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I have no doubt I'll get flamed for this but my 'giving' is strictly to the Salvation Army or to people whom I know who are in dire straits.
Having worked in the public sector most of my life, I know for a fact that many of those "needy" families who show up to the 'free meals' are often not needy at all. Those on the social services' lists of being needy are all too often merely selfish, don't want to budget their money, and expect - yes, expect - social services to provide them and their children with not only Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners replete with turkey and ham and all the fixins, but toys at Christmas as well. They come in all colors, all nationalities, all types; from the woman who lives in the $300,000 home and shows up at the food bank every week in her new car, to the woman with eight children who not only doesn't say "Thank you" but in fact gets angry every year because someone didn't buy her everything on her list.
I prefer to do a "secret Santa" to those folks whom I know are struggling but too proud to ask; the couple down the street on Social Security who can't get out and paint their house, much less buy food to last a whole month, the man working full time and taking care of his wife who has cancer and their three kids, the lady whose husband passed away last year who can only get to the grocery store once a month - but makes sure that any one who needs a hand with their children has a babysitter on short notice.
The Salvation Army may preach God but they also don't give handouts; they make people work for what they get, or they don't get it. They teach their clients budgeting and self-sufficiency, not to walk around and demand sustenance for free.
I only help those who help themselves. I do not throw my money at people who not only don't need it, but insist that they deserve it, simply by existing.
I don't think you should be "Flamed" for expressing your opinion at all. You are right about people thinking they are entitled to a free handout.
When I was just out of college many years ago I worked with a volunteer organization in Texas which was a co-op effort of all the local churches (This was back when I used to go to church) One day this lady showed up crying about how broke and abused she was etc etc She got money for her electric bill, food for a week etc Our director drove up jsut as she saw her at the edge of the parking lot getting into a brand new cadillac. CLearly it is impossible to totally screen all applicants and someone will always try to milk the system. I know locally, visits are made to the clients homes. Another non-profit has a great program BUT To be enrolled, parents must be working (If not they find jobs for them) and have children, so handouts are more suppliments IN addition, people receiving these welfare handouts have to put in a certain number of volunteer hours per month themselves, be it cleaning the food kitchem or stuffing envelopes. A large number of needy people do show uup and put in hours keeping themselves and others fed.
That being said I think one of the best things you mentioned was helping out the needy. I have a neighbor, 75 years old, honestly there are times he just gets on my last nerve. He has mental issues, he has nothing to do but bother everyone else in the neighborhood. BUT as he pointed out yesterday, he cannot live on his SS Checks, his wife is 68 and still works as she cannot afford to retire either. He mows yards for several people in the neighborhood and that helps him have enough $ to buy groceries.
SO When I go to the store and they have "Buy one get one free" or they have a great price on steaks or maybe they are doing a special on fish (WHICH BTW in spite of the money we make is how frugally we still eat) I always think it is ok to take an extra one to him. Some might say he is not my responsibility, but in a way he is, because he is a human being and his needs (hunger, friendship etc) are really no greater or less than anyone else's. I think it is absolutely fine to give food to friends, neighbors and family who are in need. And I know my neighbor's situation, And I am not doing this to make myself look good. Unless he tells anyone I am doing it, then the only one's who know are the readers here and this forum is pretty anonymous.
When I was Cubmaster for our Cub Scout Pack, the Scouts had the "Scouting for Food" weekend. The boys would go out one weekend putting door hangers on each house. The door hangers asked people to put canned goods in a bag with the hanger taped to it, on their front porch the next weekend for the Scouts to pick up. We always got loads of canned goods that was given to the local food bank.
What I liked about Scouting for Food was it wasn't done around the holidays. Starting mid November till after Christmas you see all kinds of stories about people donating to the food banks. The problem is that isn't the only time these people are hungry. The food banks need food year round. We did out best to keep them supplied in the spring. It's amazing how much canned goods you can have donated in a town of 2000 people.
The Boy Scouts did that in the last town where I lived, and it was nice to see that they do it here, too! You are right--the food banks need it year-round, not just at Christmas or Thanksgiving. I buy certain things on sale for those kinds of food drive. For example, frequently the stores have those cans of ravioli or other pasta at 10 for $10. While it's not the healthiest food imaginable, who cares? If it means some kids will have lunch or dinner for a few more days that they wouldn't have, it's OK.
I have no doubt I'll get flamed for this but my 'giving' is strictly to the Salvation Army or to people whom I know who are in dire straits.
Having worked in the public sector most of my life, I know for a fact that many of those "needy" families who show up to the 'free meals' are often not needy at all. Those on the social services' lists of being needy are all too often merely selfish, don't want to budget their money, and expect - yes, expect - social services to provide them and their children with not only Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners replete with turkey and ham and all the fixins, but toys at Christmas as well. They come in all colors, all nationalities, all types; from the woman who lives in the $300,000 home and shows up at the food bank every week in her new car, to the woman with eight children who not only doesn't say "Thank you" but in fact gets angry every year because someone didn't buy her everything on her list.
I prefer to do a "secret Santa" to those folks whom I know are struggling but too proud to ask; the couple down the street on Social Security who can't get out and paint their house, much less buy food to last a whole month, the man working full time and taking care of his wife who has cancer and their three kids, the lady whose husband passed away last year who can only get to the grocery store once a month - but makes sure that any one who needs a hand with their children has a babysitter on short notice.
The Salvation Army may preach God but they also don't give handouts; they make people work for what they get, or they don't get it. They teach their clients budgeting and self-sufficiency, not to walk around and demand sustenance for free.
