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As someone who has worked as a fundraiser for the Red Cross, I urge you to rethink this.
It costs tons of money to transport donated items (food, which must meet strict regulations or be dumped, and clothing, blankets, etc). The items donated to disasters create mountains of stuff that are impossible to deal with. Someone (many) has to be paid to sift through donated items and so much has to be discarded (people think oh, my ratty old sweatshirt is better than nothing for rescue victims). You also cannot know which kinds of items are needed in various disaster locations.
I can tell you that the American Red Cross uses better than 90 cents on every donated dollar to directly aid victims. That is 10% or less for administration nationally. They are responding to disasters in many locations often at the same time. Your money to help out disaster victims will be well spent, trust me.
After 9/11 and after Katrina.................the head of the Red Cross stepped down under preasure.
I'm a firm believer in distributing unused "heirlooms" to the heirs while I am still alive and can enjoy their enjoyment of them. That is for the things they actually want.
Whatever happened to passing things down through the generations? My sons may have no interest in my beautiful collection of antique china, but my grandchildren may, or perhaps the great grandchildren may. To sell it off seems rather selfish to me.
I'm a firm believer in distributing unused "heirlooms" to the heirs while I am still alive and can enjoy their enjoyment of them. That is for the things they actually want.
Whatever happened to passing things down through the generations? My sons may have no interest in my beautiful collection of antique china, but my grandchildren may, or perhaps the great grandchildren may. To sell it off seems rather selfish to me.
More "stuff" for people who really don't want it to lug around or store at their expense out of guilty obligation on the off-chance that someone will want it down-the-line.
My wife has depression era china from her grandmother, some china and vases from her mom, and we have our wedding china. I don't think our kids will want any of it, except to sell. The only thing they do want is my wife's Hallmark Christmas Ornament collections. My problem is my wife will keep any other items just in case they change their minds. She's also keeping some of their stuff from school that they've said they didn't want. If we move after retirement, I'll move the stuff they want one last time, but they'll have to take it with them after they visit (the one who lives here gets a free delivery).
The things I want my son and his wife (and nephews) to have, I am spelling out in the my will (wh/ needs to be updated!!!) . . . My sister (younger) is the executor of my estate and I hope to not leave her with decisions over who gets what.
This may make your estate awfully messy to settle. IIRC, in some jurisdictions each item specified in a will needs a formal appraisal in order to determine the value of the estate before it can be settled. Then each item needs written receipt from each beneficiary. I am not a lawyer -- maybe one of the lawyers who frequents here will comment.
As far as passing things down through generations -- the iconic British description of a lower-class person is "someone who needs to buy his own furniture."
Here is a story, my daughter and work colleague came by hundreds of old family photo's that had finished up in the garbage tip. They put together an exhibition at the local museum. After advertising on the local radio hundreds of people visited, it was amazing how many people recognized members of their families and were able to take the photo's back.
1950: "Well, son, we're going to leave you our furniture, our silver, our crystal, our collection of art, and so forth. That way, you won't spend anything on these kinds of items, so you can save your money to send your kids to Yale."
2013: "No thanks, Granddad. Throw your crap away, we don't want to bother with any of it. Besides, we're too dumb and self-centered to entertain friends anyway (not that we have any except from Facebook), and our kids can go to the local CC on their own dime if they manage to graduate from high school."
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