Christmas
 

I know this is way early but I'd thought I'd take some time out to wish everyone here a very early happy holy progging Christmas. I hope this year that this year's Christmas is the best ever. I'd like to ask you all a favour. If the Red Cross or The Salvation Army come knocking on your door this Christmas please have a heart and kindly donate something this Christmas. The Salvation Army and The Red Cross are overworked and not funded by the Governments and are underpaid. So please when they knock on your door please don't close the door on them find something you think you may be able to donate to them and donate.
Thankyou

Re: Christmas
 

Most Americans give plenty to the Salvation Army every Christmas. They are set up at most malls and shopping outlets with bell ringers to collect our dollars. It's hard not to share with those less fortunate.

Re: Christmas
 

Dittos Moono, good subject; I've been a Red Cross volunteer for over 5 years, and many of the chapters are strapped for cash! Most donations are made to the national efforts, but the local chapters deal with single family home and apartment fires 24/7/365 - supplying our client neighbors with a place to stay for a few days, food, and clothing if necessary. Both are worthy of your donations, and the Red Cross is a great place to volunteer if you have time or the desire to help your neighbors when they badly need it!

Re: Christmas
 

Despite the bad rap that the US gets in the eyes of the rest of the world, the citizenry of the US is by and far the most generous nation on earth.

I have no problem donating money, gifts, time, etc. to charitable organizations but I need to be assured that said donations get to the needy and are not used to fill the pockets of those running these organizations.

There is a commercial I see from time to time (with my limited TV viewing) for a catholic children's charity. It's the one that supplies you with photos, etc. of a child you sponsor. 80¢ of every $1 goes to the kid. Right! The catholic church is one of the richest organizations in the world. Why do they need to keep 20¢? There's a new catholic church being built down the street from me. Holy shit! I can't believe the architecture, etc. for people to sit around and be bored for an hour every Sunday morning whilst singing boring hymns. I think my 20¢ would be best served feeding yet another hungry child and maybe putting a simple tarp over their heads in lieu of the opulent hypocrisy of some imported marble and stained glass monument to a questionable eternal reward.

Re: Christmas
 

I do agree about administrative costs. I used to temp at both the United Way and Catholic Charities and the amount of waste is high. But that's not just appliciable to religious organizations, and also, some cost is needed to run the conduit. Some funding is needed to distribute the donations. But certainly not the extent that exists, for sure.

Re: Christmas
 

Well, I don't believe that these religious based charities should be making money off of donations for the needy. 20¢ to administrate the distribution of rice gruel to the 3rd world is excessive in my opinion.

Re: Christmas
 

Sorry I give all along the year , not only at X mas in order to buy me a good conscience , In Belgium temperatures are much lower now than in late january ;)

Re: Christmas
 

I too give all year long. Don't just wait for the holidays to give. It's not just about dropping coins in the bucket. Choose your charities wisely, some don't always have the less fortunate in mind.

Re: Christmas
 

My workplace does a pretty cool thing, every Monday is a "Blue Monday" whereby if you give 2 or 3 bucks to the charity of the week (sometimes the month) you can wear jeans on Monday instead of business casual. It's kinda bogus that they make us wear business casual anyway IMHO (my computer doesn't care how I dress), but whatever, if it gets people to pry open those rusty purse hinges I'll deal with it. I give religiously every Monday even tho I'm not religious. ;)

I agree about the waste from charitble orgs tho, there has to be some overhead just to get things done of course, but it does seem that many orgs keep more than they should and it often seems that religious orgs are the top of that list. The TV preachers here in the US are the worst, I've read about $30K marble toilets in office buildings and such, sheesh, what a racket...

Re: Christmas
 

MEMO FROM SATIN PETER OF ROCK DEVELOPMENTS LTD
Land in your hand you`ll be happy on earth
Then invest in the Church for your heaven.