I only help those who help themselves. I do not throw my money at people who not only don't need it, but insist that they deserve it, simply by existing.
I agree that the Salvation Army does good work, but I do get annoyed when I make a donation and then get two letters per week for the next year asking for more money. You just spent my donation on mailing, not helping anyone.
The March of Dimes is the worst offender with this. They send me all this mail with these address stickers--they've spent many times my donation sending me crap I don't want. I've come to believe they are a full-time fundraising organization and don't really help families with kids with birth defects at all.
Last year they issued a report that the local food bank helped almost half the population of Lubbock, Tx. Lubbock Tx has an unemployment rate of about 6%. As most towns, it has free breakfast and lunch at school for the poor. We have meals on wheels. The food bank gives out food and meals in the summer, and the paper even ran an article that they were paying local kids to work in the food bank garden so that they could learn about growing food. And at the same time I see all kinds of fat kids in town. Thats when I stopped giving to them. These people are buried in social services, free health care, toys for tots. It never ends. Its breeding a society of lazy people who expect everyone else to provide for them forever.
I used to give to the food bank in Lubbock, TX. Then one day, I got a mail-out from them with a "testimonial" from a man they had been helping. I happened to know the man. He was a real estate agent who lived in a house that was worth twice what mine was and drove a new car. Needless to say, I stopped giving
I found the most rewarding way for me to give help to others was by taking them food...personally...and by bringing them things that I know they need....There are many people in my area that are barely scraping by...I take great pleasure..and derive great satisfaction when I can give them something as a "gift" from a "friend"......and rr2005..that way you KNOW where your doller, or donation is going...all of it!
I have seen folks with plenty, belly up to get a free box of food, just because it was free. Yes, there are folks like that.
I have also seen folks on hard times have a very lean holiday, because it looks like on paper they have plenty, but are helping out others, one family, the Great Grandparents have taken in five kids, so they did not go to foster care and get split up.
I usually know families who need help, and send them a Wal Mart gift card, anonomously. I know they really needed it, and I like helping folks I know.
I have seen folks with plenty, belly up to get a free box of food, just because it was free. Yes, there are folks like that.
I have also seen folks on hard times have a very lean holiday, because it looks like on paper they have plenty, but are helping out others, one family, the Great Grandparents have taken in five kids, so they did not go to foster care and get split up.
I usually know families who need help, and send them a Wal Mart gift card, anonomously. I know they really needed it, and I like helping folks I know.
Isn't that the best feeling, doing it anonymously? And we can talk about it on a forum, because we're still anonymous, hehehe.
Our town had a group that got the names of kids whose parents were struggling and the fire department (with Santa Claus) would come around to their houses each year and bring toys to those kids. There was one girl in my daughter's class whose father was gone since she was an infant and the mother waitressed at a diner and just barely made enough to get by. She would get the firetruck visit and some toys, but I noticed she always had clothes that looked faded or a little out of style--I think her mom got stuff for her at garage sales. When she came to our house, she always was looking at my daughter's clothes. So one year I bought her some new outfits, wrapped them in Christmas paper, put tags on them saying they were from Mrs. Santa Claus, parked around the corner, left the presents on the porch, rang the bell and ran like hell back around the corner. It was one of the most fun things I've ever done.
Is it better to donate goods to a food pantry or donate cash to an organization that provides cooked meals for the needy?
The best thing to do is to meet the needs of people in need. For some, that would be a cooked meal at a church soup kitchen. For others, it would be a collection of foods that can be cooked into a meal at home.
Neither choice is "better."
Quote:
Originally Posted by kygman
What I liked about Scouting for Food was it wasn't done around the holidays. Starting mid November till after Christmas you see all kinds of stories about people donating to the food banks. The problem is that isn't the only time these people are hungry. The food banks need food year round. We did out best to keep them supplied in the spring.
Good job. Summer and fall are when food banks and food pantries traditionally run dry. The timing of your food drive is perfect.
Cash is also a good thing to donate to food banks and food pantries -- they have the flexibility to buy what their clients need, to fill in what in-kind donations have not covered, almost always at a reduced price. For instance, say a food bank discovers a good deal on canned tuna, or peanut butter. Protein sources are always in short supply. So the food bank can buy the tuna with the cash you've donated. If you donate to your neighborhood food pantry, the food pantry can purchase the tuna from its regional food bank with the cash you've donated.
A food pantry near us was broken into and raided a few months back by teens. The generosity of local people was replenishing it well with basic foods when people from the food pantry asked for cash donations -- not to buy fresh produce or milk or such, but to buy prepared food because people "didn't want" to cook from scratch.
I have no problem giving, but that rankled me. I will teach someone how to cook before I give cash so they get a prepared frozen dinner or boxed food. [I don't even buy that!]
If someone needs a food pantry, fine, but they should be capable of figuring out how to cook it.... at the least, food pantries might consider giving out recipes with the "real" food if the people want prepared. It is just the same as giving out sugary cereals when the healthier alternative is generic bulk. People taking the food should be -- if they need it -- happy to get it and learn to make what they want and save money doing it.
I think either option is good and entirely up to the individual. In Oregon we have the Oregon Food Bank which is a very large organization that collects enormous amounts of canned foods, largely via fund-raisers. We have many missions and soup kitchens in the city where you can donate money for hot meals, particularly during the holidays, too. Myself, I prefer to donate to the Oregon Food Bank, and with money instead of food.
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