Solicitations for Charitiable Giving

Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of givin' to charity, as long as I get to choose when and where to give. No kill animal shelters, Salvation Army, UNICEF, my church are a part of my charitiable inclinations.

I don't, as a rule, support panhandlers. The ones on the side of the road with their signs askin' for help. Not because I don't care; but because some of 'em scam. That's what Salvation Army is for. They help the homeless, amongst others.

The reason for this particular postin' about charitable givin' and solicitations comes from spendin' part of the weekend at me Da's. He's a 27 yr prostate cancer survivor, and just can't wade through the volumes of mail he gets on a daily basis. He was also needin' help with gettin' financial paperwork in order. What it takes him an hour to sort through, yours truly could sort through in a few minutes.

I got pretty pissed off over the number of charitiable givin' solicitations he receives, from many different solicitors. Whether based on his bein' a retired pastor, or due to his political beliefs, he and my step - mother (who has been in a nursin' home due to Atlzheimer's since 2007, for cryin' out loud!) are innundated with requests for money for this or that. I once took a whole bunch of unopened solicitations back to the post office with 'REMOVE FROM MAILING LIST' written in big black letters on 'em, and that didn't stem the tide. The damn things continued to come.

The problem is that with some of these things, once you contribute some money, they put you on a mailin' list and send you requests on a frequent basis. Not just requests, and this is what got me pissed. They send address labels, date books, calendars, return postage, calculators, magnifying glasses, mirrors, bookmarks, stickers, and all manner of JUNK to make you feel like you need to contribute in exchange for the drek.

They even send money, dimes, nickles (I made a full dollar just from this weekend!) and sometimes even quarters. They send blankets, rugs, personalized notepads and certificates of appreciation. And they ask for more money to support their cause.

I found myself wondering just how much $$$ is tied up in these solicitations and guilt inducing pieces of stuff that they send. How much of that $$$ could be turned back into the charity? And why send requests for support so fuckin' frequent? When does charity change from bein' a gift to bein' a balm for guilt?

So, I wound up takin' a samplin' of all those extra solicitations - religious, political, etc. - and wrote the same message of 'REMOVE FROM MAILING LIST' and 'RETURN TO SENDER'. Dropped 'em in the mailbox in his Southern Indiana town on my way home yesterday. It won't stem the tide, but it sure as Hell made me feel better.

To the religious groups (television ministers especially), political organizations, and the like, he'll give you what he can,when he can, when he is ready to do so. Sendin' him all that shit is NOT necessary. Fact is, if I had any say, I'd tell him to shred the lot of the stuff and remove all y'all from his givin' list. He won't do it though.

More's the pity, because the useless shit will just keep accumulating. He's 84, and he's tired and weak. Lay off, assholes. Put that money you're spendin' on guilt back into the charity itself. It might do more good than you think.

And before all y'all readers jump my ass for bein' anti charity, I'm not anti - charity. I give, when I'm ready, willin' and able, to what I want to give to. Usually in person, so that I don't get on a fuckin' useless mailin' list.

Wish Daddy could do the same.

So shoot me.