Red Cross wasting money

[Bobo]

Today I received an envelope from the finnish red cross, with a fancy card inside thanking me for my donations during the tsunami disaster. I do appreciate their move, but sending cards like that... printing them and mailing them... what a waste of money! And what are they thanking me of? Carrying out my duty as a person from the rich part of the world? No need to thank me for donating much less than I could have donated. There were loads of talk about what good every coin will do there, and still they're wasting money on fancy thank You -cards?! Not a big deal really, but I do find this to be a bit weird.

[Godma]

The best people to get donations from are people who have given them before. That's a simple fact of charities and how they work.

Consider that card as much a thank you as it was a reminder.

[Bobo]

Very true... maybe they're getting more donations that way? Well, I just might donate some more to pay for the card then. :mrgreen

[Thought Pro]

Of course, it's just a small marketing expense.

[Bobo]

Yes, it makes sense now. Maybe it's time for me to go to sleep now, it's pretty late here and my brain isn't working anymore.

[wern]

The best people to get donations from are people who have given them before. That's a simple fact of charities and how they work.

Consider that card as much a thank you as it was a reminder.

That's exactly what they do. WOnce you have given a donation they enter you into a database and you get hassled by many other charities. Charities are businesses. Proper organizations with directors and Members Boards etc. It is a multi billion dollar industry

[hugh g rection]

Next time check out how much of your gift actually gets used. Much of your gift in a lot of cases sometimes up to 40 percent, goes to processing and other fees. Some of these so called charities are extremely dishonest.

[Bobo]

Well, I had another look into the envelope... I was a bit confused yesterday because at first I saw only the "Thank You" -card, but not very surprisingly there was another note asking for more... didn't notice it at first. It would have been a bit weird if they'd have posted only the card.

[Ed]

Nevertheless, Red Cross would be one of the better charities to support if you were concerned about crooked and wasteful charities.

[Bobo]

Very true, and I do trust them to be ok. I wouldn't give money to just anything... they must have some proof of a working system, and Red Cross definately does work.

[soserious]

it troubles me that charity is synonymous with goodness and righteousness.
it can make people blind,
go up to 100 people and wave a bucket asking for change for "charity" if theyre busy and distracted enough theyll just give without questions, if theyre smart theyll ask "what charity?" then tell them its for a charity to arm yourself with elastic bands to flick to them and see how fast they walk away pissed off. :lol:

ss

[Bobo]

I always choose my charity knowing it goes to where it's really needed. There are people here in Finland who think one shouldn't give money abroad as long as there is homeless people and hunger here in Finland. I have seen those so called "poor people" here, and they look really pathetic talking about being poor while drinking beer and carrying loads of excess fat around. Nobody needs to live under a bridge here in Finland, everyone gets enough free money to survive if they're not able or are too lazy to work for it.

[Ed]

I completely agree. The official level of "poverty" in Canada is something like an annual income of $15 000 Cdn. People in the poorest countries live on $90. In rich countries, we are all waddling around like fat cows (at least we have big dicks :D )

[Bobo]

The people in real need are here on this same planet, but when comparing our way of living to theirs, they could as well be on another planet or even another galaxy. That's why most of western people don't even realize the real state of our planet, and they may even think they're poor while they actually have more money than 90% of the population on this planet.

[soserious]

I completely agree. The official level of "poverty" in Canada is something like an annual income of $15 000 Cdn. People in the poorest countries live on $90. In rich countries, we are all waddling around like fat cows (at least we have big dicks :D )

yeah but its not about money perse.
it still costs "well off" people to survive.
it costs more than what "poor people" get a year for "well off people" to pay for their tv license.
its all relative, which is why we have a "poverty line".
its not fair to make out like all well off people are bad and all poor are good.
both can have horrible shitty lives with hardships and stress that can kill them both.

same shit different manifestation.

[Bobo]

I know what You mean, SS. But, poor people often stress out on their situation because they're not pleased only to have an apartment and enough food, they want the same things as the working part of the population... in poor countries people are pleased to get enough food, and in western countries people want much more... they need to have TV, a trip abroad every year... a car... they want much more than they need. The problems in their lives form in their heads, and things that aren't really problems became problems in their heads.

