Secret Santas, Toys for Tots etc

[CoolBreeze]

At the risk of being branded a Scrooge, or worse.. I must say the following:

I've watched the progression of small personal charities grow from 1 or 2, to many over the last 25 years at Christmas. Our firehouses were almost filled to the ceiling with toys at one time. Add the Salvation Army, The Marines "Toys for tots", and about a dozen other organizations collecting for toys, and the numbers become astounding. That doesn't even BEGIN to count the thousands of churches that collect toys and food baskets in every neighborhood. My family's little church has done this for 50 years, LONG before it became popular. I'm sure many others did also.

I simply find it hard to believe that this many toys are actually needed. More importantly, I cannot believe that ANY mother or father cant afford to spend ten lousy dollars on a toy for a kid. Seriously, the homeless bums on the damned street can come up with $10 in a few hours if they have to. There is NO reason that I can think of where a parent cant afford a toy, especially at the low Chinese prices we've seen lately.

Here's what I think: This has become such a "given", that people who COULD afford a few toys simply buy lottery tickets with that money while they wait for charities to knock at their door. I'm not saying that there's not a few legitimate needs out there.... I'm just saying that the more you give, the more they expect, and I don't for a minute believe in THIS kind of REAL need.

[Hoosier Daddy]

You're on a roll for posting stuff today ...

[CoolBreeze]

I wondered if anyone would actually notice.

[Jet Black]

I used to know a woman that was in charge of handing out holiday food baskets to demonstrably needy people on behalf of a local medical institution. She dreaded that duty - when the that time of year rolled around, she would start getting calls from people DEMANDING baskets for themselves, many of whom had a dubious need. She said even the least offensive people she dealt with were very rude and ungrateful.

I would do anything I could for people who need. But it often seems to me that anyone who seeks out charity for themselves often do not really need it.

I remember a local story from a few years back, they found out the husband and wife who ran the local Salvation Army had skimmed charity money for years, as I recall, numbers into the thousands of dollars. Hard to give to charity when you don't trust the institutions.

[fearpeddler]

hell, if sears hadn't revived the once dead lay-away program last year my kid wouldnt have gotten much from us if anything at all, My paychecks are usually totally gone withing 6 days of recieving them... (damn multi million dollar companies demand college educations but only pay a little over fast food wages...), luck has it though he has 4 sets of grandparents who all try to win his love via their wallets.....

[fearpeddler]

hell, if sears hadn't revived the once dead lay-away program last year my kid wouldnt have gotten much from us if anything at all, My paychecks are usually totally gone withing 6 days of recieving them... (damn multi million dollar companies demand college educations but only pay a little over fast food wages...), luck has it though he has 4 sets of grandparents who all try to win his love via their wallets.....


On top of that jerry, I can tell you first hand, if you actually NEED assistance from any state agency, and you work, you won't get any other than "sounds like you need to find a new job".....

[Big Media]

Well said, fear. This year, the Big Media household took full advantage of the Sears and K Mart (shudder) layaway. I hate K Mart with a passion but their layaway is one reason I will shop there on occasion. Oddly, they had some really good toy bargains this year even when compared to Wal-Mart.

[CoolBreeze]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- They may have flashy bikes and leather jackets, but one group of bikers also have big hearts. Dozens of bikers took part in Dagger's 23rd Annual Motorcycle Toy Run Saturday.

This story (like most) runs year after year. It's a way to soften the image of bikers and their clubs, not to mention recruit.

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- School bus drivers are asking the public to help fill their buses, not with students, but gifts. Bus drivers and maintenance workers for Kanawha County schools are collecting toys for their "Fill the Bus" campaign.

They are using MY tax dollars, driving MY bus to gather toys. OK, there are about 26 thousand kids in Kanawaha County schools including pre-school. So a good estimate might be about 13 thousand kids of "Christmas presents age". My guestimate of legitimate need is about 1 to 2 thousand kids tops. Like I stated earlier, between all the charities and the churches etc... there HAS to be twice as many toys as there are kids needing them. There are organizations calling people's homes for money, so THEY can buy toys.

Once again, Americans go too far when trying to do anything good, and while that's THEIR business, somehow us innocent bystanders always wind-up in their cross-hairs.