This time of year obviously has a huge materialistic aspect to it, with gifts, etc., being on everyone's mind. Some people go a bit beyond that, though, and try to help out those that are less fortunate. FOCUS: Do you do anything charitable around Christmas? ALT-FOCUS: Every had a good deed go sideways?
ALT FOCUS: I was once riding the good ole N train on my way to school in NYC at around 8 in the morning. A group of young fellas boarded the train and they seemed to be friends. I was busy reading a book and listening to music when suddenly I noticed that this group of friends had begun to fight each other. At this time in the morning the train was, of course, very crowded. Things were getting out of hand and I tried to be a valiant hero by guarding an elderly woman I was sitting next to and trying to stop the fight. All I got out of it was a bloody nose, and a missed lecture. Even the poor elderly woman who I was trying to help ended up on her ass. Mission failed. At least the elderly woman was appreciative and gave me a cloth to stop my bloody nose.
I do something charitable all year, it's called supporting my dead beat mother because my father decided to go ahead and die and not leave her anything but a mountain of debt. Which necessitates working a job I despise to make sure she has a place to live. ALT-FOCUS: Every had a good deed go sideways?[/quote] No good deed ever goes unpunished. Hence, I avoid them when I can like the plague.
Absolutely not. I'm not being forced to care because "it's Christmas". Hello shit-for-brains(not you, the royal-you), the food bank needs food year round, not just in December, etc. I supposed the feeling of ass-rape from riding my bicycle for 2 days(270kms), during the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
My dad's a Shriner, and as a result, every year I'm back home for Christmas I join him when they make the rounds at the local Children's Hospital. Nothing is sadder than seeing a terminally ill, or badly burned child in a hospital bed in ICU, scared shitless, at this time of year. We all dress up in elf hats, and give out gifts, and generally try and cheer them up as best we can. Sure puts things into perspective.
Honestly I haven't given anything substantial, just bits and pieces - the bell ringer in front of the store, whenever a cashier asks me if I want to donate a dollar to blah (there's been a lot of those this year), sponsored family, the box of food by the register. It's my way of psyching myself out. Donating one big amount gives me too much anxiety. But by doing a dollar here and $5 there, which adds up, it doesn't seem to hurt as much.
A few weeks ago I was inspired by this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34420892/ns/us_news-giving/ and decided to go out for dinner and do the same thing. I don't think it spread quite like that, but I think I scared the fuck out of the manager. Our waiter was busy with a huge party of old people so I knew he wouldn't have time to take care of my request so I asked to see the manager. He was already to defend the awesome service and food at my local Applebees. But family that we picked up the check for left a little sticky note with a thank you note written on it, so it was nice that they appreciated it.
This seems like a good place to pimp this: letssaythanks.com. If you choose a card and write an appreciative message, Xerox will send it to a soldier serving overseas. It's free, will take five or ten minutes, and it will make a soldier's day.
I volunteer year-round for a domestic violence hotline - usually 25 hours a month. The police call me after they go on a domestic call and then I call the victim and offer any services they might need (shelter, information about Orders for Protection, legal help, etc.) I give to the Salvation Army bell ringers during Christmastime or any "add a dollar" things that I come across year-round. I donate to St. Jude's $100 at Christmas. I donate a lot of gently used items to Goodwill (mostly clothes and toys, but also household items). This is mostly due to cleaning out my closets and daughter's toys and wanting to get rid of things, but it's still a good thing to do. So all in all, I would say I'm pretty charitable.
I don't do much giving around Christmas, as the race team I volunteer for raises money for the Children's Hospital year round. I also have a software company that makes reagent management software for life sciences (cancer research, etc) labs, and every year we donate software to startups that have limited budgets. (My aunt died from cancer, and her 2 sons and I started the company in the hopes of helping to beat cancer). The one thing that pisses me off is the look of disdain that I get from the various cashiers when I say "no" to the $2 add-ons they're trying to push. We just wrote a cheque for $42k, thanks. I think I'm entitled to say "no thanks".
I do at least a couple of charity "walks" during the summer, one for Parkinson's and one for M.A.D.D. Sometimes I shingle houses at Habitat, but since all my charities are done outside I do it in the summer so I don't freeze my baguettes off.
Wait- which one do you vote for if you do give a shit, but you are so drunk that you accidentally deliver the toys meant for the church collection drive to your pal "Peaches"' house so yall will have some sweet Ninja Turtle action figure battles later that night while you drink white russian eggnog and party your face off?
I am a grinch. I think Christmas is a giant circlejerk. I put up a good holly jolly front for my kids though. We donate money year round (the kids too) and volunteer at various shelters. Good enough..
I am a miser in most senses of the word. Except for making obscene amounts of money. I still don't spend much of it, though. Except on booze. And food. But for a college student, I have more than enough. I rationalize my lack of giving because I've actually performed work for pay in children's hospitals, and so forth; I give to society by sometimes being a productive member of it. I am not a nice person. But I am signed up as an organ donor and as a stem cell donor (and I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night). You are all quite welcome to wrest my organs from my cold, dead hands.
Those cashiers get me clenching my teeth sometimes too with their you cheap bastard look. "Would you like to donate a dollar to the blah blah blah, Nitwit?" "No thank you." And then; the look. I used to not say anything. I'd just stand there silently with my hand stuck out waiting for my change. Sometimes I was tempted to verbally pistol whip the contempt off their faces, but I never did. One day the timing was so overwhelming I pointed to the gooseneck out front and said, "see that big trailer? It's loaded with merchandise for me to sell this week. I raise money for charity for a living. Blah blah blah is this weeks recipient. Two days from now I will have raised six thousand dollars for blah blah blah." Her attitude changed immediately as she peppered me with questions all about it. Now when I go in it's all smiles and free refills.
I usually donate several hundred per year for various relatives and co-workers to the Human Fund. It really puts a smile on their faces.
Just look them in the eye and say: "That depends, do you believe in God?" Wether they answer yes or no respond with: "Sorry wrong answer" the look of shocked confusion warms the heart. Some Christmas cheer from your friend LTMS
This year my yoga studio gave a free class, taking clothing donations instead, for a local shelter. I thought that was pretty cool. I brought old clothes, but I was blown away by what one little class donated. There were 20 who came, but the entire lobby of the studio was full of clothes. It was an awesome sight. Also, I donated money to a food bank and sponsored a less fortunate family.
I've been trying to be a better and more charitable person...not necessarily for Christmas, but just in general. I recently donated clothes to a teen mom in need. I have "adopted" two groups of soldiers over in Iraq and Afghanistan, so I've sent them letters/cards/care packages. I cut off my hair for Locks of Love. Hell, I even sent out Christmas cards this year. It feels good to do these kinds of things, but it also makes me realize how much more I could be doing.
I don't donate much around the Christmas season but throughout the year my wife and I drop off old furniture, clothes, etc to goodwill. I'm hoping it helps some abused woman with kids out a bit.