<p>We also donate through organized programs. Also, my DH’s war veterans chapter puts on an annual holiday party for veterans in a nursing home in a relatively rural part of the state. We held the event (bingo games with small cash prizes; a big bag of gifts including hats, shirts, toiletries and food items and visiting the residents on the wards that could not get down to the social hall) last Sunday. It is sad, but very rewarding. One guy named Fred was flirting, and when I pointed out my DH at one point in the conversation, he replied " well, I guess everybody has their problems". It was very funny!</p>
<p>I am happy to give money, but giving of my time, visiting people who otherwise have few if any visitors and making their holiday a little less lonely was very rewarding for all.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recognize an LV bag if one dropped on my head- but I had seen leatherette bags with initials stamped all over them at local discount stores.</p>
<p>JYM my guitar teacher & the members of his band visit a veterans home regularly. THey have great stories about comparing their tattoos!</p>
<p>If they wanted repair & other bills, we could have told them about having to remove 3 large trees because they were bad for the health of our kids (true)–had a 4 figure bill for that. Also had a huge bill for our car–replacing the head gasket was another mid-range 4 figure bill. Also had to replace our dishwasher. We aren’t giving either of our kids something for which we still owe another $200+ on layaway. It’s appropriate to scale back if there are a lot of expenses.</p>
<p>I know people want to be helpful, but suspect these layaway payoffs may divert money that would otherwise go to established organizations who are helping vetted, deserving folks through systematic, organized programs instead of whomever decided to have a layaway account. There are so many non-profits closing because they can’t get funding–who will provide the services they do when they are gone?</p>
<p>Our only transplant hospital in the state is closing its doors for good after a failed bankruptcy and being unable to find buyers. It has too many medicaid patients and not enough revenue. VERY SAD and also life endangering to those who had expected to get transplants to be told they can’t have them now. The nearest centers are now in CA, a 5-6 hour flight away.</p>
<p>Summary - An NPR listener was rear ended and had small bumper scratches. The other driver gave her contact info. The estimate was $700, which was ridiculous to her. So she suggested he just make a donation of his choice (even if only $20) to Denver Rescue Mission. He ended up donating $500… enough for 250 Christmas dinners ;)</p>
<p>Coats and warm cloting are really essentials, but $68K is a LOT of money! That’s a lot in layaways! Wonder how many people that translates to helping?</p>
<p>So that sounds like it translates to a bit over $80/person which sounds like a decent amount and better to me than $200+ in toys and/or electronic on a layaway elsewhere. Sounds like a lot more folks will be warmer this winter in Philly. </p>
<p>It is important to feel that your donations/money will be wisely spent.</p>
<p>I have a hard time judging what other people have on their christmas lists, but we have had christmas’s where we had to take back the kids toys from grandparents so that we could buy groceries. ( not all their toys- just the uber expensive ones & grandparents were ticked- but hello? isn’t eating more important than Teddy Ruxpin?)</p>
<p>Hard to understand grandparents who would give grandkids who were having a hard time getting enough to EAT luxury toys rather than helping mom &/or dad with grocery gift card. I guess it makes them feel good to think they’re giving the grandkids “the best” and not concerned or ignoring the realities of the situation grandkids live in?!?!</p>
<p>This was when the company that employed h was all but shut down & we were making ends meet with odd jobs. ( he couldn’t get hired because every company where he interviewed said"as soon as the shipyards gets work then you will be gone" the shipyard didn’t get work for years after & he never went back)</p>
<p>His parents were pretty oblivious to need, they saw a line of people at the food bank & were mystified what they were doing there.</p>
<p>Our food banks are scrambling–the need is exploding. I believe 1 in 2 or so of the kids at our public schools are on free or reduced lunch, which is perhaps one of the few nourishing meals the kid is guaranteed to get IF the kid shows up at school. </p>
<p>"The Hawaii Foodbank network serves over 183,000 people in the state who need food assistance, that’s 39% more from 4 years ago.</p>
<p>“That’s basically over 14% of our state population or 1 in 7 people,” says Kaya.</p>
<p>Statistics, that don’t show signs of decreasing."</p>
<p>These numbers are very scary to me–one in seven of our state’s people needing assistance with food! It doesn’t help that the cost of housing here is the highest in the nation as well.</p>