READ THIS RIGHT NOW
 

I dont often do this sort of thing, and I'm assuming that no one ever reads the sticky posts, but here goes.

Right now there are 199 (38 members & 161 guests) people reading the Canada forum.

If every one of those donated just a paltry $20 to the Westfalia Orphanage that BE has taken to its hearts this year, that would be nearly $4000 that would make a huge difference to the lives of these kids.

Now $4k may not be much in the great universal scheme of things, in fact apparently it may not even be some of your monthly grocery budgets:), but in Peru it goes a long way.

Dont be a Grinch, click on the link to find out more and donate some loose change! It takes only a minute.


http://westfaliaorphanage.chipin.com...alia-orphanage
http://britishexpats.com/blogs/sue/8...mas+Cheer.html

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OK, I read it.

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And is your heart two sizes too small...

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Done!

I will share this with my children too. We have been talking about the importance of remembering to think of others who have so little; in the hope that it brings a little perspective to this commercial madness they call the holidays! :blink:

What a perfect example... and a very worthwhile cause... I will keep my fingers crossed that they meet their target! :fingerscrossed:

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Done and thanks for the reminder.

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I would love to be able to donate to every charity that asked me for money, but it's just not feasible. I am sponsoring a family (as I do every year) through the local food bank over the Christmas period. That's my bit :)

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And i'm just a selfish bitch.

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Ive got three kids of my own to look after.

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We already donate to charity. We pick who we want to give to.

And what's with these chocolate bars? I bought one from my neighbour's kid recently and made the mistake of eating it. I almost threw up.

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First time ever dbd has absorbed critisim so quietly on here and didnt say anything in defence. But I'm sure it wont last long :p

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Is it not enough that the schools sponsor a family you have to donate to and then whatever club your kid is affiliated to decides to adopt a family that you have to donate to and then the RCMP do a collection on one of the major roads in town that you have to stop and donate to, then there are the STARS people everywhere trying to sell you a flipping expensive calendar and then there are women's shelter Poinsetta's and then those awful adverts on the telly about how it costs as little as a dollar a day to keep this kid alive - well stop spending advertising dollars then and keep a few more kids alive.

Yes we are all very lucky, we have far more than we need, but let us choose our charities. I will be helping to sponsor two families, I donated to the RCMP thingy and I will be taking dog food to the SPCA shortly as Henrys' tag is up for renewal, AND it's the most expensive time of the year as it is!:frown:

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There are a couple of charities around here that do intersection collections. They appear to be allowed to partially block the road, forcing people to stop. That is just plain wrong.

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I agree, it's just more guilt tripping, just like the Salvation Army folk, jangling their bells as loud as they can just as you walk past:lol:

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Slightly off-topic here. My local IGA runs a promotion every weekend. For every $70 or multiples thereof, you get a freebie. It's different every week. Many people put it into the Food Bank box on the way out. This is fine for non-perishable foodstuffs but last weekend's freebie was odd. What is the Food Bank going to do with several hundred rolls of Xmas wrapping paper?

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Does the Food Bank do booze?

I can imagine that poor families would really appreciate the luxury of a bottle of wine at Christmas. Or do the people who run the Food Bank sit in judgement too...?

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There's no direct comment one can make without contravening the site rules. This is the United Way approach to fundraising but, at least, it's not in the workplace.

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I somehow doubt it. Finding out what they do want takes seconds. My shopping cart this weeked will include more than the normal quantities of pasta, rice, peanut butter, juice boxes and the like.

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We've donated way more to charity ( both monetary and volunteering hours) this year since arriving in Canada, to name just a few:

Food bank- lots of donations through schools and local events
Local Kid who is sick- school fundraising
Bottle Drives for numerous local kids' hockey teams
School fundraising events
Adopt a family
Ponsettia last week at school event (Can't stand them and it's dead already)
Daughter helps out at local soup kitchen
School volunteering

You have to draw the line somewhere.

I still feel guilty saying I don't want to donate $2 to a charity this week at numerous stores in town.

On Sunday morning I felt awful at telling 3 wee boys from a local hockey team, standing on our doorstep, that I had just taken my bottles to the Depot. I had 4 enormous bags sat in the garage at least $30 worth.:o

Think I will have to keep a few bottles on hand for cases like this;)

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Why feel guilty? If you want to donate, donate. If you don't wish to, don't. Why care what the collectors think about you?

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Actually not that selfish - just tucking into the first bag of $150 worth of Scout Popcorn (the chocolate pretzels / double choc popcorn are WELL worth the money alone)!

Another $150 was paid to donate 3 boxes of popcorn to the troops abroad.

