Just a thought, instead of giving money to charities, why not just donate time and use your money that you'd ordinarily donate to help individuals directly?
I say this because many people have so much trust in charities and don't know where the money goes. Take the Ronald McDonald House for example. People mindlessly throw their change in the collection box and feel good. BUT!! Big BUT...if you ever bother to find out what McDonald's does with the donations, you may be surprised. The donations do NOT go to any actual charitable service they provide. The money goes to charity figureheads and grant writers who solicit donations. So your donation does nothing more than pay people to run a charity that solicits donations from other sources. That's pretty shitty, if you ask me. Many charities are the same or similar, they are more a front to make people rich.
A lot of homeless want to be homeless. It sounds weird but it's true. That's not to say they'd appreciate a nice warm coat or meal, but as far as re-entering society, many don't want to or simply can't.
Some people just want someone to talk to. Buy 'em a beer and sit down for a bit.
Maybe it would fulfill you more if you tried to really do things on a personal level without actually inviting them into your home (that IS dangerous and you don't have the right to really do that since you have a roommate).
You could make a big pot of chili or stew weekly and hand out containers of it over the course of a couple days. You could take the money you'd ordinarily donate and go to a thrift shop and buy some nice coats and blankets, and other things like radios, games, books and other such things and hand them out. Try talking to some of these people and just be a friend. Buy some of them a beer here and there.
If you can manage to become friends with some of them then ask what they'd like or what would make their life better, ask them what charities have been good to them so you know who to donate to and who to avoid. Things like that. Just try to learn as much as you can and eventually maybe make your own charity or at least find one you can really believe in.
Actually, my experience has led me to which charities to donate and to give money to the people directly.
My feelings are odd, but I still think that they deserve a warm home and a roof over their heads, but my parents are saying that I need to save up money for myself in case something bad happens otherwise, in that event, I'll be right on the street with them! But they are the greedy ones hogging the wealth and buying a nice car and wearing nice brand new clothes.
I don't know what to do beyond what I am already doing now. I think my room mate is just being a bitch because she has stated explicitly that her money pays the rent too and she does not want to share her apartment with "drug addicted mayhem". She also says that the government takes "charity" out of her pay check and puts it into welfare and social security and those people have no excuse. I think that she is just using that as an excuse to hoard all of her money and possessions to herself.
Well bottom line is, you don't know these people and you don't have the right to bring them into a home that you don't own, and also share with someone else. So get off that idea all together until you have a place of your own, and even then you still need to be cautious.
Just help in ways you can. Like I said, many people want to be homeless, it's become a comfortable life for them. Often they and others like them are homeless for a damn good reason that you alone can't help or fix. Until you have the means to take people off of the street then I guess just do what you can for now. Find out what would make their life more comfortable, whether it's beers or a blanket, and do that.
Do you think my parents are correct though, in telling me to limit the money that I donate? They said 10% like church tithing in the bible is acceptable, but 10% of my salary is like, $120 a month. That is no where near enough to feed one homeless person for a month let alone 30!
If you want to be most economical about your $ then research economical recipes and look for the most economical buys when you're donating. Things like chili, stews and soups are economical and look in your local stores for special buys, sales and beer prices.
Is it normal that I feel that my having money is unfair?
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Just a thought, instead of giving money to charities, why not just donate time and use your money that you'd ordinarily donate to help individuals directly?
I say this because many people have so much trust in charities and don't know where the money goes. Take the Ronald McDonald House for example. People mindlessly throw their change in the collection box and feel good. BUT!! Big BUT...if you ever bother to find out what McDonald's does with the donations, you may be surprised. The donations do NOT go to any actual charitable service they provide. The money goes to charity figureheads and grant writers who solicit donations. So your donation does nothing more than pay people to run a charity that solicits donations from other sources. That's pretty shitty, if you ask me. Many charities are the same or similar, they are more a front to make people rich.
A lot of homeless want to be homeless. It sounds weird but it's true. That's not to say they'd appreciate a nice warm coat or meal, but as far as re-entering society, many don't want to or simply can't.
Some people just want someone to talk to. Buy 'em a beer and sit down for a bit.
Maybe it would fulfill you more if you tried to really do things on a personal level without actually inviting them into your home (that IS dangerous and you don't have the right to really do that since you have a roommate).
You could make a big pot of chili or stew weekly and hand out containers of it over the course of a couple days. You could take the money you'd ordinarily donate and go to a thrift shop and buy some nice coats and blankets, and other things like radios, games, books and other such things and hand them out. Try talking to some of these people and just be a friend. Buy some of them a beer here and there.
If you can manage to become friends with some of them then ask what they'd like or what would make their life better, ask them what charities have been good to them so you know who to donate to and who to avoid. Things like that. Just try to learn as much as you can and eventually maybe make your own charity or at least find one you can really believe in.
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Anonymous Post Author
11 years ago
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Actually, my experience has led me to which charities to donate and to give money to the people directly.
My feelings are odd, but I still think that they deserve a warm home and a roof over their heads, but my parents are saying that I need to save up money for myself in case something bad happens otherwise, in that event, I'll be right on the street with them! But they are the greedy ones hogging the wealth and buying a nice car and wearing nice brand new clothes.
I don't know what to do beyond what I am already doing now. I think my room mate is just being a bitch because she has stated explicitly that her money pays the rent too and she does not want to share her apartment with "drug addicted mayhem". She also says that the government takes "charity" out of her pay check and puts it into welfare and social security and those people have no excuse. I think that she is just using that as an excuse to hoard all of her money and possessions to herself.
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wigsplitz
11 years ago
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Well bottom line is, you don't know these people and you don't have the right to bring them into a home that you don't own, and also share with someone else. So get off that idea all together until you have a place of your own, and even then you still need to be cautious.
Just help in ways you can. Like I said, many people want to be homeless, it's become a comfortable life for them. Often they and others like them are homeless for a damn good reason that you alone can't help or fix. Until you have the means to take people off of the street then I guess just do what you can for now. Find out what would make their life more comfortable, whether it's beers or a blanket, and do that.
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11 years ago
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Thanks for the advice.
Do you think my parents are correct though, in telling me to limit the money that I donate? They said 10% like church tithing in the bible is acceptable, but 10% of my salary is like, $120 a month. That is no where near enough to feed one homeless person for a month let alone 30!
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wigsplitz
11 years ago
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Yes, 'tithe' means 10%, so that's accurate.
If you want to be most economical about your $ then research economical recipes and look for the most economical buys when you're donating. Things like chili, stews and soups are economical and look in your local stores for special buys, sales and beer prices.