPR/First Aid, and they gave me a CPR Instructor’s certification though I have yet to get authorized to teach CPR/First Aid.
The there are the little things that probably all do. Our “spare” change thrown in a coffee can going to mental health patients or into a doggie bank supporting the local Humane Society. The Christmas change going to the bell ringer for the Salvation Army, and buying the occasional candy bar/cookies from the kids in front of the grocery store. (I do this, and I go to those car washes because I did the same thing, and it got me to the Soviet Union, which was a positive influence on my life.)
Anyway, I am interested in what your favorite charities are why. If you have any of that technical information, that would be great, too.