Granted we shelled out 300 bucks and got the family to raise another 700 so hubbys son gets a gift of something or other for raising pots of cash, gotta give to recieve right (shoves another handful in mouth).

Add to that countless family members / kids doing fun runs / fun walks / growing moustaches etc.

So there - I do a lot of work for charity and I don't feel guilty when every other store asks if I want to donate $2 to this that or the other and I refuse - JUST SAY NO PEOPLE - JUST SAY NO.

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It's very much the same here in New Zealand. We get them in the street ; doing sausage sizzles ;at the door ; on the phone; via the mail ; donations for school ; adopt a child - goat - field , ad infinitum.

Of course one can and maybe should choose to just say no to those, as so much of the hard earned $$ goes to admin and wages & not direct to the cause. Been there. Seen it and was shocked and not impressed

.....and so we can also choose to say Yes & search the pockets for a few $$ more to something like this as it's all going direct to the cause and that cause is something fundamental. Food.

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But who is to say one cause is more worthy than another? Kids raising money for the local hockey team? no much goes on admin there - tins of whatever you have for the local food bank - it really is never ending with the way we get bombarded.

Each cause is very worthy in its own right don't get me wrong - and yes I agree that if things aren't brought to your attention, then you are highly unlikely to go out and make the effort to find something to donate to - but to be made to feel gulty for not wanting to give to something because the person organising it thinks that at that moment in time their cause is THE most deserving on the planet annoys the hell out of me tbh.

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I know. Some of these causes that are right in your face are they not with their phone calls, doorstep collections, school runs, outside shop collections . They do try to make you feel so guilty don't they.

That's not something I am prone to. I got fed up with those a long time back. I make my own mind up these days .

I like the BE Christmas Cheer / the Secret Santa . It's all about choosing in a very small way. Quietly. Spreading the word. Hoping. Started by our own community.

Believe me, I'm bombarded from all sides. At least this is not front on bullying. It's just an ask from a community I am a long time member of.

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I agree Bevs :thumbup:

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This is true for us too. I tried to work out why.

In the UK we did two of those monthly donation things - one was to a "bringing water" to needy areas, and I'm embarrassed to say I can't even remember what the other one was, but it was UK-based.

I think "charity" is much more in your face in Canada - and volunteerism (is that a word?) is much more common and covers a wider range of people. More people participate in helping out some good cause or another and are very willing to do so - it is very acceptable, and perhaps expected (see high school credits system where you can earn some for giving 40 hours of your time to your local community) - but you also speak to more people who are "burned out" by all they hours they have given in the past - though this is a very quietly spoken opinion that you may not hear until you know someone well!

Is the lack of social welfare in Canada a direct result in more people needing help here? If so, then communities step up pretty well and to the tune of thousands of dollars. But if people did not step up, and buy a toy, or a calendar or a jumbo pack of cornflakes, would the poverty and destitution and abandonement be even more evident than it already is?

Or is it nothing to do with "more" of a need here - it's just woven into the fabric of the society here - if you can, then help. Why wouldn't you want to, kind of thing.

Something I never recall seeing in the UK to the extent it is here - and which is evident in l'il ol' Cochrane several times a year is the whole community thing. A family losing both parents in a crash - a teenager being diagnosed with some rare cancer, an elderly person with a debilitating condition and seeking help to pay for some meds.

If a welfare system was up to par, you would never even hear that these people needed some (financial) help. But I notice it's not always money that is sought or offered. It is stuff from the heart - something more personal. The community took it in turns to makes meals for one family who were back and forth to hospitals for months on end with a sick child. Strangers chipping in - now that does warm the cockles.

Like many others on here, I choose who I give to - I give willingly where I can and where I want to - and dislike being badgered to give more. However, I freely admit that I would not have known about some of the causes if some jolly-faced and annoying person had not told me about it!!

:)

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I think it's also true that volunteering/charity work is, for many participants, a key part of their social life, i.e. the raising money/foodstuffs etc is almost secondary to the acts of organizing, and the social interaction of 'being on the committee.'

It's probably a product of being a young country that doesn't have a pub on every street corner.

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For me throwing $20 in this direction is just a "random act of kindness"

Random acts of kindness are a good thing. It doesnt matter if its this cause or any other of the thouands of good causes out there.

I also have my own kids to think of and other charities that I donate to on a regular basis, but spontanous giving is good for the soul too.

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...and you think thats a problem, we have 2 kids, 5 cats, 2 rabbits and a wife who are more than capable of bank rupting me.:rofl:

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And always be aware folks....no good deed goes unpunished.....:unsure:

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http://thechildrenofwestfaliaorphana...ial-thank-you/

Many many thanks to those that donated something, every little bit makes a real difference to the lives of these kids. and christmas greeting to the rest of you anyway. Maybe next time...