Plight of older people

[JoeWras]

Just a reminder that you can scope out charities here https://www.charitynavigator.org/ to determine how much of your donated dollar actually goes to helping people and how much goes to overhead and fundraising costs.

Thank you Gumby! And if you are in a DAV, many provide even further information via Guidestar, which goes to the next level and allows you to examine more details.

This discussion has drifted here, and I guess that is OK. All charities are not equal. As I've shared here before, I'm doing volunteer disaster relief. After looking into the big non-profits, I decided they were not the ones for me. I've chosen to work with smaller agencies who have much lower overhead.

I agree many of these charities need to wake up and stop becoming their own monster. But I also hope people don't give up on all of them. Otherwise, it will just be more government departments doing this. Not sure that is good either.

 

[Music Lover]

Listen to the demands of any activist group.... they will never say, “give me the opportunity to better myself (work) in some way” it is always a form of give me something...

Part of the problem is that behaviour is taught and/or encouraged these days.

 

[NW-Bound]

Just a reminder that you can scope out charities here https://www.charitynavigator.org/ to determine how much of your donated dollar actually goes to helping people and how much goes to overhead and fundraising costs.

I just checked St Mary's Food Bank to which we donate, and it has a 5-star rating. Also learned that it is a local organization, not nationwide as I thought.

In addition, learned that Salvation Army was not rated because it is a religious organization and does not release financial data.

...
I will never understand why some believe that a very large percentage of adults are nothing more than mental children unable to do even the most basic of planning for themselves...

Just recently, we received an email from the public library informing us that there would not longer be any penalty for late returns of library material. What?

I looked further, and learned that the city council was proud to do this to aid low-income people. They said that people who were not able to pay fine used to have their borrowing privilege suspended, and would not be able to borrow books to read, and they should be encouraged to read. Hah!

On a few occasions, I have been late and levied a few dollars in fine. I thought of that as a donation to the library, whose service I use.

Now that there's no fine, what gets people to return books? The library will continue to send out reminding emails. After a certain period, they will send out an invoice for the cost of the material. If the material is returned, then all is forgotten.

My wife and I are not too happy about this policy. They could have required people who could not pay to work for an hour or two to re-shelf books, instead of making excuses for irresponsible people. Being poor does not mean that you are exempt from the conduct that is expected of a good citizen.

 

[Rianne]

Great thread, especially for Thanksgiving week leading into Christmas. The compassion and empathy of our forum is commendable. Even though we're anonymous, we know and respect each other. I've read every post and don't often do that.



There are no answers, only experiences and opinions. How do you help those who need it most? How do you determine what anyone needs or wants? My DM would be offended by a handout. She lived frugally and had self respect. Maybe "handout" is the wrong word. How do you explain to a kindhearted person they are being scammed? How do you convince a homeless person they must have a home? What charity is the best?


I remember reading/hearing about The Red Cross and United Way paying CEO's millions and staying at 5* hotels. Riding in limo's and flying first class. I can't confirm if this is true. Those charities do wonderful work around the world. Is a kind gesture or a smile enough to make one's day? I want to make a difference, just not sure how.

 

[Gumby]

A second public service announcement, if I may. In many states, the office of the state attorney general has a charities division that regulates and supervises charities seeking to raise funds in the state. If you believe that someone is conducting a charitable scam, please take a minute to report them to your attorney general. They all have websites to do that.

Here are a few links:

New York -- https://www.charitiesnys.com/complaints_new.html
Texas -- https://www.texasattorneygeneral.go...haritable-trusts/charitable-trusts-complaints
California -- https://oag.ca.gov/charities/complaints
Florida -- Florida Attorney General - How to Protect Yourself: Charitable Solicitations
Illinois -- Illinois Attorney General - Building Better Charities

 

[JoeWras]

Just recently, we received an email from the public library informing us that there would not longer be any penalty for late returns of library material. What?

And that just causes the problem we're discussing (how do people get into this?) to snowball.

