Dead before money runs out

[audreyh1]

Some people buy an RV and start cruisin' the continent (or even both NA and SA).

Audrey

 

[Nords]

I would be inclined to fund a scholorship at my favorite school to be awarded to a needy student in middle school contingent on their compentent completion of high school.  Why?  Because I think that some kids give up too soon on life. 

David Robinson & his wife are doing something similar with scholarships and the Carver Academy.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Always fill the need OAP. Always.

 

[Dawg52]

Thanks guys, I do think it's experiences that will be enjoyable. I may also get crazy and buy a place in Aspen or Vail if I really start going downhill (pun?). I have always loved the scenery there.

I do intend to die broke except for a bit to sustain my mother.

Good thinking. I love the Vail area too. Here is a condo for ya at a nice cool $493k with a great view. Use it as rental income when your not there. 8)

http://tinyurl.com/gzsxm

 

[KB]

Over the last 3 years, I've found a few single moms that struggle supporting their kids on small salaries. I send each of them $250 a few times a year, no rhyme or reason on the timing.....Mostly when I have extra. People that are needy are out there, you just have to look.

Food banks are a good place to donate or find people.

Good luck OAP, hope you find something fun to do. They place where you'll live looks nice. Good location, easy to get around on Muni in SF.

 

[REWahoo]

David Robinson & his wife are doing something similar with scholarships and the Carver Academy.

This guy is just amazing. Talk about the antithesis of the NBA star stereotype, this guy is it. Quiet, humble, avoiding the spotlight, and always working behind the scenes to give others an opportunity.

We need more professional atheletes like him. Heck, we need more people like him in this world.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Unassuming I'm not. At any orgy, I'm the first with my pants off.

But, if someone can tell me how to provide $10,000 per year to a needy family that allows them to provide food, school, clothes, etc. Count me in for 3 families.

I just cringe when it requires me to find a good charity.

 

[Michael Moore]

There are websites that list information (like administrative costs) for different charitable organizations which would be worth looking at.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/ would be one place to start.

I found that my local food bank here in SF had about the smallest admin costs at .7% with 2% going towards fund raising

The problem is there are more potential worthy causes than there is money, so you have to narrow down the field. I figure that you can't get too much more basic than food, and with the low overhead it seems like it delivers good bang for my charitable giving buck.

cheers,
Michael

 

[Sheryl]

Here's somewhere to start...

http://www.fsasf.org

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Michael,
get me the name/phone # of your SF food bank and I will make them happy.

If my hair was short and nappy, Conkolene would make it happy. Fred Sanford.

 

[Jarhead*]

REWahoo, Martha,
I like the idea of helping people out.  There are just so many scam artists out there.  If I could identify a needy family that worked hard and nutured their kids, they'd get lots of anonymous cash findin

Hey Oap:  I feel the same way you do re:  not knowing where your donation is actually going.  Just an idea:

About 10 years ago, in our local paper (right before Christmas), they ran an article on a young lady with 4 small children, that she was trying to raise on her own.
Husband killed in an auto collision.  She had full time job, and was trying to get through college at night to earn her degree.  We sent her a check.  Every year about that time, they publish a story about a deserving needy family, and it has been our custom since the first
time to use that as our main charity.  

Good luck to you, pal

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Jarhead,
thanks for wishing me luck and I was one of those kids back in 1963/64 who got listed in the newspaper. We got a lot of food for Christmas.

I can not seem to find that opportunity. Just a direct donation. Right to the family.

I'd do that every year and with my situation, a bunch of families would benefit.

 

[Outtahere]

OAP, what about checking with the local churches, they always seem to know a family in need that I'm sure you could donate directly to.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Outtahere,
when I get to SF, I am surely going to check for a needy family. Either thru the church or thru the charities.

I caused a mini-riot today at a charity shop when I delivered some Aboriginal artist's pottery. The ladies running the shop bought it themselves.

Also, I had a piece of Noritake (occupied Japan era) sugar bowl that was grabbed immediately.

 

[Outtahere]

OAP my 93 yr old grand dad still collects Noritake, he loves it! I'll bet those ladies thought they had died and gone to heaven with you walked in with that stuff.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Outtahere,
I was really happy to see someone want a really nice object rather than have to trash it. I wish I had asked because I surely would have liked you GF to have it.

