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Who here performs acts of charity? What kind? Do you give money to the homeless, rescue animals— do you volunteer at food banks or drive your elderly neighbor to the grocery stores?

How regularly do you do it?

ScientistV 7 June 24
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7

I focus more on the small acts of kindness. Donations are great, I have a few choice dog rescues I try to donate to as often as possible and I generally go out of my way to give homeless ppl money if I can spare it myself but really my main focus is doing at least one small kindness each day, I think that's more important in the big picture. Simple things like checking in on elderly neighbors, holding doors open for ppl, asking how someone is doing.

5

I have specific organizations that I donate to on a monthly basis...ACLU, Southern Poverty, Planned Parenthood, etc. But I really love to knit and sew...I make everything from sleeping pads for animal rescue cages to quilts for Wounded Warrior auctions. I belong to a great group of women who knit hats for the homeless shelters in our area. I also work a shift at the homeless shelter serving a meal once a month. I do what I can to help immediately, but I also work very hard to remedy the underlying causes for the need...politically, I advocate for higher wages, health care, and veteran causes. I think every little bit helps and I am semi-retired, so I can help more than some.

5

I donate regularly (taken out of my paycheck) to an organization that works with homeless youth, another that brings medical aid to those in need, and several animal rescue organizations. I also organize benefit concerts a couple times a year. It's still not enough.

5

I volunteer at the KC Zoo. And I support numerous charities, but they all help animals. My favorite non-profit is Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. They are located in Eureka Springs, AR. They rescue (mostly) big cats from people that realize owning a lion or tiger is a horrible idea, and also from private zoos that shut down.

5

I do random acts of kindness. Little things that help people. I find that people help me and so I pass it on.

5

Until my twins were born I volunteered st the local zoo on the weekends. Now I am more apt to buy the meal for the car behind me in the drive-thru. I did that Saturday as a matter of fact.

4

my daughter and I take in foster puppies from the animal shelter. We currently have a dog and her two young pups here. I have also done literacy tutoring at the library. I have done many types of volunteering through the years. It feels good to give to others.

4

I buy food for street people quite a bit. I bought a burger dinner for someone last Friday. I give money to street people. During the winter I ask for coat donations from people I know and I keep a of them in my car at all times. I give them to people I see without coats when it's cold. I volunteer for important political campaigns going door to door or making phone calls. When I hear of unexpected disasters like house fires, I buy things the family usually needs like bed sheets and towels. I step in at anytime I can help with the needs of strangers. Once I offered to purchase a prescription for a mother who got kicked out of a shelter because her kids had chiggers. They were at the same hospital i was at at the time, but she got nervous about meeting at the walgreens. I wouldn't take them in my car because the kids were infected, and the pharmacy was down the road. I was willing to pay the 100 bucks she said it cost. I have volunteered in adult literacy programs and donate to causes and political campains. I am not rich. But, if it's important, I'll make due when I can. I offer help to stranded people. I've pushed cars, given jumps often. I just ask them yo do same for others. They usually agree.

@Beach_slim should I donate to conservative candidates to please you if im a liberal? Wtf?

You are a tremendous example. Thank you for all you do.

3

I’m a grad student in Chicago, and I volunteer at the community shelter on campus. It’s about 8-10 hours a week, so not too demanding. I mainly work the front desk or provide meals.

3

I volunteer at a couple local pantries here. I help the lady at the cat shelter by feeding,trapping and caring for feral cats,and cats shes taking care of. I live around older people who don't get out much,so i shop for them,cook for the ones that can't cook. I walk a couple dogs. for an older lady who doesnt get around very well. I share and network for homeless animals,and injured and abused animals.When i can,i donate money,but ive helped with transport also. I just believe in doing good,and good comes back to you. Im also going to start reading to the elderly again.

3

I've pretty much always given people in my life help with regards to their mental health issues. I imagine it use to do more harm than good when I was much younger, but now that I've spent decades of my life researching all manner of psychology, behavioral therapy, and illnesses I'd like to think I'm at least on par with a therapist.

I've given money to homeless, but mainly I try to talk to them if I have the chance. It's been my experience that the vast majority of them spend the money they get on food and drink for fellow homeless persons. Occasionally they'll get enough to afford a hotel for a couple nights. I always ask if they're hungry or thirsty, and offer to get them something if they say yes.

I've been homeless, back when I was young. I can identify with them a lot, and not many people know that homelessness isn't all bad - just mostly. The cons outweigh the pros, assuredly, but there are some pros nonetheless.

I've volunteered at soup kitchens, though rarely. I'd rather have 1 on 1 interactions with people, as opposed to just pouring soup into bowls.

I went down with a volunteer cleanup crew after hurricane Katrina. Probably the most miserable few weeks of my life. The mosquitos... the smell. I'll never forget.

But mostly, I try to do small things. Genuinely compliment someone's hair or attire should I notice. Pay for someone's coffee if they look like their having a bad day/are stressed.

But the thing I do most often? Tip. I tip very well, and I tip outrageously well for excellent service. Because... I've worked in the service industry, and if I can afford to buy a steak, I can afford to tip well. If I wanted to eat a steak cheaply, I'd make it myself.

