This is a rant. Not necessarily raving, but a rant nonetheless. The following is how I feel, and and I am by no means saying I am better than anyone else.
Every year at this time, the Government of Canada does it's United Way campaign. Now I am not a fan of this one, as I don't know where the donations actually go. How much of this is administration fees? This year, one of our units did a "stuff a truck" food bank drive. I guess they did pretty good. So there are benefits to it. However.
My issue lies not only with where the donations may or may not go, why is there an advertised need once a year? Or I suppose it could be twice a year as there is usually a food drive at Christmas. My eyes were opened a couple of years ago, when my daughters collected donations for the Mustard Seed foundation in edmonton. They collected coats, hats, mittens, and toiletries for the homeless. We were given a tour when we arrived, and part of this tour included the food bank donation pick up, where a family gets 1 bag of groceries per week. (That bag consisted of maybe 2 or 3 meals). We also saw the crap the people donate - donations that the previous owner wouldn't eat because it was old. That angers me. Why is it that it's not good enough for you, but good enough for someone less fortunate? It frustrates me to no end.
So I am not here to preach, or to make my family sound above all that. But ever since then, I pick up extra food every time I get groceries. Not a lot, like $5 - $10 worth, but we donate every week. Those less fortunate need to eat all year round, not just at specific times of the year and my little contribution each week doesn't cause me any hardship and I hope that it makes a difference, even if it's small.
I would like to encourage everyone to see if you can make a difference somehow, and in something you are passionate about. We are fortunate to have Kung Fu, each other, and the freedoms that we have. I am passionate about the charities we donate to, and my hope is that we can make a difference.
p.s. All the money from the Tiger Challenge goes to the five charities we support: The Children's Ability Fund, S.C.A.R.S., Malawi Girls, Feeding he homeless in Kathmandu, and the Simon Poultney Foundation.
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1 comment:
This is very well said. Seasonal giving is the equivalent of writing a cheque and washing your hands of the problem. That unmindful approach tends to relegate things like poverty into becoming an abstraction for those who have never faced the issue personally.
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