We all remember mom and dad having us open our piggy bank to cough up the 15 cents for the penalty, right? I DO! I hated paying those fines. It was a "teachable moment" that was used to help me realize my place in society.

If you believe that someone is conducting a charitable scam, please take a minute to report them to your attorney general.

Agree, but there are "scams" and then just non-profits that tend to spend money on so-called administration in a poor way. For example: I cannot believe all the trips many of these organizations have their employees take for questionable reasons.

 

[MichaelB]

A second public service announcement, if I may. In many states, the office of the state attorney general has a charities division that regulates and supervises charities seeking to raise funds in the state. If you believe that someone is conducting a charitable scam, please take a minute to report them to your attorney general. They all have websites to do that.

Here are a few links:

New York -- https://www.charitiesnys.com/complaints_new.html
Texas -- https://www.texasattorneygeneral.go...haritable-trusts/charitable-trusts-complaints
California -- https://oag.ca.gov/charities/complaints
Florida -- Florida Attorney General - How to Protect Yourself: Charitable Solicitations
Illinois -- Illinois Attorney General - Building Better Charities

Thanks, Gumby. I wasn’t aware the Florida AG had this office.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Funny you should mention Wounded Warrior Project. Those people should be ashamed. Just google, "Wounded Warrior Project Scandal". Here's a sample;
https://www.foxnews.com/us/wounded-warrior-projects-top-execs-fired-amid-lavish-spending-scandal

For the record, I do NOT donate to WWP. My charity of choice for military related activities is Fisher House. However...

WWP has straightened out its game. The story you quoted was from 2016 and doesn't hold water today. Trust me, when this was first identified (by smaller outlets, of course) I yelled at the top of my lungs to STAY AWAY from WWP. Eventually, big media caught wind and well, things FINALLY changed. Although they still aren't the "tops" for % of donations actually helping, they have come a long way since 2015/16.

https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12842

 

[Teacher Terry]

Mostly we donate locally except for the Salvation Army. I worked closely with them for 30 years in 3 states because they had programs to help our clients. The major and his wife take a small salary and a number of years ago I found the amount that goes to the clients and it’s amazing. They keep very little. Even though I am not religious theirs is truly dedication to work so hard for so little. Military people between WW 2 and Vietnam hate the Red Cross if they were in need and ever asked them for help.

 

[skipro33]

For the record, I do NOT donate to WWP. My charity of choice for military related activities is Fisher House.

Thanks for the referral of Fisher House. I do work with Hero's On The Water. We take disabled vets and first responders out on kayaks fishing. It's amazing what a little time on the water does for these brave men and women. Most recently was a VA hospital; they pulled up to the docks in a bus and every one of those vets was in wheel chairs. We got them outfitted, on the water and catching fish. When it was time to serve them lunch, they didn't want to come in! So we set up a small webber BBQ on a kayak and floated around serving hot dogs and hamburgers right on the lake.

One man in particular, a Vietnam Vet, had not so much as a family member visit him in years. He didn't want to fish so I suggested we just paddle a round some. We settled into some cattails and I asked if he'd mind if I threw in a line. This lake is a pro bass fisherman's practice lake, easy to do 100+ fish-a-day hook ups. I caught one on my first cast. He asked if I had another rod and of course I did. He caught a few fish, then started telling me a story about how his mother would take him fishing as a child. It was so heart breaking to hear this man tell me his story and that he's pretty much alone in this world.

 

[timo2]

You say this as if such a determination about laziness has no merit. Evil exists. Lazy is a serious expression of evil.

I see the old Puritan work ethic is still popular.

But I'm wondering what you consider lazy? There are a reasonable number of people that are just plain unemployable. [Unemployable simply means businesses will not hire them]. Children, elderly, and the disabled. Additionally, there are caretakers that can not be gainfully employed and also take care of the children, elderly, and the disabled. The caretakers are anything but lazy.

For some reason people seem think that the beneficiaries of reputable charities and government programs are all able-bodied slackers. Statistics from the reputable charity groups show that assumption to be false.

