An English poet and novelist who lived about 150 years ago and went by the by the name of Horace (Horatio) Smith said: Our charity begins at home, And mostly ends where it begins.
How true those words were!
I am sure in those days there were no charities that were fleecing the people, whose only interest was to take as much money from unsuspecting individuals and then spend it on questionable items.
I hate today's charities. Most of them are phony, they misrepresent their causes and they are fake.
The trouble is that the bad ones overshadow the good ones therefore people are afraid to commit funds because they don't know how their monies will be spent.
Over thirty years ago I had to donate some serious amount of clothing. A guy came to my apartment to look over the items. Even though he did give me a legitimate paper for my donation he didn't hide the fact that the good items would find themselves on a flee market where he was selling in his spare time.
Another thing. A few years ago we bought some new furniture. We didn't want to throw the old ones out because they were in pretty good shape. I spent hours on the telephone talking to various charities about taking those pieces.
One said they were not taking sofas, one said they were not taking arm chairs. We actually had one sofa, one love seat and two arm chairs.
One charity said they would only take furniture enough for two rooms. I asked them if would they like to take all my apartment, before I hung up.
I wonder how many people are in need and would happily take arm chairs and sofas without any hesitation.
Finally the Salvation Army agreed to take all we were offering. But when they arrived the truck driver decided he didn't want the arm chairs. I guess he had no buyers for them.
At the end they did wind up on the garbage heap.
The daily mail we are receiving is full of requests for money by various charities. Not mentioning the solicitations on the telephone. They can even pronounce our name and have no clue whom they are calling but they rattle off their requests for money.
At first we patiently explain that we are retired and can not afford any charitable contribution. But when the same charity calls back second and third time our responses are not fit for the family hour. Yet, they keep coming back for more.
Today, on CBS Sunday Morning show they talked about celebrities' involvement in various charities.
I am a cynic. I don't believe any of it. I am convinced that the majority of celebrities do it for the personal exposure they get out of it and how it would help their career.
What's better than being photographed cuddling a sick, emaciated child somewhere in the darkest corner of Africa.
Audrey Hepburn was probably the last honest celebrity charity worker. Her career did not need further boosting.
But today's people do it for the sake of publicity. I firmly believe that they couldn't care less about the hungry, the sick, the abused women and the homeless. Maybe they feel guilty for making those ridiculous amounts of money and think if they give some of it away the public would respect them more.
These are the celebrities who want to stand alone amongst their peers for the good they do for mankind.
But at the same time they hop from bed to bed with their peers' wives and husbands without giving it a second thought.
Morality applies everywhere not only to the checkbook!
I'm very happy that I am not a celebrity and not exposed to these temptations. And that I'm not a golfer!
Just read about a book by a jwish woman, refugee from Iraq who infiltrated and also studied muslim charitable organisations in USA. She also been employed after immersing herself in the subject, by relevant organisations. Most money collected in mosques for example is destined for terrorist organisations. Virtually all really. Normal organisations, like Oxfam or War on Want collect for Africa where not all, by any means of the money goes to charity. Amaerica and England stopped about a week ago sending aid to Somalia as the food aid partly ended up openly sold in markets. As a volunteer I work in a charity shop. (Jewish) We also do not take many things and for good reason. Yes, the "collectors" can occasionally use donations for their own profit. The collectors can be paid employees and not angels. However our organisation gets unbeleivable donations from retail companies and is a very large and reputable, professional organisation. (We take dollars too) Son of one of my collegues lives in a village set up for retarded and disabled people by this org.
ReplyDeleteI also have no ambition of being a golfer. As for Tiger Woods sideline, I am hesitating.
When I came to the US in 1957 I was so happy to be able to start a new life in a new coutry, that I promised myself that I will help others. Over the years many individuals were kind and helpfull to me.
ReplyDeleteFather Flaningan's Boys Town was an organization that seemed worthwhile. To my dismay the money did not go to the kids. The Red Cross an other reputable organization sold the blod to Amgen and to others.
The Catholic church were my wife belongs had their own problems.
Now I give to noone. Charity starts at home. I like that.