It's usually around the holidays that I reflect on the past year and give thanks for how fortunate I've been. Because of this, I like to give back to the community and try to help those less fortunate, donating money to local homeless shelters and the humane society.

Anyone else donate money this time of year? If so, why?

I'm not trying to make this into a sermon that you must donate money, or into a discussion of should you donate money or not. I'm just one who, through my experiences in life, chooses to. Whether you do or not is you own personal decision and I respect that either way.

 

i bought 5 sets of hats, gloves and scarves to give to my work....then they take them to the homeless shelter..... that is not much, but something.

I think I have put about $9 in the little pots with the ringers..... again... not much.

a lot of the charities have expensive "executives" (United way), so it makes it pretty hard to donate $1k to find out that $200 of it actually made it's way to the right place....

I give blood every 8 weeks, and ..... I am volenteering to do taxes though for free for low income folks (hopefully they aren't too complicated, or I will be f'ing up people's returns for them. )

 

Human Rights Watch.

I never give to those people ringing a bell with a can in front of grocery stores. I try to avoid donating to "charities" that have very high operation costs... for some of them, members of management make 6-figure salaries!



I like Human Rights Watch because their books are wide-open and they get real results.

I encourage everyone to research where your money is going, and not just give to an outstretched hand just to feel good about giving.

 

hmm, well not particularly around this time of year, I'll give to charity here and there over the course of the year, but I don't really limit it to the holiday season, or give more during the holiday season.

 

The wife and I usually give the old clothes (usable clothes) to charity around this time.

For one we always find that that nice winter jacket we bought 5 years ago is a little faded by now and does not quite match the clothes we have anymore. If some one else with less means can use and not freeze to death it is a good deal to us.

But also it is a tax deduction. So everybody wins.

 

I adopted a less fortunate child this year for the holidays through the Salvation Army and had fun buying clothes and toys for him. I consider myself very fortunate and try to give as much as possible. I normally try to do it as much as possible, but it seems that the need and publicity of the less fortunate is more prominent around the holiday season. So i think i do give more now than any other time of year.

 

I give blood whenever i can, and donate clothes every year. This year i gave away some furniture. I would volunteer at the health world again if i wasnt goin away this month.

 

Is very nice to hear people still care. Follow this link. Not only Floridians can help.

http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=169768

 

My wife and I donate blood frequently, but two weeks ago my blood pressure was way high so I can't donate till that's straightened out; no idea the cause.

We donate to the Orange County Rescue Mission, usually anonymously. In the past we've brought them turkeys at Thanksgiving and Christmas, clothing, and so on.

Tomorrow evening I'm doing a (free) show for Canyon Acres Children's Home; this is the second year I've performed for their Christmas party. I have done shows for other children's homes in Orange County, and for HomeAid Orange County (they build homeless shelters, housing for abused women and children, housing for unwed mothers, and so on).

Twice a year our church holds a "Care and Concern" day at which we repair cars, repair bicycles, provide food, clothing, haircuts, health and legal advice, and so on. I usually work on the bikes and my sons work on the cars.

Please heed Scot's and tritium_pie's advice about making sure that your donations get to the people who really need them. I hate the United Way drives at work and their ads during NFL games because the United Way is so incredibly inefficient; I had last heard that less than 20% of your contribution will make it to the people you're trying to help. That's sick; it should be criminal.

In summary, and to answer the original question: yes I donate to charities around Christmas time. And I do at other times of the year as well.

 

UNICEF here. 'cos as badly as things are in this country, I think it's much worse many in poverty stricken countries around the world.