 

[Which Roger]

The caretakers are anything but lazy.

+1 I feel very fortunate that I've never been in a position where I've had to choose between earning a good salary or dedicating all my time to caring for a loved-one who would otherwise be neglected.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Thanks for the referral of Fisher House. I do work with Hero's On The Water. We take disabled vets and first responders out on kayaks fishing. It's amazing what a little time on the water does for these brave men and women. Most recently was a VA hospital; they pulled up to the docks in a bus and every one of those vets was in wheel chairs. We got them outfitted, on the water and catching fish. When it was time to serve them lunch, they didn't want to come in! So we set up a small webber BBQ on a kayak and floated around serving hot dogs and hamburgers right on the lake.

One man in particular, a Vietnam Vet, had not so much as a family member visit him in years. He didn't want to fish so I suggested we just paddle a round some. We settled into some cattails and I asked if he'd mind if I threw in a line. This lake is a pro bass fisherman's practice lake, easy to do 100+ fish-a-day hook ups. I caught one on my first cast. He asked if I had another rod and of course I did. He caught a few fish, then started telling me a story about how his mother would take him fishing as a child. It was so heart breaking to hear this man tell me his story and that he's pretty much alone in this world.

Great story, thank you for sharing! It's amazing how such simple things that many of us take for granted (such as a day of fishing) can bring absolute joy to someone.

In regards to the Fisher House Foundation; my first experience with them was when I was stationed at Dover AFB. For those that aren't familiar, Dover is where the remains of military members are repatriated and processed through the mortuary. Anyone who flew these missions into Dover know what it entails and how tough this can be on families. Fisher House is where most of these families stay when waiting for their loved ones to come home and I have heard countless stories from the families about the comfort that the Fisher folks brought them in the darkest periods of their lives. But, they do much more than that. They also provide great housing for those families who might have a love one going through medical procedures (short and long term)...much like Ronald McDonald House.

 

[Rianne]

In regards to the Fisher House Foundation; my first experience with them was when I was stationed at Dover AFB. For those that aren't familiar, Dover is where the remains of military members are repatriated and processed through the mortuary. Anyone who flew these missions into Dover know what it entails and how tough this can be on families. Fisher House is where most of these families stay when waiting for their loved ones to come home and I have heard countless stories from the families about the comfort that the Fisher folks brought them in the darkest periods of their lives. But, they do much more than that. They also provide great housing for those families who might have a love one going through medical procedures (short and long term)...much like Ronald McDonald House.

Valuable information! I volunteered at Ronald McDonald House in St. Louis. Amazing organization that provided a homelike environment for family members to relax and/or grieve the health situation of a loved one. We were there to serve. Nothing more gratifying. RMD provided everything a family could need, including transportation to the hospitals.

 

[skipro33]

I see the old Puritan work ethic is still popular.

Thank you for the complement.

For some reason people seem think that the beneficiaries of reputable charities and government programs are all able-bodied slackers. Statistics from the reputable charity groups show that assumption to be false.

From the testimonies I and others have posted, you couldn't be more wrong.

 

[Running_Man]

That is odd, since the U.S. bond market is larger than the U.S. stock market. That math doesn't add up. AAII is aimed at stock picking, so perhaps they are talking about brokerage accounts only?

And Fed is not an acronym, it is an abbreviation (pet peeve thread material).

Individuals own 15% of the US Federal Debt, which is around 23 trillion so a little over 3 trillion. of the 9 Trillion Corporate debt, most is owned by pension funds 9 percent is owned by individuals. In Japan, the Japanese Central bank buys 100% of the issuance of Japan government bonds and owns 85% of all stock ETF’s.l This is the same path the US govenment is on. In the past month the US Central Bank has purchased more bonds in a month than individuals purchase in years, 100 Billion over the weekend. They had to reverse course because the market is not big enough for US debt and interest rates were getting away from them.

https://global-macro-monitor.com/2019/01/23/ownership-and-profile-of-the-corporate-bond-market/

 

[timo2]

Thank you for the complement.

