Baby Snooks - you do offend because you do not know what you are talking about.  We charge .16 per mile for a delivery fee, much much less than the IRS going rate of 55.8 cents per mile.  We do not charge by the pound for food we deliver.  Most large food banks are members of Feeding America and they are intensely scrutinized by both FA and auditors.  Please do not encourage readers not to give to large food banks.  We are the ones supplying small pantries with most of what they can give to those who are hungry.  Without us, most little pantries would have to rely on what they can collect from their community.  In communities where the major employer has closed its doors, the economy is devastated.  There are not many left who can make a contribution.  The food bank system works in this country.  Yes, like anything else, I’m sure that there are exceptions, but please do not judge the rest of us by a very small few.  Each charity may have had one scandal or rotten apple.  Does that mean that you should stop supporting them? (United Way, Red Cross, St. Judes to name some big ones)  Fighting ignorance and prejudice like this makes it so hard to feed people and to work the 50+ hours per week that we do, driving up in our 10 year old vehicles.  GRRRR.

Most of them, yes. I’m involved in one organization that hand-makes clothes, blankets, toys, etc. for needy families. I’m an active member, buy most of my own materials (although I do use some of the stuff purchased by our "budget" [all donations, and money raised in fundraisers]). I work to make the fundraisers a success [me and lots of other ladies], I host and manage the website at my own cost to save the group money, and advertise our programs as much as possible. We’re involved with many local charities and groups, and work especially hard during the holidays to provide gifts for families in our state (the gifts range from the very practical [kitchen items, blankets, hats, mittens & gloves, coats, etc.] to fun things for the kids [Barbies & glamorous outfits, stuffed animals, etc.] and pets). Plus we work with local nursing homes, schools, humane societies, etc., to provide them with what they need.

I also donate to animal shelters…but only ones that I know are doing a good job and saving animals. 

Yes.  I donate old clothes so I can write them off my taxes.  It makes a big difference to me.  And I write a check directly to my volunteer fire department.  As far as solicited charities over the phone - first thing I ask "How much of the donation actually goes to the charity in question?"  On a good day I’m told %20.  I’ve heard a few that were only %8.  Then I speak to the manager and ask to be removed immediately from their dialing list.  If they tell me it takes 30 / 60 / 90 days to be removed, I tell them the Judge Advocate of the Attorney General of the State of Virginia says that is a crock of fertilizer and if I hear from them again they can write me a check for $150 for each occurrence for being in violation of the law.  Amazingly, I never hear from them again.

We are in the here and now.

Analyzing and discussing what happened 10 years ago is not being productive. I have spent the last three months knitting hats and shawls which I will take to the shelter with me together with my mom’s delicious soup which I have been cooking for the last two mornings. Since I am cash poor, that’s the least I can do……It breaks my heart to see children suffer.

We can discuss and debate all day the past, the scandals, the ineffectiveness or effectiveness of large charities. For what? I think a portion of this discussion has devolved into argument for the sake of argument and by and large it is irrelivant…and not helpful in the least. If a decade-old scandal has imbittered you towards a particular agency, or if you feel a large agency is ineffective due to administrative overhead, or if you just don’t like to donate to a particular agency or type of agency…don’t. 

There are plenty of opportunities for charity available locally…for all of us.

Here’s my story:  Once upon a time, I was a malnourished 95 lb. 17-year-old girl living in a one-room slum. I lived in a state where I knew no one other than the older, abusive man I had gotten into this siutation with. I often went 2 or 3 days with nothing but water and a slice or two of bread. I was unhealthy, my clothes ragged and ill-fitting, and I looked like a walking skeleton. Needless to say, I had a hard time finding a job and had mostly given up anyway. One day someone directed me to a local "soup kitchen", I guess you would call it. Ah, that place! It was like no soup kitchen I had ever seen or heard of. Local groups, businesses, clubs, churches, etc. would pick a day to come and they would supply the food they would serve themselves. I recall once in particular an Indian family had volunteered. The food they cooked was abundant and more delicious than any I have tasted in an Indian restaurant since then. It was this way every day. The portions were large, there was plenty of variety, wonderful desserts, and sometimes - soft drinks! You can not imagine how delightful a Coca-Cola is until you have had nothing more than water or weak tea for months. The best part was the community environment . No one ever made me feel ashamed to be there and we all ate together  - even the volunteers. Unless you have personally gone without food, unless you have felt the pain of hunger so often that you have gotten used to eating only a few times per week, you can not imagine the effect of a good, hot meal. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well! A volunteer there told me about a local food pantry. I went, and found that they also donated clothing. The whole place was set up like a little store. i was allowed to go through, choose my own food,  look through the racks of clothes, and pick whatever I wanted. Nice clothes and shoes, as well.

Within a week I had a job! All it took was a few decent meals, some nice well-fitting clean clothes, and a pair of shoes I could work in.  It wasn’t just my appearance that had improved, you see (although it helped that I did not look like I had climbed out of a coffin). The situation I had gitten myself into had almost completely broken me. I felt hopeless, helpless, and had lost faith in people completely. Those volunteers at the soup kitchen and at the food pantry changed that. So, I had a job. Shortly thereafter, I was able to move into a decent apartment. The rest is history as they say.

Now I am a happy wife and mother of three beautiful children.  From the beginning, my children have been taught to help anyone in any way that they are able. We have donated toys to Toys for Tots each Christmas, picked "angels" from the Angel Tree, donated food to both food banks and to a local food pantry, donated coats, or simply given outgrown clothes and shoes to families we know could use them. This year times are hard for us (as they are for many) and we may not be able to buy toys to donate or give money, but we will certainly be serving food at a "soup kitchen" and donating our outgrown winter coats and making blankets for Linus.  

These are ways in which we can all help and see the difference we make. It may not seem like much, and you may not be able to "write it off" in your taxes, but you can not imagine the impact that a hot meal and a few kind words can make in someone’s life.