I'm no billionaire, but I try to give back every time I can. I bought a bit of breakfast for a homeless woman outside the grocery store the other day. She didn't give a shit. lol so in the selfish vs selfless age old question, I think I was selfless that day. ;D
I give to charities mostly ones for animals
If ever I somehow become rich I plan on opening a shelter for animals
Plus starting a thing that sends children and their parents to Disneyland
Among several other ideas I have.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, The ACLU, The Nature Conservancy, Greenpeace, NWF, WWF, Southwest Indian Foundation, Daily Kos, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders get most of my contributions.
Like, I money them regularly? Or big name-on-the-building giving back?
Providing it's the former, ACLU, RAICES, Bloodworks Northwest, Wonkette (Rebecca Schoenkopf), The Washington Post, and a few others, in rotation. The named entities receive money monthly (some more than just money, like Bloodworks Northwest).
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I''ve donated to a few causes and at times even my time.
I think the question is not being answered here. And my example is Anita Roddick.
How much is for tax purposes?
And how much is just because you don't really care?
Personally, I stopped caring after I made enough to sustain my lifestyle.
If money doesn't mean much to you, is it still benevolent to sacrifice it to help other people?
Or maybe helping other people is just another drug to get you "high"?
Giving your money to the community and the needy and poor is all good, but it seems like you're really taking it to the next level when you give your personal time and labor for that.
I have a few charities am fond of, I try to do what I can and think if we just gave a little extra kindess to others then the world would be a happier place. Giving back doesn't nessarcy mean money, it can be time, or maybe just being there for someone else when they need someone, and I think the true meaning of doing such is just helping another when you can, not out of obligation but because you genuinely care and want to help etc.
I am poor. Give me money.
I consistently donate to our local food bank and homeless shelters. I have donated time this year for thanksgiving and hope to for Christmas
It took me awhile to find a charity that didn't spend another $100 in postage trying to get me to donate again.
The winner: Habitat for Humanity. I give money to them every year. I give money to a local theater group most years too (they need it especially this year!).
Every year, for the past twenty-plus years, instead of giving Holiday Gifts to relatives or friends we make a donation to the local animal shelter in their names.
I give till it hurts. But I asm very careful who I give to.
Yes..the ASPCA and local no kill shelters, Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Charities. This year I am happy to have donated to a charity here in Georgia that gets the names of very child in foster care throughout the whole state and delivers a gift to them. This year all gifts from the 2020 Christmas Kids List has been completed early!
I donate to several environmental and wildlife organizations.
I give back personally to those I really see the need. Like I see them personally. rarely on organizations where they get cuts on the donated cash. I try not to give cash. But things or food that they need.
I've been giving to the ASCPA for the last 9 years, and RAINN for the last 3 years. I occasionally give to other organizations as well, when I can.
Back in my university days when money was something I could only hope and dream of having someday, I did donate time and use of my car to help deliver hot meals prepared by the local Meals-On-Wheels to shut-in people. There have been many times when I've given a few dollars or even the odd meal to a homeless person with the hope that dollar didn't end up buying a cheap bottle of wine. The Salvation Army bell ringers at Christmas have received donations from me over the years. I've spent many hours on the couches at the local Blood Donation clinic.
I think the greatest pleasure or payback I've received was just before Christmas this past year, when I volunteered my time and computer to help residents at a local Senior Lodge put together a book consisting of some of their memories spanning their lifetime. When it was finished, over 1,000 pages had been printed and given to any resident, regardless whether they had contributed a memory or not. In many ways, seniors are our forgotten citizens and that is such a shame, as they have already contributed a great deal and still have much to offer society. Needless to say, I've made it clear to them that if they ever have need for such services in the future, to let me know. The thanks and expressions of gratitude I've received have been worth more than anything I can think of. Not only that, but some of their stories made for fascinating reading.
If you're feeling bored during this Covid-19 epidemic I’d like to suggest
you take a peek at a story I collaborated with SueBrasil, a brilliant author.
It's about a mistake in judgment a lady makes concerning a friend, based
on the hurtful words of someone that only thinks of himself. Will that
conniving person succeed in ruining a beautiful friendship, or will she see
through his lies? It's gradually creeping up towards the 30,000 mark
and we’d love any votes or hearing whatever comments you may wish
to make. It is listed in my profile under ‘FAVOURITES’ as Apologize.
www.lushstories.com/stories/first-time/apologize.aspx We give to the local Food Bank quite a bit. Additionally, we have bought groceries for people in the stores and bought meals for some of the military folk here. We have been blessed with good jobs and we feel it's only right to do what we can to help others.
We send contributions to a variety of charities, most of which are animal related. But, we provide items for a local 'blessing box' pantry and, oddly enough, support monks in Norcia, Italy. It always sounds as if one is bragging, but it is really just stating facts.
By the way, if you don't happen to know it (and if you don't hate the company completely), "AmazonSmile" collects funds based on purchases and sends to a charity of your choice (well, from a list, of course). The ASPCA has gotten quite a lot in this way.
Revisiting this topic because all of the things that I thought mattered prior to the pandemic, don't matter at all.
My in-kind donations (time and labour) have dropped substantially, with the exception of Fire/OEM/SAR availability. Well, that's not even a donation, technically, since I am paid for some X hours of my work. Small things like City Hall, where Fire is headquartered, being vacant since about April means we've been working out of an unheated industrial warehouse building, our shiny sparkly Emergency Operations Command Centre gathering dust.
Still donate money monthly to the previously noted organizations (ACLU, RAICES, MSF/DWB, etc.) but in some places my monthly donation has increased. So where I was previously donating an aggregate amount of about USD$2000/month, it's more like USD$6000/month now. I've added some organizations--especially those serving displaced mothers, without taking away from the others.
*MSF=Médecins Sans Frontières=Doctors Without Borders=DWB
Want to spend some time wallowing in a Recommended Read? Pick one! Or two! Or seven!
