Begging & Choosing
Ok, so I get this email at work (ALLTEL) saying that employee giving to the United Way is down this year and they want to promote it more in this season of giving. They have it set up to automatically withdraw from our paychecks if we want to. I have to admit that this is the way charity should be done but not on top of already “withdrawing” a large portion of my paycheck for government programs - including charity. I was also very tempted to reply to the email and politely ask that management remember its employees in this time of giving and a few months from now when raises are being issued. With raises far below the rate of inflation and no concept of a bonus - holiday, incentive or otherwise - how do they expect to maintain or increase the level of giving?
I am also wary of the “sponsor a needy family” thing. We did that as small group a few years ago. Everyone felt all warm inside about the concept of contributing to a needy family’s holiday but once we got the list from the organization it didn’t seem so charitable anymore. What was it that would make this needy family have a merry Christmas? What life essentials did they need to make it to next year? What was it that strangers could give that the parent(s) couldn’t that would make Christmas worthwhile? Well, as stereotypical as this may sound, this is the highlite of what we read: a DVD player, some Air Jordans, and an X Box. Sorry but what has charity in America come to? Mainstream organizations actually fax out lists like this all over the country?
So in these final days before Christmas, I offer a suggestion if you are going to give to Toys For Tots or whatever. Give “Leap Frog Pads”. Give toys that will educate and improve the child’s life - reading skills, math skills, art supplies. Mindless toys and video games do nothing at best and isolate children from their families at worst. Oh, and if you know of a charity where you KNOW the donated resources are not wasted please let me know.
P.S. We ended up getting the family more practical things that every family needs from day to day. Not very exciting but what was that saying about begging and choosing?
December 21st, 2004 at 9:11 am
Dave - Last I checked, Compassion administrative costs are less then 20%. The rest goes to the children they facilitate sponsorship with.
http://www.compassion.com/contribution/whereyourmoneygoes.htm
December 21st, 2004 at 10:01 am
federal employees and the military can contribute out of their paycheck like that threw the cfc. i hear adds on the radio up here all the time for different charities giving out their cfc number and asking federal employees to mark it down
we operate a food pantry at our church and we get a variety of people looking for food. homeless men, day laborers who didn’t get a job that day, families and the occasional freeloader. but we give out food. i am suspicious of some of the people especially those with newer suvs or vans we are called to give to those who ask and that is what we do.
December 21st, 2004 at 1:52 pm
Where are we called to give to those who ask? I think of Camryn when she was younger and we asked her to get dressed and she went into a fit yelling, “I can’t! Help me.” We could’ve stopped and helped her but what would she have gained? We forced her to do it herself and she inevitably stoped crying and said, “I got dressed all by myself.”
A friend of mine was recently describing his experience working at a Toys For Tots distribution center. He said that he couldn’t afford the cars, clothes and jewelry the people had that were coming in to get free toys for their children. (Maybe he will post and go into more detail himself.) To me, that is hardly “loving” because they are using resources that REALLY could make Christmas better for someone in need.
December 21st, 2004 at 3:58 pm
i know what your friend is talking about i remember when me and lisa first got married. living in texas. i would go to the store with about 20 bucks and a cart full of ramen noodles and standing behind people on food stamps who were buying soda, chips, candy and sides of beef on their cards. i was thinking what is the use in working and being in grad school when i could just quite and get on food stamps.
i remember one night specifically when there where three of us in line one mexican family with the junk i described earlier and then a single guy and me. the mexican family paid with their texas “food” stampr card. the single guy paid with the same kind of card but bought canned soups and veggies. i had a basket of ramen noodles and a few cans of food.
but i say we are called to give to those who ask because Jesus says
“If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5.41 & .42
December 21st, 2004 at 5:13 pm
I see that person as someone stealing from the poor. Is it not more loving to that person to challenge their actions and to defend the poor? Also, is the command to “give to the one who asks” is not qualified by or in context to anything else? I am to take it at “no exception, 100%, 24/7″ face value?
December 22nd, 2004 at 9:24 am
here is the quote in its full context.
‚ÄúYou have heard that it was said, ‚ÄòEye for eye, and tooth for tooth.‚ÄôBut I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Matthew 5.38-.42
this is in the sermon on the mount and if you read verse 37 and 43 it is obvious that this is a self contained unit of teaching. the context is that of revenge, reprisal and forced labor. it is appropriate to challenge people but you are still to give as i read the verses.
i know it doesn’t sit well with our puritan american work ethic but these aren’t my words
December 22nd, 2004 at 10:35 am
So this is an absolute statement? “Give anyone whatever they ask when they ask for it — period.” Actually I don’t see what charity has to do with revenge, reprisal and forced labor.
December 23rd, 2004 at 10:22 am
i am not sure if it is 100% i’ll need to look into that
the connection is if you are to treat your enemies this way you should treat those who aren’t your enemies just as good if not better.