Care to dona...HELL, NO!!!

[LongTimeSurvivor]

Seems to be the season for charities, etc. to come out in swarms asking for your money. Mostly I ignore it, however, lately there's been a flurry of requests for donations for AIDS related efforts.

At the drug store, supermarket, sidewalk, etc. I am constantly bombarded by people hoping to convince me to give, give, give and, if I don't, they give me a "look."

Frankly I can blow off the "look" but what does get to me is constantly being bombarded with everything AIDS!!! There are times I want to look these people in the eyes and say...

"I live this every morning when I get up, take my pills and give myself a shot, I live this every evening when I take my pills and give myself my shot, I live this every three months when I have to go in to get blood drawn to check on where my t-cells and viral load have migrated. I live this when I wake up and my bed is soaked in sweat, I live this every month when I pay $200 in co-pays...so excuse me if I don't dig deep into my pocket and give you what you want."

...but I don't.

I appreciate what all these groups do...but...I am so tired of not seeming to have a "normal" moment in my daily routine where AIDS isn't somehow made a part of the deal.

Does anyone else feel this way?

[BT65]

Around here I don't get hit with aids-related donation set ups, but mostly with veteran's-related donations, and panhandlers.  I tell them all the same thing-I don't carry cash!  Even if they don't believe me, that pretty much stops the asking.  And honestly, the only cash I carry is quarters for laundry.

[J.R.E.]

Hi,

I can understand that, to some degree, I am usually for the most part a charitable person. Tough times, brings out more groups trying to collect. And these are still really tough times.

I haven't seen many "Aids" groups in this area collecting for causes. Most of the solicitation we receive for "Aids " causes,  are though the snail mail or through Email. I believe we both give generously at the  "Aids Walk" , and then several more times throughout the year.

What I have seen/witnessed, through the years, is money collected for supposedly "aids" causes, and then one reads that the money never got to the source, ... So it makes me very Leary at times to donate, unless I know where the money is going.

 ( We-Ed and I ) have our known .Org, .. that we donate to here in Pinellas County, Florida. Primarily ASAP ( Aids Service Association of Pinellas).

http://www.asapservices.org/page.aspx?pid=838

Another place, here in Pinellas County that we donate to on a regular basis is Metro Thrift, in St Petersburg, by purchasing from their store or by clothing donations. We go here quite regularly.

http://www.metrocharities.org/thriftsite/tsindex.html

If any one else wants money, I always tell them," I have my own organizations that I donate to."

The way I look at it is this way,... If I have money, I will be happy to give what I can, but it will be to where  "I"  want to donate it.

I am fortunate at this time, to get all my healthcare through the VA, So my med co-pays, are only $8.00 per med.

At 61 years of age, I am trying to figure out, if I am going to have enough money, to last me the rest of my life. In 7 months,..  ( At 62) I will start collecting Social Security. I will end my full time employment at this time. Enough is enough ! I am getting tired !
For me , this will be about $275.00 loss of income per month, then what I am making now.
We'll see how that goes ! Things are going to get tight, and I am not going to be as generous as I've been in the past.

Around here I don't get hit with aids-related donation set ups, but mostly with veteran's-related donations, and panhandlers.

This has been a problem down here with the veteran groups:

http://www.wtsp.com/investigators/article/287738/34/State-busts-veterans-charity-after-10-News-investigation


Ray

[Miss Philicia]

In downtown Philly I mostly encounter young folks with clipboards soliciting donations for Planned Parenthood (which I donated to this past year via sidewalk solicitation), PETA stuff and environmental/climate change. Most of the time I just wave them off and say I'm late for something. They're literally everywhere in the central shopping area on certain days, mostly weekends but I avoid downtown often on weekends anyway because tourists are ten times more annoying than the clipboard folks.

Frankly I can't even recall the last time someone asked for an AIDS donation in public.

[Oceanbeach]

There was a woman we called, "Excuse Me".  She would spend the day reading the New York Times while sitting on the sidewalk near the Waikiki Beach hotels.  Every day, she would ask the tourists, "Excuse me, do you have an extra one or 5 dollars?"

I gave her a one dollar bill and some change once and she gave the change back saying she only asked for a dollar.  I have seen the dying and the destitute from Madrid to L.A. and seen them get up from their pain and suffering when the work day is done.

Last year, I was invited to an AIDS Fundraiser for a hospice which does not receive federal money to care for their patients who require 24 hour nursing and none are expected to recover.  They raised over $100,000.00 that night.  I don't recall any AIDS fundraising on the street.  There are over 722,000 year round residents in the city where I live and an additional 1 million people visit every day.  I appreciate the tenacity of the nature conservancy volunteers, I don't donate but do sign petitions.     Have the best day
Michael

[deibster]

Hi LTS and friends,
What I hate, is that after I gave to 2 charities, I got requests from 20 more. I wish I knew which one sold my info. I give to my ASO, my pet shelter, to the HRC, ACLU & Democratic party. This last one, because we have had extremely expensive Senate campaigns here in MA. We're in the midst of another one now to replace Secretary of State John Kerry.

The other charities, I have no problem telling them, I'm retired or I'm disabled, Leave Me Alone.
Hugs, Deiby

[pozniceguy]

personally I  dont give to  any  street  solicitors.....  before I will even consider giving I  want to  check their  status    see  How  much  they actually  give to the  cause  they are  collecting for   .... I have a few  Veterans  groups I  support  and even tho  one of them spend an inordinate amount of money on solicitation  nearly  35%  of  total    the work they do is  excellent   and the  staff is primarily volunteer ...have  found a few "charities" that  actually spend 90%  on administration (  re:  salaries and  rent )    so be  aware  of  who and  what they are  doing with the  money before  you give ......

Nick

PS   the  reason you get  a  rush of other  solicitations is  that one of the ways  the  groups  make  money  is to  sell a  "hot list"  of  givers  to other groups  I  coded  my  donation  and  found that the  Political  are the  worst  one  donation to  a local  congressman  generated  6  request  from similar  groups  local  state  and national

[harleymc]

I do all my donations via monthly deductions from bank account, mix of charitites and causes not all HIV related.