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Do you do anything charitable?


Dreakon139

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A lot of things can be considered charitable, for the sake of the thread though I'm just thinking along the lines of donating time and/or money to a charity, volunteering in soup kitchens/animal shelters, helping the homeless/elderly/less fortunate... that kind of stuff.

I'm honestly pretty selfish in this regard. I'd like to change that someday.

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The wife and I quite often participate in the "Toy's for Tots" program, as well as help organizers for a few abused childrens programs. We are also very much involved in "Victims of crime" organizations, and a local program called "RX for Seniors".

We will offen help and/or assist those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in a difficult situation.

We do not, and will not help those slugs who have made welfare or other social programs a way of life, drug addicts, alcoholics, or the plain lazy who sponge off of society, nor any organization that assists illegal immigrants.

The wife and I also used to operate a rescue facility for Iguana's and other large lizards.

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After an accident when I was 3 yrs old, I lost the sight in one eye and ever since I was able to, I've supported guide dogs for the blind as I think it's amazing how they can give someone a new lease of life as well as a loyal companion.

When I met my missus, she had epileptic siezures, the non-convulsive kind. Less than 6 months after we got married, she underwent life-changing brain surgery to cure her after going through 2 years of tests proving that she had an 80% chance of being cured completely, to this day, she remains siezure free.

Following the surgery we found out about other dog charities that help those with epilepsy and provide dogs that 'sense and alert' to allow them greater freedom in their lives knowing help is there if needed. As soon as finances allow, we shall be extending our donations to cover these too.

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Actually my wife and i are blessed enough to be able to give on many occasions...

1. Through my work i give to the Guide Dogs of America

2. My wife and i support a little girl through World Vision (Veronica)

3. Toys for Tots every year around the holidays.

4. This might sound funny but there is a radio station that is run by high school kid... Check out link > (C89.5 worldwide)... we donate to help them stay on the air because we like the music... remixes and dance style (even though we are not the party/dace/club type)

5. We keep our minds open to anyone else thats in need... if we see a genuine need we will support it

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Actually my wife and i are blessed enough to be able to give on many occasions...

1. Through my work i give to the Guide Dogs of America

2. My wife and i support a little girl through World Vision (Veronica)

3. Toys for Tots every year around the holidays.

4. This might sound funny but there is a radio station that is run by high school kid... Check out link > (C89.5 worldwide)... we donate to help them stay on the air because we like the music... remixes and dance style (even though we are not the party/dace/club type)

5. We keep our minds open to anyone else thats in need... if we see a genuine need we will support it

Nice!

I personally haven't done much that can be considered "charitable". What i can put under my name though, is that i gave $20 to a homeless man in claifornia, while visiting my uncle. :D

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Being an over-the-road trucker, I see people all the time looking for a hand-out. I refuse to give out any money. Just about any exit ramp from any Interstate located at a Truck Stop normally has 1 or two people holding up those cardboard signs. I've actually been sitting at a place where I could see the intersection from the truck stop and watch people exchange places with those "in-standby" and a new person works the corner while the original person goes "on lunch." I'm constantly approached for hand-outs, with a sob story that could or (but more likely) could not be factual. However, if the person in question mentions that they need money for food, or haven't eaten, I'm always willing to give them a bag o' food from my supplies (I take & cook all my own food while I'm away from the house and always have "extras" of microwavable food in case I get stuck out for an unplanned extended period of time). True, it might not be takeout from Red Lobster, but it's good enough for me to eat, it's usually microwavable (every truck stop has a microwave free for use) and self-contained. Out of the hundred or so offers I've made, only one man ever took me up on it and I saw that he was honestly grateful (I saw him 15 minutes later inside cooking up one of the meals and broke my rule and gave HIM a $20).

However, I occasionally get rejected parts of our deliveries. Sometimes the product was mis-shipped, not ordered, the boxes are torn or wrinkled by the forklifts, whatever. If the product is not perishable, and still human-worthy, I take it to my local food bank and donate it. Last time it happened was about the middle of October. I had 5 cases (almost 2000) regular sized Snicker's bars, nothing wrong, just the receiving company ordered 9 cases and they received 14 and didn't want the extras. I was told to toss them, so toss them I did, right to the food bank.