SirJet Level 5 June 25, 2018
3

I donate blood platelets several times a year... It's awesome when the nurses say stuff like, "You just saved the lives of 3 cancer patients with your donation today." 🙂

Thank you as I last year had a platelets level of 2, almost died. Platelettes donated by someone brought me back. Thanks!

Wow! Glad you're still with us! It's a lot more time-consuming than just donating blood and slightly more painful sometimes but totally worth it when I get the genuine appreciation and hear stories like yours 🙂

3

I give money to the homeless if I have cash on me.

I tend to give money to worthy causes, as well. I recently donated to the National Domestic Worker's Alliance, and also give regularly to the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Reach Out and Read, and the Council on American Islamic Relations.

I'm also always on the lookout for ways to commit random acts of kindness for my fellow humans whenever I see an opportunity.

3

I help the homeless people in my city during the night for food, not much else.

Asa7th Level 3 June 24, 2018
2

I do as much as I possibly can though if I speak of it, I wouldn't consider it as much as giving as I do keeping it to myself. I want to do it as selflessly and annonomously as possible.

2

I help people I know personally who are struggling. I have done this several times (bought them groceries, filled their gas tank). I am not in favor of giving money to panhandlers because it's impossible to tell the legitimate ones from the scammers and I know there is organized panhandling taking place.

Yeah that's a policy of mine too. There's a lady who tends to work the pedestrian mall in my city and she's clearly manipulating people emotionally and my attitude is, despite how far this country has fallen there's no need to freeze your touche off in subzero weather for quarters, you can get a free hot meal two blocks away most days of the week, free winter clothes, and if you're not picky, shelter, however humble. Some of them are scammers, others make the choice that they'd rather shiver under a blanket in the woods than deal with Other People and I respect that ... but don't impose it on me when I'm just trying to go about my own business.

@mordant Right. If you choose to live off the grid, I choose not to support that lifestyle.

2

When I give money, it's as directly to the person in need as I can manage (but preferably still anonymously, if possible). And I volunteer doing mediation through the local resolution center. I'm thinking in the next year of adding something else to my volunteerism, like the local literacy volunteers program. I don't want to be too busy, but I want enough to do so I feel continually useful.

1

After reading these comments, I realize that I can do much, much more.

1

Largely because of the $$ spent on the ultimately quixotic efforts to keep my previous wife alive without the help of health insurance (experimental treatments) I am way behind on retirement savings and so I don't do as much of this as I'd like to. We spot-give to various causes that come up like legal aid for the border refugees, occasionally Doctors Without Borders, political campaigns that we think are critical, things like that. We also give a lot of financial support to my stepson who has OCD issues he's struggling to get on top of. In short we do a lot but probably not visibly as much or as external to family as some would think we should.

1

I used to donate all the time, but I moved to Thailand in 2010 .

Many of the charities I used to donate to were religion based, but I did volunteer to pick up trash in parks and national forests, and donated heavily to PETA and wildlife preservation organizations when I was last in the US.

Thailand has some cool animal sanctuaries too if I recall

@ScientistV Foreigners are NOT encouraged to work at jobs the Thai are currently doing.

@birdingnut oh no, I meant to donate to, but good to know.

@ScientistV Donations are usually not encouraged, and no tipping either.

@birdingnut huh, tipping I get, but it’s weird for charities to not want donations.

@ScientistV Not sure. The Thai king usually funds the national parks and foreigners aren't a part of the government.

0

Financially, I donate to 2 dozen + groups. Some are local as the Friends of - the San Juans, the library, the historical society, the medical clinic and a couple more. Some are national as Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Humanists, PBS/NPR, Coalition to stop gun violence, Planned Parenthood. There are some international ones as well as EngenderHealth and the Nature Conservancy. Actively I spend time with our San Juan Islands National Monument program.

I do not give to any human focused groups. We have enough of them and I personally feel we need to look more at the life support system that supports all life instead of one species albeit one that is destroying that life support system.

0

I am my own charity. Also a fair one. Never have and never will ask for a handout

That is a strange attitude since some charities are for animals, preservation of nature, or even just improvement of your community like coaching kids in a sport.

@ScientistV let me be strange then...

0

Everytime I allow a moron to continue living is an act of charity.

0

I disagree with charity.

Food banks are offensive. They perpetuate a false cultural narrative which frames the poor and the working class as being innately feckless.

And it's usually the people who would never have to use a food bank themselves who endorse them - the smug, self righteous, white middle class do-gooders who derive a secret hit of elitism.

They go back to their comfortable homes and pick at their artisan bread whilst planning their next holiday. Some often vote for political parties who create the very problems they are trying to remedy.

Charity allows governments to abdigate responsibility. It introduces a 'gratitude' narrative and revives the Victorian concept of 'the deserving poor'.

As a person who has worked with a lot of people who’ve needed food banks such as poor kids in the start of their careers where $15 an hour doesn’t cover room, board, food, AND crippling debt, young moms who couldn’t get diapers AND veggies, and the elderly who can’t drive IN to get it, it’s pretty clear that the person being classist is you, hon.

I use the food banks,and endorse them.

0

My big ones are SPCA, DV shelters, LGBT Community Centers, various vet-focused ones like Wounded Warrior, and the arts like ballet performing arts.

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