Please share your donation strategy/plans for 2012....

[hollyquaiscer]

Thanks you so much, this is exactly the kind of advice I am looking for! I'm going to talk to my sons teacher and see if there's anything I can do. I'm SO new at this so I'm sure I'll have more questions along the way

Any time, I just love to see so many wonderful people on here that can take so very few dollars and really change the life of another person. It is great to read all the fabulous ideas that everyone has. And just like in anything else, as Patty says, be careful, there are always bad apples out there that like to spoil it. I think we had a could example of that from tantum

[TeriB]

Referring to Tantum's experience, it seems that there are some people who are professional charity cases. I don't mean people who have chronic illness or some other legitimate reason for low income - I mean healthy, relatively intelligent people who have decided to use their intelligence and personal resources to take advantage of whatever is on offer, from whoever will offer, rather than sucking it up and making their own way.

They appear to have no ethical issue with this at all, and usually feel entitled to gifts and goodies. I guess we can't put people in stocks anymore and throw things at them, but that's what I feel like we should do with people who sell charitable gifts online and go to Disneyland on the proceeds.

[Mia001]

my 'things' donations goes to the people from the story where dad lived at the Home Care

[DianneS]

Tonight I received a 'heads up' from a friend/pastor whose congregation is sponsoring a refugee family who is due to arrive in metro Vancouver (from a camp in Syria) in the next few months. I had been asking if there is some way I could help her as she helps people in need. She shared that the family has been in a refugee camp for the last year and a half awaiting resettlement and during that time one of their children died. She is hopeful the family will arrive here soon and in good health. They will, of course, need lots of support when they arrive as they will live on a very limited income. So....if anyone is looking for a donation recipient who truly needs help, this is an idea you may want to consider for a refugee family in your community.

[Tantum]

Well sticking with my plan of NOT donating to individuals this year & rather going with charities... and with all your encouragements to not stop donating all together, my son came to me and mentioned that his teacher was telling the students that she would love to have a day a month where she would read them stories while the kids sipped hot chocolate. So he asked if he could bring in some hot chocolate to help out.

I emailed his teacher, and asked if this was true (my son has a habit of embellishing the truth at times) and she said yes they were looking to do this along with the other grade 4 class, which my daughter is in.

Since I have banana boxes full of hot cocoa, I offered to bring by enough to do the classes for the season... hubby dropped by 2 boxes the next morn... today I received the most thoughtfull thank you card from the 2 teachers.

Glad I've gotten on the giving train again... I love the feeling that comes from donating, I've missed it!!

[sheetsofemptycanvas]

Well sticking with my plan of NOT donating to individuals this year & rather going with charities... and with all your encouragements to not stop donating all together, my son came to me and mentioned that his teacher was telling the students that she would love to have a day a month where she would read them stories while the kids sipped hot chocolate. So he asked if he could bring in some hot chocolate to help out.

I emailed his teacher, and asked if this was true (my son has a habit of embellishing the truth at times) and she said yes they were looking to do this along with the other grade 4 class, which my daughter is in.

Since I have banana boxes full of hot cocoa, I offered to bring by enough to do the classes for the season... hubby dropped by 2 boxes the next morn... today I received the most thoughtfull thank you card from the 2 teachers.

Glad I've gotten on the giving train again... I love the feeling that comes from donating, I've missed it!!

That's fantastic! It always feels good to give and I'll bet the kids loved it!

So far, I've almost filled a big box with food- I'll be adding to it today and possibly dropping it off at the food bank on monday

[hollyquaiscer]

I have a great start to my first families donation. Have several bags and a large box of canned and box food together.

I will be making my first trip to the bottle depost in a couple of weeks, have small plastic bags made up with a few personal items and bottled water and warm socks. I am crocheting some warm hats as the snow is comming soon. Can't wait to do my first delivery.