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Being an over-the-road trucker, I see people all the time looking for a hand-out. I refuse to give out any money.

Yeah, I know what you mean. That is why, as I stated, I will never help those who do nothing more than sponge off of others, the lazy or drug addicts or alcoholics. As you mentioned, these people you see holding the cardboard signs are simply lifes leeches, and do not deserve the slightest bit of help or charity.

Others may see it different, but that is my take on it.

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Out of the hundred or so offers I've made, only one man ever took me up on it and I saw that he was honestly grateful (I saw him 15 minutes later inside cooking up one of the meals and broke my rule and gave HIM a $20).

Seriously, only one person ever took your offer of food? No wonder those people resort to taking shifts at a street corner begging for money, they're idiots. Even if your just lazy and looking for handouts, why not take the food?

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Seriously, only one person ever took your offer of food? No wonder those people resort to taking shifts at a street corner begging for money, they're idiots. Even if your just lazy and looking for handouts, why not take the food?

I remember one time a few years back when I was with my sister-in-law, we pulled into a grocery store parking lot, and there was a man and 2 kids. He was holding a sign that said "Hungry, need food".

My sister-in-law drove through the McDonalds in the same parking lot, got 2 quarter pounders with cheese & large fries for the man and 2 Happy Meals for the kids. She drove back over to the man and two kids, handed him the food, and what did he do? Threw them on the ground and screamed "I don't want your fucking food!"

...typical of the low-life's out there who the Liberals want to pour "compassion" onto in heaps.

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I remember one time a few years back when I was with my sister-in-law, we pulled into a grocery store parking lot, and there was a man and 2 kids. He was holding a sign that said "Hungry, need food".

My sister-in-law drove through the McDonalds in the same parking lot, got 2 quarter pounders with cheese & large fries for the man and 2 Happy Meals for the kids. She drove back over to the man and two kids, handed him the food, and what did he do? Threw them on the ground and screamed "I don't want your fucking food!"

...typical of the low-life's out there who the Liberals want to pour "compassion" onto in heaps.

Reminds me of watching some videos of hurricane Katrina when it devestated New Orleans. I remember watching one where either McD's or BK were handing out hamburgers and people were throwing them on the ground because they had pickles on them.

My charity is on a case by case basis. I've donated time, money to various LOCAL causes. I have a hard time donating to national or world issues when people are having a hard time in my own backyard.

I was walking out of a Detroit Red Wings hockey game one night. I noticed a man with a sign that said " I'm honest, I'm a vet, and I just want a beer". That man received $20 from me because he was not giving me a line of bullshit.

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Seriously, only one person ever took your offer of food? No wonder those people resort to taking shifts at a street corner begging for money, they're idiots. Even if your just lazy and looking for handouts, why not take the food?

The local news did a story about the "homeless" near here, and apparently the people who hold those signs up on off ramps can make up to $20 an hour from handouts. Most then take the money, buy booze and drugs and live in a piece of shit tent. I never, ever give someone money. I've bought many a man food or given them a ride somewhere (always with my .44 Smith & Wesson in sight, in case they think about doing anything stupid) and you can always tell the ones who are actually down on their luck compared to the worthless scum trying to make a quick buck off of peoples generosity.

Parker

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I don't work a soup kitchen or anything like that, but I've donated to Child's Play, Extra Life, Toys for Tots, things like that.

Last Friday, after I bought Skyrim, I actually donated my last little bit of change to one of those Salvation Army kioks. If I've got it to give, then I will. I want to start donating to the ASPCA too.

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Seriously, only one person ever took your offer of food? No wonder those people resort to taking shifts at a street corner begging for money, they're idiots. Even if your just lazy and looking for handouts, why not take the food?

The only answer is that they don't want the food. They want the money. Last time this happened to me was in Joplin, MO. Had a guy walk away from me as I was putting together a bag of food.

The local news did a story about the "homeless" near here, and apparently the people who hold those signs up on off ramps can make up to $20 an hour from handouts. Most then take the money, buy booze and drugs and live in a piece of shit tent. I never, ever give someone money. I've bought many a man food or given them a ride somewhere (always with my .44 Smith & Wesson in sight, in case they think about doing anything stupid) and you can always tell the ones who are actually down on their luck compared to the worthless scum trying to make a quick buck off of peoples generosity.

