Does charity begin at home?

[Angela]

Well...another thread got me pondering this.

I've given something to a charity of one sort or another for as long as I can remember. Not always the same ones, and not always in the same way. You can give in terms of time as well as money.

However, over time I've been put off giving to some of the international, and even national charities, because I feel I'm possibly being naive, and most of the cash isn't getting to those in need of help.

When my youngest daughter was born, I "adopted" a child through Action Aid. You could say that it salved my conscience, but at the time it felt like a small thing we, as a family who didn't have to do without food, clothes or education, could do for a child who couldn't take all these things for granted.

Now I find I side-step the people who (here at least) sometimes seem to be on every street corner asking me to take out a direct debit in favour of their charities. I don't do that now - I used to.

I find now my contribution tends to be mostly donating to and buying from charity shops, with the occasional (small) one-off financial contribution. I'm thinking of doing some local voluntary work, when I'm able to.

The need of the local people I'm thinking of may not be so great -they're not actually starving -but I've come to feel now that the little I can do to help might make more of an impression. It doesn't mean I'm not thinking about global problems, including environmental ones - I am -but it seems to come down to making a choice. :confused

What do other .Orgers think?

[Dadie]

I fequent the charity shops quite a bit I usually buy my books from them asit saves me a fortune in library fines.I read them then they go back!
I will look at the clothes and other stuff at the same time!

I got my dog from balmore so she was rescued too!

I did think about working in a charity shop to but i have a baby now so it isnt practible..

im like you in that i cant stand the people on the street waving collecting tins around but i also dont like the door to door collectors or the begging letters through the door.

if i make a donation i dont want to be hounded for more *sigh*

[porshiepoo]

I think charity has to begin at home, however like you I too have given both time and money to charity.

I guess at the time of giving it you kind of feel good about yourself but it's not long before I wondering where my money actually got spent.

I understand the need for relief funds for natural disasters etc but when it comes to poverty I'm more inclined to give to our own. That may sound callous but I don't believe we should be spending billions helping other countries (or giving terrorists money to run ireland, but that's another topic) when we have so much hardship and suffering in our own.
Things will only get worse here too. Not to go off topic but the amount of immigrants we allow in now through EU rules will make matters worse as all they're money gets sent back home and not ploughed into our own economy.

Yep, definately (but sadly) charity begins at home.

[cuddlepop]

I'm with the "charity begins at home brigade" there's far to many issues that need our help and support at home before we can even begin to send money abroad.

Voluntary work has been my "employment" offand on for years and if I'm honest even though I'm not being paid for my work I feel so much happier going home.There's a sense of appreciation from management in the voluntary sector that is totally lacking in mainstream.

Some support charitys expect you to donate and while I appreciate they need funding it annoys me they formally ask.

Voluntary work in a charity capacity Angela would bring you alot of pleasure:D

[Angela]

Voluntary work in a charity capacity Angela would bring you alot of pleasure

I think so too, cp! :)
The next problem is how to decide which one to choose -there are SO many worthwhile causes that I'd like to do something for....:confused

[Penelope Pitstop]

I donate items and buy christmas cards, etc from the local charity shops. I think working for a local charity would give a sense of reward...at the end of the day you don't HAVE to be there you WANT to be there.:) And if you can get out and about and meet folk even better.

I regularly give financial help to a children's charity run by monks...they seem to do good work!! But I remember being told that one of the big charities (Christian Aid or Red Cross - don't quote me though) collect around £150 million a year and only about £21 million actually got through as aid...the rest eaten up by overheads. I thought that was really shocking. So if you can give your help as time you know that it is going to good use.:Razz

[badger]

Maybe charity begins at home but that doesn't mean it has to end there and in terms of poverty no-one in this country comes anywhere near the kind of poverty experienced in many parts of the "third world". Interesting article in the Courier today by someone who worked briefly in an orphanage in Malawi and had no idea conditions could be so bad. I think quite often it is individuals going out to these places and taking help directly who do far more good than government/large charity aid which somehow gets diverted to the rulers of these countries.

Like so many, I shop in charity shops all the time and donate goods to them but I refuse now to reply to big appeals as once you're on their mailing list they just keep demanding more. Also never respond to the endless stuff that comes through the mail, often with free biros, cards etc. They say it does raise money but I can't help feeling it wastes a lot. Have done voluntary work but found much of that was filling in forms so someone in Inverness or Edinburgh could tick boxes - so much money wasted and little achieved. Without the bureaucracy it would have been worth while.

It seems everywhere the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Apparently in the US it is the norm for the very rich give to very generously to charity but not in this country. Wonder why.

[Angela]

Maybe charity begins at home but that doesn't mean it has to end there and in terms of poverty no-one in this country comes anywhere near the kind of poverty experienced in many parts of the "third world". Interesting article in the Courier today by someone who worked briefly in an orphanage in Malawi and had no idea conditions could be so bad. I think quite often it is individuals going out to these places and taking help directly who do far more good than government/large charity aid which somehow gets diverted to the rulers of these countries.

Like so many, I shop in charity shops all the time and donate goods to them but I refuse now to reply to big appeals as once you're on their mailing list they just keep demanding more. Also never respond to the endless stuff that comes through the mail, often with free biros, cards etc. They say it does raise money but I can't help feeling it wastes a lot. Have done voluntary work but found much of that was filling in forms so someone in Inverness or Edinburgh could tick boxes - so much money wasted and little achieved. Without the bureaucracy it would have been worth while.

It seems everywhere the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Apparently in the US it is the norm for the very rich give to very generously to charity but not in this country. Wonder why.

A friend who has a daughter married to a Malawian and living in Malawi, is doing a lot of fund-raising here (well, in Fife to be more exact) for children in Malawi. She does other voluntary work as well, now that she's retired from paid work, but it's only with her daughter being there, and having visited Malawi herself, that it's brought it "home" to her.

I'm not sure about the situation in the US, badger, but the other day I did read something about better tax breaks there if you make charitable donations.:confused

[poppett]

I prefer my charitable donations to go to local charity shops or Homeaid. Delighted to see on the org today Homeaid are to be able to deliver free to those in greater need as the £10 delivery charge was quite steep especially for those on a low income.
The free stuff on the org is our own homegrown charity I suppose

[badger]

Angela - they were talking on the radio about the difference in attitude between the rich in the US and those in the UK and it does seem that it's more the accepted thing to do over there but no doubt tax breaks would help!

Poppett - this has been discussed many times but I do have a problem with the prices charged in the Homeaid shop. It's absolutely bursting at the seams and it's often hard to find things as they're just piled up all over the place. Can't help thinking they could clear place out a bit if they reduced their prices, which are ridiculous, and they would still make money as it's all donated. When they opened I thought it was going to be really good but it's very disappointing, especially upstairs.

[airdlass]

Most of my donations are to charities which I have had some personal interest in eg Arthritis Research, Arthritis Care.

I also buy my books from charity shops and once I'm finished with them hand them back in and buy some more.

[cuddlepop]

Most of my donations are to charities which I have had some personal interest in eg Arthritis Research, Arthritis Care.

I also buy my books from charity shops and once I'm finished with them hand them back in and buy some more.
Thats exactly what I do.
Great minds think alike ;)

[Doolally]

I like to give to the larger charities where you know the money is going to be handled correctly like Red Nose Day or Children in Need. Some charities are pure scams and at least with these you expect the money to be doing some good.

I will never, never give to a charity that sends me a free pen or some coppers to make it worth my while. I want my money to go where it's needed, not to buy yet more pens and free giveaways! That really bugs me!