Kindness, Charity, Giving... Whatever
 

What is your favorite way.
What this is not about is a jack-off about altruism, churches/the Red Cross/Salvation Army being bad or good at doing their shit, "they" are just going to spend it on drugs, etc, etc, etc... fuck-off and start your own bitchy thread.
Mod, I'm asking you to delete that OT negative shit.
Not what this is about. This is about gettin' your give on...
So, how do you do it, why (fo' real), tell your, or other's stories and discuss it over-all.
I'm not doing so hot today, sorry, so I'll type mine later.
I will say that one of the things I hate most (I rarely use that word) about being sick is that I can no longer give and do for others like I used to. It being an enormous part of my life, even having a charity of my own at one time.

Well, I don't do much. When I can, I will give to Girl Scouts and other youth groups, World Wildlife Fund, etc.

plus, we get a fair number of beggars and panhandlers, as do all cities, I suppose. I'll say this: Men are still hired more readily and paid more than women, so as a women, I won't give money to men (panhandling).

Usually avoid charities except for rare occasions like that tsunami where I can't do anything else. It can be a toss up because, for the most part, organized charities like the red cross/crescent, waste too much, but my employer will match contributions.

I'd rather work on a one to one basis with people I know or friends/acquaintances of people I know. That way specific, needs can be addressed with the right response.

I feel sorry for the parents that end up hustling their kid's candy, wrapping paper and citrus fruit, at work.

It's along the kindness line, but I always try to remember to tell a person's manager when I've gotten good service, or to tip the person at the drive-thru. Small things that I can give almost every day, and they're free or relatively cheap, and they make people happy.

I did give 20% of my check to the United Way, assigned to specific local charities.
Got all of it back at the end of the year in my federal taxes that I don't think they should be taking to begin with.
That is one.

How did you get it all back?

Usually if I see some guy sat on the street with a penny cloth I'll put some money in, usually enough to buy either a hot meal or a few pints. If i see a big issue salesman I'll buy a copy, I tend to end up with three or four copies of each issue, more around Chrismas time. Some bloke approaches me in the street and asks me to help him out, I usually will. I see them and think, y'know, they're somebody's son, maybe somebody's brother. I'd want people to be kind to my brother if his life had fallen to such a place.

The more selfish part of that act is a desire for those people to know we don't all pull away, some of us just see a guy asking for help.

Over the years I have given to various charities, veterans and others. Now it is coming back ten fold, just like it was written.

I use the website isara.org, which is something.

I usually don't give to charities because of a lack of money or something that is forbidden in this thread. (thanks rkzenrage)

While we are talking about this, what does everyone think of microfinancing?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6047364.stm

[rzkenrage or mods, split the topic if you feel nessessary]

www.thehungersite.com

This is my home page. Some days I hit them all, some days one, some a few.
Each page has a cool store. Pink Ribbon Store.

I'm seeing more and more sites like these, the same thing isara is.

Great idea.

I give personally to those I meet that need the money. I dont trust most charities and stuff, though I do donate to them when I can, on occasion. But mostly, just handing out change and cash on the streets.

But in places like Paris, with large numbers of those who need it... usually just to the ones that try to earn it. Buskers, singers, the really nice ones, not just anyone who slumps over in the street.

That reminded me.... a daily stop and sometimes shop.

Receipts, especially the United Way being deducted from my pay.
Deduct it from my taxes.
A percentage of untraceable can be deducted as well.

Yes, check out Kiva.org. I think this is a very worthwhile charity to look at.

I usually donate to Nature Conservancy, Kansas Land Trust, University of Kansas and a Kansas non-profit that assists women with reproductive health issues.

I gave a lot to Habitat for Humanity after the Katrina disaster. But, apparently this has not gone as well as hoped for.

I've avoided Red Cross and United Way because of previous scandals.

Thanks, I've seen that one before but actually forgot the site.

Another microcredit site to check out:
FINCA International

That's not getting it all back though, it just saves paying tax on that much.

:biglaugha

Every week we give at church, other than that, the only thing we give to on a regular basis, is St. Jude's children's hospital. 13 year old son did the Mathathon last year, he raised the most money, and won a boom box. All the money coincidentally went to St. Jude's. We also donate clothes, and whatever to Harbor House, a battered women's shelter. A lot easier, and less time consuming than a garage sale.

I am just getting off my feet right now (finished college this year) so I try to give time rather than money -- recently I've been doing a bit of volunteer work with the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (www.gpac.org). When I need something, I try to buy more from companies that support good causes than those who don't.

That's a fairly common sentiment and usually draws nods of agreement.

But you know what? If my bank, insurance company, phone co or internet provider, starts crowing about sponsoring some music festival or marathon, I am peeved. That tells me they have excess profits they have to find a use for. They are spreading my money around without my consent. They are forcing me to support causes I might not believe in. They act like Bush.

Huh, I hadn't thought of that. I meant stuff like food stores/restaurants, clothing and shoes, etc. Mostly in my household my fiance chooses the sort of thing you mentioned -- insurance, bank, etc -- anyway.

I don't think you could say they're forcing you, though. If it really bothers you, couldn't you switch to a different service?

Yeah some I could switch, except the US post office and Comcast monopoly, but that would be a huge hassle and they all do it so I'd just be peeved all over again.

Does your phone bill have a tax, that's withheld for people that can't pay their bills? Mine does. WTF!

Yup, plus several other questionable taxes.

I love it when I see young people giving their spring breaks to things like Habitat For Humanity or others. Gives me more hope.:D

I will admit that I never did that, but I performed in a benefit to raise money for one of those programs. :) And this month I'm performing in a benefit for Goth Help Us, an organization that does goth shows for charity (this one's for the Whitman-Walker clinic).

Good for you Hime. Undertoad is doing just that this Saturday for St. Jude's Children's Hospital.