When both the wife & I were over the road together, she joined up w/ a group called the Red-Hat Society in Amarillo TX. (We went thru there all the time) Their group would help out various people in the town. They were targeting a "Homeless person" that would beg on the exit ramp every day. Before they committed the money, one of the members decided to watch them for the day. At exactly 5pm, the "bum" packed up his sign and walked about 2 blocks to his "brand new" Buick, tossed the sign in the backseat and drove to his $200,000 home. Needless to say, he didn't get "helped" by the lil old ladies.

I take pics of the "good" ones that I see...they best sign to date...

Picture3299.jpg

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My "charity" is closer to home. My sister and brother-in-law have three young children -- twin girls who are just past their 2nd birthday, and a four-month old boy -- and we've been helping them out for four years. We took in their dog when they moved from the Miami area into Manhattan (work-related). We helped them financially and with groceries during the two years my brother-in-law was out of work during this recession.... and we still help them now (although not in the same quantities of either) that they're back on their feet, relatively speaking -- the hospital bills during childbirth were immense, because two of the three kids spent substantial time in NICU. I do a fair amount of babysitting for them, especially on the weekends so they can go out (to a movie or something) and have a few hours of peace to themselves.

@PSXtreme_: I'm a legal courier, and I do see a fair amount of what you've said above. I agree wholeheartedly with what you said above, for pretty much all of the same reasons.

....

There are some people out there who genuinely need help. The emphasis should be on legitimate help, and not just money -- too many people simply see panhandling and related trades as a way to make a quick buck, often without aggravations such as a boss, taxes, et cetera.

The best way to help someone is to provide a good or service that they need. A "hand up" and not a "hand out", if you will. My personal philosophy is that I won't give money to a group.... I might give some sort of material good, or donate my time, but I won't write a check. Too many charities and charity-cases out there are a scam.... and since I have neither the time nor the inclination to research every one of them, it's the personal touch or nothing for me.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for posting this topic it was very interesting to read, unfortunately I seem to be a little late to the party. When I was a contractor working at NIH in Bethesda (the city in MD, not the video game corp) I would buy toys to donate for the kids in the medical clinic. If you were stuck in the medical clinic at NIH, you had problems people wanted to study.

When my youngest son had to have emergency neuro-surgery at 14 months at Children's National in DC, I realized how thankful we were that he would be 100% okay. It broke my heart to see kids that were there that may never come out. No child should bear the burden of a terminal illness, but unfortunately that is the world we live in.

Also a great charity that I have yet to participate in is Child's Play.http://childsplaycharity.org/about They donate video games and money to hospitals.

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Thanks for posting this topic it was very interesting to read, unfortunately I seem to be a little late to the party. When I was a contractor working at NIH in Bethesda (the city in MD, not the video game corp) I would buy toys to donate for the kids in the medical clinic. If you were stuck in the medical clinic at NIH, you had problems people wanted to study.

When my youngest son had to have emergency neuro-surgery at 14 months at Children's National in DC, I realized how thankful we were that he would be 100% okay. It broke my heart to see kids that were there that may never come out. No child should bear the burden of a terminal illness, but unfortunately that is the world we live in.

Also a great charity that I have yet to participate in is Child's Play.http://childsplaycharity.org/about They donate video games and money to hospitals.

Better late than never...;)

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Nope, I'm a selfish loser :( No in reality, I'm way to busy with my college career and I'm finishing up my high school same time. Not to mention, my precious free time I spend collecting trophies and snowboarding. Maybe I'll be more charitable when I retire several decades from now :)

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  • 12 years later...

Quite often actually. I donate old clothes, shoes and just junk to those big green bins. I used to buy from Humble, when it had playstation game deals. That was good times got a lot of goodies for like a couple bucks but I would always increase the donation part of the bill. I used to also leave stuff outside in a bag I get in the mail, but I notice the last couple times someone drove around in a normal vehicle and took them from houses. Probably thieves took it to sell at swamp meets.

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