NationStates Jolt Archive

I love giving to charities, really, and I espically love doing it during Christmas time. The other day I had to go to Food Lion (a grocery store in NC) to buy some jelly, and I brought a can along with my jelly to donate to the can food drive. It seems like charities are more prominent during this holiday season. However as soon as the holiday is done, and Jan. 2nd rolls around, the charities pack away itself the same way we pack away our Christmas decoration. Here's something I've been wondering, and it may come as a shock since I do advocate a reduction and privatization in Welfare. Where are these charities during the rest of the year?! I know they are still out there, but they're not in the public eyes the rest of the year. You don't see Salvation Army bell ringers in July. It is sad that apparently from Thanksgiving to New Year is the time most people are feeling generous and charitable enough to donate, when it should be all year round. I say that charities should remain in the public eye, and should make even more effort to do so all year round. What do you guys think?

The local food bank does a big canned food drive in the Winter, but the rest of the year, they are still around and still providing food for people in need, only they get the food from the local churches, and not the general public.

I donate to a few charities every month, with a direct debit from my account, I don't know of many other people who do.

During Christmas though we do donate more, the girls make Christmas shoeboxes, and we give to the bell ringers etc.

People don't give as much the other 11 months of the year. They should atleast have a box out front or something, but it is difficult to get enough volunteers year-round to man them.

They do take year round donations.

I was actually just wondering the converse of this question: why don't people donate time to soup kitchens and give to charity the other 11 months? I personally do, and there are much more workers around Christmas than in, say, June and July.

People don't give as much the other 11 months of the year. They should atleast have a box out front or something, but it is difficult to get enough volunteers year-round to man them.

They do take year round donations.

I was actually just wondering the converse of this question: why don't people donate time to soup kitchens and give to charity the other 11 months? I personally do, and there are much more workers around Christmas than in, say, June and July.

So do I, I donate to the St. Jude's Children Hospital and Holy Angels on a regular bases. For those who don't know, Holy Angels is a place where families who cannot support a child with disabilities put their child. It's a nursing home for kids basically and it's run by the Charlotte Diocese.

Sitting smugly in comfortably suburban, middle class houses thinking of all the good they did.

Its nice to see people still follow armchair activism. Hey, I gave a dollar to the Salvation Army, so I wont be going to Hell for now.


Still, it is better than nothing. Volunteering time is a better and more worthy endeavor.

Its nice to see people still follow armchair activism. Hey, I gave a dollar to the Salvation Army, so I wont be going to Hell for now.


Still, it is better than nothing. Volunteering time is a better and more worthy endeavor.

I would suppose that it depends on who you volunteer for though.

*which could also be said it's important to know who you are giving your money to as well.

People don't give as much the other 11 months of the year. They should atleast have a box out front or something, but it is difficult to get enough volunteers year-round to man them.

They do take year round donations.

I was actually just wondering the converse of this question: why don't people donate time to soup kitchens and give to charity the other 11 months? I personally do, and there are much more workers around Christmas than in, say, June and July.

Me and my firends will also for no reason go and aid with handing out food, and of course we often donate clothes and food year round...sadly Christmas time is when we are the most broke...and i have to make certain my kids have a good Christmas and the heat stays on, so Summer time is the time I can help most.
Actually last year people took donations for us, that was a nice surprise.

I love giving to charities, really, and I espically love doing it during Christmas time. The other day I had to go to Food Lion (a grocery store in NC) to buy some jelly, and I brought a can along with my jelly to donate to the can food drive. It seems like charities are more prominent during this holiday season. However as soon as the holiday is done, and Jan. 2nd rolls around, the charities pack away itself the same way we pack away our Christmas decoration. Here's something I've been wondering, and it may come as a shock since I do advocate a reduction and privatization in Welfare. Where are these charities during the rest of the year?! I know they are still out there, but they're not in the public eyes the rest of the year. You don't see Salvation Army bell ringers in July. It is sad that apparently from Thanksgiving to New Year is the time most people are feeling generous and charitable enough to donate, when it should be all year round. I say that charities should remain in the public eye, and should make even more effort to do so all year round. What do you guys think?

they're there, it's just that should the Salvation Army have their bell ringers out 12 months a year, they'll blend into the background to the point of being invisible. so they spend christmas ringing bells, they have canned good drives as well as dried goods (Clothes, school supplies etc) as well as donation drives spread out to keep things fresh and new.

