Charity Work

[Sgt PSN]

Like most people, I usually don't do much or give much between Jan and Nov.  But around this time of year, I become a little less self absorbed and a little more giving.  Also like most people, I have a jar that I throw all my loose change into.  During the year, I take it to the bank as needed and exchange it for cash.  But this time of year I'll take out a big handful before I battle the crowds to do my holiday shopping so that I can dump a little in the bucket of all the Salvation Army folk I see in front of various stores, along with any other charity organizations I might come across.  Probably seems a bit pointless to donate little bits of change to several people collecting for the same charity since all of that money is going to the same place but I do that because it actually helps make that day a little more tolerable for the people doing the collecting. 

So what do you cheap skates do?  Give money?  Donate some of your time?  What organizations do you give to? 

The Marine Corps has their Toys For Tots program and I spend time every year helping out with that.  Most of the work is done by the younger troops on a "voluntold" basis but for us senior guys, it's pretty much voluntary.  Most of the work is just standing next to a donation box in Toys R Us or Wal Mart or whatever business lets us set up a donation station for collecting toys and cash.  It sucks because you're pretty much just standing there for 7 or 8 hours watching people walk in and out (most of whom will go out of their way to avoid eye contact), but I know the fruits of my labor are going to a good cause.  So if any of yous are looking for a charity to donate to, T4T is a pretty good one and one of the really good things about it is that 100% of any donation you make is going to be distributed to kids in your town/county.....so everything collected locally, stays locally.  Of course, I'm probably a lot biased about it, but it's one of the few charities out there (at least nationwide charities) that keeps it's donations in the local area which is something that I find pretty appealing.

[Diomedes]

In the recent past I have volunteered at a local soup kitchen and more fruitfully, at Habitat for Humanity.  Anyone can serve food, but not everyone can frame a house, so the latter was I think a better use of my time.

I have no money to give anyone.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I have a bag full of goodies for my Salvation Army Christmas angel.

[SD]

I always throw a buck into the salvation army bucket when they're out there. I donate my old clothes to purple heart. One of my professor's at Penn State does a secret Santa program where students (and the Police/fireman/military) go around to zesty neighborhoods on Christmas Eve and give presents to certain kids that are in need. Last year we went to Southwest/West/North Philly.

[BigEd76]

Every year our office receives requests from a local YMCA where kids between 7 and 12 ask for a gift since they normally don't get anything for Christmas (and most of them just want hats, gloves or boots instead of toys, which is sad), so I'll get some of the ones like footballs or CDs....

[PhillyPhreak54]

Eagles Youth Partnership

Local food bank donations so people have food for the holidays

Goodwill

[charlie]

Eagles Youth Partnership

Local food bank donations so people have food for the holidays

Goodwill

So you basically buy eagles stuff, and then dump a bunch of other stuff you don't want anymore and call it charity. 

[PhillyPhreak54]

No, I donate directly to EYP

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/partnership/donate.asp

[PhillyGirl]

My 3:

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)

Kids With Food Allergies

Goodwill

[Tomahawk]

I give bums cigarettes when they ask when they catch me outside smoking

[ice grillin you]

ive been a big brother three or four times and i work with this place http://www.some.org/ volunteering at their soup kitchens and do christmas for a fam every year

my favorite thing in the world tho is the southern poverty law center  http://www.splcenter.org/ i cake them off big time every year

im also a fan of FAAN

[shorebird]

A friend of mines church, which I don't go to, does charity work year round for older people who are on a fixed income and can't afford, or are unable to do repairs on their homes. Especially this time of year I'll go out and install storm doors, windows, fix leaky roofs, whatever. The people are more than very grateful, which makes it satisfying. Most of them like the company and someone to talk too. If you think about it, you can't feel much more helpless than having your home going bad around you and being able to do nothing about it. It's all that a lot of older people have.

I don't really donate cash, don't want to say I can't afford it, I just don't, I guess because I give what little cash I can to support our troops.  But I have no problem donating my time and skills when theres some old person that needs work on their house.

[Sgt PSN]

Personally I think donating time, especially if you posess a skillset such as carpentery is much more valuable/rewarding than donating money.  Not to mention that (at least for me) time is more affordable than money, but I know that isn't the case for everyone.

Also, just finished my week of Toys For Tots work.  During that week we collected about 2100 toys and $5000 in cash.  Not too bad given the economic turmoil this particular area is in.  This was by far the most productive week we've had other than the week of Black Friday. 

[shorebird]

Wow, thats a good deal. Doesn't it seem that Toys For Tots always does a good job? I guess people get in the spirit and like the thought of underprivlidged kids having a nice christmas because they gave, no matter what the economy is like. For some of those kids it might be the only present they get all year, birthday included.

Nice job Sarge. 

[phillycrew]

One weekend a month I volunteer with a church van ministry that goes down to the inner city park and hands out food packs, toiletry kits, socks, detergent and sleeping bags.  I now take my kids with me and it is good for them to see how some people live and what "need" really means.  I give through the church to Haiti and we sponsor a school there and did a fundraiser after their disaster.  I don't know if it is considered charity but I mentor an inner city kid in a lunch program.  I also give to KOVAR (Knights of Virginia Assisting the Retarded).  On that last one I guess I could just buy a t-shirt from  and it would be the same thing.