[soserious]

The people in real need are here on this same planet, but when comparing our way of living to theirs, they could as well be on another planet or even another galaxy. That's why most of western people don't even realize the real state of our planet, and they may even think they're poor while they actually have more money than 90% of the population on this planet.


what REAL good is money when many people dont even understand who or what they really are doing?
we got too much weird shit in this world-and were making it happen.
i hear somuch about the "western world" im from the western world, but we have suffered much too, what about japan? theyre a MAJOR economy and theyre from the east. my ancestors were worked to death as hard as the next mans, living in abject poverty, children worked to death in fields and workhouses. of MY people, western people, thweyv were nether rich, nor fat nor lazy. but they suffered.

we were slaves too, romans ect.

things went downhil with the introduction of a monetary system.
trade made more sense.
and whats this crap everyones talking about with fairness? there is no fairness, only luck and youre own hard work.

i would be classed as someone lazy, who doesnt want to work*

truth is i DO want to work. but this society depresses and angers me.
maybe i`ll be one of those crazy guys ho walks the streets talking to himself and cussing incoherently at everything.
maybe i`ll just slip away quietly one day back to nothingness,
maybe i`ll pull through and do some productive stuff with my life.

im 24 nearly and ive wasted nearly a quarter of a century, did i enjoy it? no
do i see a way out? no

its easy to be judgeful of others, but unless youre them its no-ones place to.

i dunno
:cry:

[soserious]

I know what You mean, SS. But, poor people often stress out on their situation because they're not pleased only to have an apartment and enough food, they want the same things as the working part of the population... in poor countries people are pleased to get enough food, and in western countries people want much more... they need to have TV, a trip abroad every year... a car... they want much more than they need. The problems in their lives form in their heads, and things that aren't really problems became problems in their heads.


yes i know this.
my family and i are not "poor" but compared to my PEERS my family was one of the poorest and i have the least of them still apart from maybe one or two.
im not part of the culture tha goes on holidays everyyear. ive never been "on holiday".
it costs to live in the system and if you dont have money you become like an outcast.
and god help yuo if youre homeless.. youre looked on like some kind of scum (no, im *lucky* enough to have always had a roof over my head.) although the council did try to make me homeless :x

we know that much of society in much of the world is "ill" social sickness.

[Bobo]

SS, You have so much to be proud of: You're a deep thinker. That's one of the reasons why some of us suffer more: understanding this world... thinking, may be our worst enemy. You shouldn't be so depressed, SS. I know, easy for me to say... but I've seen that money doesn't make people any more happy either, so don't waste time thinking happiness would be there. Happiness is something totally different, it doesn't depend on the amount of money we have. I wish I could help You, SS, but I can't see how... all I see is the amazing amount of energy in You, You'll just have to find a way to harness it.

[soserious]

thankyou Bobo.
but i feel in all likeliness im a stupid waste of space.
if nothing else some might call me a "no hoper".

but yes,m i do crave to be part of something, something i can believe in. id be the best i could be at whatever it would be.
but im not a salesman type, nor am i interested in working for corporations: big or small.

im searching but im too lazy to actually search.

i feel like, i feel like theres something im meant to be doing, something with relevance. but its not something i can guess at, my fear is that i`ll never find it or realise it or that when i do itll be too late. im 23 nearly 24, anive done practically NOTHING with my life, no career, no studies, no long term gf, no plan, no nothing. but an emptyness, and a searching.

*hugs Bobo* :cry:

[Bobo]

thankyou Bobo.
but i feel in all likeliness im a stupid waste of space.
No, You're absolutely not. You're something so special You have the ability to reflect Your personality through the internet... all I see from You is some text on my screen, but already I feel like I've known You for ages.

If You don't want to work for any corporations but You want to make something of Yourself, get involved in some charity work. Volunteer for something good, do it for free... just to spend some time, and more importantly: make Yourself important.