Also, nothing is stopping you from donating to them the other months of the year... execpt you now have the extra effort of either going to them or getting an enevlope, writing the address, filling out the check...

Its nice to see people still follow armchair activism. Hey, I gave a dollar to the Salvation Army, so I wont be going to Hell for now.


Still, it is better than nothing. Volunteering time is a better and more worthy endeavor.
Both are worthy. Nothing can get done without money (or monetary equivalents such as food).

I love giving to charities, really, and I espically love doing it during Christmas time. The other day I had to go to Food Lion (a grocery store in NC) to buy some jelly, and I brought a can along with my jelly to donate to the can food drive. It seems like charities are more prominent during this holiday season. However as soon as the holiday is done, and Jan. 2nd rolls around, the charities pack away itself the same way we pack away our Christmas decoration. Here's something I've been wondering, and it may come as a shock since I do advocate a reduction and privatization in Welfare. Where are these charities during the rest of the year?! I know they are still out there, but they're not in the public eyes the rest of the year. You don't see Salvation Army bell ringers in July. It is sad that apparently from Thanksgiving to New Year is the time most people are feeling generous and charitable enough to donate, when it should be all year round. I say that charities should remain in the public eye, and should make even more effort to do so all year round. What do you guys think?
I think that for once you've said something I can actually agree with.

My family donates a lot of time and money through our local Girl Scouts because both my daughters are involved and my wife runs a troop. We donate more money and time to our daughters' schools, too (PTO and room parent type stuff).

This happens throughout the year. We give to local charities during the holidays, and to some organizations that call outside of the holiday season (police and fire organizations from around the area).

I resent the smarmy remark about "sitting smugly in their middle class houses" comment. Probably, people assume that pocket books are more easily opened during the holidays (because of the holiday spirit, that atheists and leftists might not feel). How can anyone possibly know what goes on in the hearts and minds of other human beings?

Frankly, I find it more than unlikely that the writer of that opinion gives much, if anything, in the way of charity. Leftists typically assume the government should be taking care of such things and don't bother to give. Yet again, leaving it to the hard working conservatives to pick up the slack.

In any event, I'm guessing that charities tend to capitalize on the holiday season because of the "feeling" of the season, and because people's minds are already geared toward the "giving notion". On the more practical side, the holidays tend to fall on cold months, when charitable organizations' resources are taxed the most.

Just a possible solution.

I've voluteered at a hospital and at the no-kill animal shelter, though I'm not doing so at the present. When I can afford it I give to the ASPCA, Humane Society and Tiger Haven, a sanctuary for big cats. And Alley Cat Allies, a trap-neuter-release program for feral cats. As for human charities I give to NAMI and Stafford House, a halfway house for the mentally ill I was once a resident at. I take the girls clothes and treats occasionally.

As for the original question, I give more in the spring and fall when my utility bills are lower. Around Christmas I'm more inclined to impulse giving, though in smaller amounts.

the rest of the year charities do direct mail solicitation.

"People acting nice when it's really just pretend but when the season ends their idiots again so really it's a trend so whatever let's spend"- Moka Only

Remembered that line when you said that, anyway I usually don't give out as much during the winter because usually I'm trying to escape from the Christmasy things so I'll avoid places where charities usually are, plus I see less homeless people so I'm more likely to forget them and forget to give. Although part of the reason is it's colder now and the city is less prepared and haven't had the time to open temperary shelters so there are more deaths this time of year from exposure