Grocery store charity

Hemifear · 11-11-2007, 07:58 PM

I went to the store today and I walk inside to see two dudes [looking very much like used car salesman] looking at me. I see a table next to them that says "Childrens Miracle network" or whatever.

They begin the speech "sir we're giving out free $20 gift certificates..."

I cut him short and said "no thanks man"

He kind of looked at me like "but what about the poor children?"

I love giving to charities, especially for children etc. But i can't STAND the ones that try to guilt you into it or ones that are handled by used car salesman types.

The grocery stores will also ask you right in front of everyone in line....."do you want to donate a dollar to....". Then I feel like an arse saying NO. So half the time I do it.

I love the salvation army with their pales and the person ringing the bell.....no words...just standing there fighting off the cold weather.

Ski01xj · 11-11-2007, 08:16 PM

I usually give to Veterans for that reason. They're not obnoxious. Its just a guy who sets up a table outside our local supermarket and wears his hat with all the pins on it with his rank and branch and all that. Either that or the "one dollar" deal where they add it on to my total at the register and your put your name on a shoe or balloon or something.

**Haik** · 11-12-2007, 05:17 AM

money for value. I risk my life for my money, unless I'm exchanging it for value, I'm not interested and whomever asks me for a handout gets a short, heated speach on where I go to earn what I have.

**rustywrangler** · 11-12-2007, 05:22 AM

I hate those "greeter type" table setups as well. I prefer to give around Xmas when the local national guard teams up with a local grocery chain and just has a gift bin to drop a wrapped toy into and you just put the age on.

I also give every once in a while to that dollar thing at the register.

**Haik** · 11-12-2007, 05:37 AM

just last month, these two Gr.5 girls came by the house trying to sell magazine subscriptions so they could raise money for some class trip they wanted to go on.

I bought 3: Men's Health, JP, and Four Wheeler.

Money for value

yamar18 · 11-12-2007, 07:04 AM

A lot of those magazine sales are total scams. Usually they are 17-21 year olds. They'll take your check to a dude in a van who will process it immediately and the magazines never come. The kids are basically brainwashed. They travel across the country scamming folks. I call the police if I see them in my neighborhood.

I have "no soliciting" posted on my porch and I still get people trying to get me to donate to whatever.

I had a beggar at a street corner near my house get all pissed at me the other day because I didn't give him money. He said WTF, while looking over my Jeep.

Oh, and those "would you like to donate $$ to xyz" at the grocery checkout are sleezy. I got in an argument with another shopper who was in line behind me and giving me a hard time for not donating. BS, I was out of a job at the time, and who is she to tell me who and when to donate.

ksgrands · 11-12-2007, 07:17 AM

I have no guilt trips. I usually blow them off, politely at first. I have my favorite charities where I know where the money's going, thats that, period, end of story. I'm a Firefighter by trade. I've been getting a bunch of calls and have been giving donations to local firefighter and police "causes", but they're using outside soliciters now, and they're getting quite annoying, because they get a fee. Well, I'm done with them.

XJ2Timer · 11-12-2007, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemifear

I went to the store today and I walk inside to see two dudes [looking very much like used car salesman] looking at me. I see a table next to them that says "Childrens Miracle network" or whatever.

The Children's Miracle Network does good things. Really helps families find and afford medical care for their kids with serious illnesses. But that doesn't mean that all of the people working to collect donations for it are going to be nice.

**ionakana** · 11-12-2007, 08:03 AM

I usually only give to the Shriners who are out on the side of the road. The childrens hospital they support really helped my friends little boy who is really sick. I'll give to others on occasion but I give to the Shriners everytime I see them.

jzmtl · 11-12-2007, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ski01xj

I usually give to Veterans for that reason. They're not obnoxious. Its just a guy who sets up a table outside our local supermarket and wears his hat with all the pins on it with his rank and branch and all that.

That's the only one I donate to. I absolutely hate all the guilt trip types, especially the ones with little kids bag your grocery for you, then with a donation jar next to them. If I see a grocery store does that crap I will turn back and go to another.

Except when they are high school girls, I like those.

XJ2Timer · 11-12-2007, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ionakana

I usually only give to the Shriners who are out on the side of the road. The childrens hospital they support really helped my friends little boy who is really sick. I'll give to others on occasion but I give to the Shriners everytime I see them.

I saw a commercial just the other day that talked about how the Shriners help kids with orthopedic and spine problems. Then I thought about how fast the Shriners drive their go carts in the local 4th of July parade and how one of these days one of them is going to lose control and hit some kids in the crowd. At least they can then help the injured kids with their spine and orthopedic problems.

I'm not knocking the good work they do but the ones on the go carts are arrogant idiots.