 

[Outtahere]

Thanks OAP, just glad it went to someone who wanted it also.

 

[Nords]

This guy is just amazing.  Talk about the antithesis of the NBA star stereotype, this guy is it.  Quiet, humble, avoiding the spotlight, and always working behind the scenes to give others an opportunity. 
We need more professional atheletes like him.  Heck, we need more people like him in this world.

The submarine force almost killed him.

He finished plebe year at the Naval Academy barely within height standards (hadn't had that final growth spurt yet) so his summer cruise was on the USS BUFFALO. As a joke the crew gave him a hard hat. He banged his head into the overheads & hatches so much that he cracked it (the hard hat) before the month was out.

A couple years after that he was too tall for everything and probably too hard to feed, let alone deploy in a ship. I think the Navy gave him a year or two in the Supply Corps and then said "Ya know, you'd make a heckuva recruiter if a basketball team wants you. Why don't you see what happens and we'll put you in the Naval Reserve."

He's going to be one of those USNA alumni like Roger Staubach...

 

[ladelfina]

OAP, what a wonderful time you can have distributing...! I loved the thrift-shop story. All the better that they had half a clue what you were parting with!  The main charity I give to is the Christian Childrens' Fund. The kids are overseas, so their lives are fairly rough. The charity itself scores very high on the help/overhead ratio. They have a lot of convenient giving options online, including bequests (facciamo le corna).

I love the idea of doling out small amounts of cash on the street, though! What a rush.. seeing the faces of someone to whom $5 or $50 is beyond their wildest dreams. Just budget yourself $x amount a month and have at it!

Without necessarily dwelling on your misfortune, please don't understimate the value of finding an appropriately comfortable nest when your wandering come to a close. I'm 46 and have just started to think, "what if have to navigate this house in a wheelchair", etc.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

ladelfina,
I have been in streets where I wanted to help everyone. In some of them, it was clear that you better be careful not to show money.

I would love to live in a very poor village somewhere and give some money quietly and anonymously just to see families have some happiness.

 

[LRS]

Just wanted to chime in and suggest you contact your local utilities company. They have programs for providing subsidised electricity or fuel for the elderly who can't otherwise afford to heat/cool their houses. There's no blessing like being able to turn up the heat when it's frosty outside, or having a cool spot to retreat to when it's 100 in the shade.

Modified to add, good on you, OAP, for wanting to alleviate the misery of others. Have fun indulging yourself! Your SF flat looks chic.

 

[audreyh1]

It's so much fun finding great places to give away stuff.

When we switched from house living to RV living, I went through an extraordinary amount of trouble to find "good homes" for our more unusual possessions.

There were lots of "good feeling" times when the recipient was so excited because they felt like they had just won the lottery! And I was so excited to find a good place for my stuff.

It was a real adventure. I had a group of women from an assisted living center raid my craft stash for their activity center. Can we say Christmas!?!?!

We overheard some woman in a grocery store talking about Mah Jhong and my husband offered her his set the had bought in Taiwan and held on to all these years. She came the house ASAP and was so excited!!!

We had lots of serendipitous experiences like that.

We also had good results with www.freecycle.org.

Audrey

 

[OldAgePensioner]

audrey,
I had a great time yesterday for just the reasons you list. I took the first batch over and when I returned an hour later both ladies were still looking at the stuff.

Gave me a good feeling thinking my stuff was "wanted".

I'm heading out now in the cold Chicago rain with some more goodies.

 

[audreyh1]

Gave me a good feeling thinking my stuff was "wanted".

Yep - I got lots of jollies out of that!  It lasts too - I still think back on those experiences and get the warm fuzzies.

Audrey

 

[PJ03]

audrey,
I had a great time yesterday for just the reasons you list.  I took the first batch over and when I returned an hour later both ladies were still looking at the stuff.

Gave me a good feeling thinking my stuff was "wanted".

I'm heading out now in the cold Chicago rain with some more goodies.

Hey OldAge, i have an Idea for you , please check your message box.
pat