From the testimonies I and others have posted, you couldn't be more wrong.

Skipro33: my comments were not meant as an insult to you or anyone else and I apologize for not being clear on that.

 

[Chuckanut]

Mostly we donate locally except for the Salvation Army. I worked closely with them for 30 years in 3 states because they had programs to help our clients. The major and his wife take a small salary and a number of years ago I found the amount that goes to the clients and it’s amazing. They keep very little. Even though I am not religious theirs is truly dedication to work so hard for so little. Military people between WW 2 and Vietnam hate the Red Cross if they were in need and ever asked them for help.

I noticed that the Salvation Army bell ringer at my local market has a sign with a symbol on it allowing one to contribute with Apple Pay. It's nice to see them being modern. I toss a check in every year since I have seen the good work they did and still do.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Ref Fisher House. In San Antonio, there are 3 on the Brooke Army Med Center campus. They do wonderful work. Volunteers prepare meals for them, offer lodgings for family for those undergoing longterm treatment (think burn injuries and other really horrific things) I just shepherded a grant request from them through a Charitable org for which I sit on the board. They requested funding for queen size sheets and blankets, and they gave us a very reasonable quote for a hotel supply company. I hear nothing but good from this outfit here.

 

[Starsky]

You say this as if such a determination about laziness has no merit. Evil exists. Lazy is a serious expression of evil.

Perhaps. Some people certainly are - but what constitutes being 'lazy'? Is it poverty? We judge most people in poverty without knowing whether or not they are evil, or how they became poor. We just assume thy are 'lazy' because they are needy. To be rich/successful implies that you didn't break any rules for some weird reason. We all know that's false... The inverse of that statement is equally false.

No one is allowed to ignore the problem. They are instead made to feel guilty about their status and prosperity. We are constantly bombarded by ads trying to guilt the haves into financial aide to the have-nots. Usually by thieves trying to skim those funds to their own pockets.

The label of "lazy" is one way to ignore the problem. "Welfare Queens" was a label that was used to label all black women who are on government assistance, not just specific ones. The policy discussions that came from that did not try to discriminate between "good" vs. "bad" Welfare Queens.

Guilt is a terrible way to fulfill social needs. (Ed: Guilt is almost the opposite emotion of hate, and is used in much the same way to promote a social agenda, albeit usually a positive one.) Taxes are much better, but these 'guilt-based' organizations exist to fill a genuine need that Govt. does not - because corporations and un-woke white people write most tax policy. Generalizations are never completely accurate. I could easily make the argument that certain corporations - like Wells Fargo, or Payday loans - are the real thieves, but they can never go to jail. What's up with that? YMMV

 

[Music Lover]

Generalizations are never completely accurate.

I could say that about most of your comment.

 

[GravitySucks]

"What is middle class morality? Just an excuse for never giving me anything"
~Alfred Doolittle

Excuse me, but to say "Lazy is a serious expression of evil" to a group that gathers to discuss how to not work again is a bit demeaning.

 

[RobbieB]

Hehe, yeah. I can think of far more serious expressions of evil than lazy. Lazy seems a minor at best.

 

[Starsky]

A oldie but goodie...

Ed: My wife gave this to me one birthday several years ago. Some background: she had worked as an executive secretary for Sol Price, founder of Price Club, and for the Board of Directors of Qualcomm, so she got to really watch how the rich move and shake. TLDR; They live in another world. I also have a very good friend in the Bohemian Club - Jesus, he has stories you wouldn't believe. I call it the Star Chamber. Google it.

 

[skipro33]

Lazy is a root of evil, just like the love of money. Lazy usually goes hand-in-hand with crime; too lazy to work, just steal it and rationalize the action because life isn't fair and eventually, rich-guy owes it to me, would have been mine if I was given the same unfair advantage... yada, yada, yada. Same old excuses for just poor moral compass. Self discipline is becoming a lost art. Folks here practiced self discipline and make it a life-style. Even in retirement, we still do by following forums like this one to stay informed.