We are finally getting some rain and it looks like there will be more off and on for the next few days. I hope it's enough to make at least a small dent in our water situation, and that it reaches the Sierra in the form of snow.
I started out to run some errands this morning but just turned around the block and came back home because of pain. This is so aggravating as it can be as bad as a gallbladder attack. All I had for breakfast was two slices of french toast with maple syrup - not exactly what I would think of as a meal high in fat. I'm really stumped as to what I can eat and what I can't.
I don't have much in the way of blogging material today but I did read some interesting info in the monthly magazine and newsletter provided by the mobile home park. This has to do with donations, and something to think about before you make your contributions. You may be as surprised as I am.
American Red Cross: The President/CEO's salary for the year was $651,957 plus expenses.
March of Dimes: The president receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits.
UNICEF: The CEO receives $1,200,000 per year ($100k per month plus all expenses including a Rolls Royce. Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause.
GOODWILL: (This I found shocking). The CEO and owner profits $2.3 million a year. You donate to his business and he sells the items for PROFIT! He pays nothing for his products and pays his workers minimum wage! $0.00 goes to help anyone.
Salvation Army: The Commissioner receives a small salary of only $13,000 a year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization. 96% of every donated dollar goes to the cause.
American Legion; VFW; DAV; Military Order of Purple Hearts; Vietnam Vets Assn: All of these organizations' National Commanders receive a $0.00 salary and your donations go to help Vets and their families and youth!
Make a Wish for Children's last wishes: 100% goes to funding trips or special wishes for a dying child.
St. Jude Hospital Research: 100% goes toward funding and helping children with cancer who have no insurance and can't afford to pay.
Ronald McDonald Houses: All monies go to running the houses for parents who have critically ill children in the hospital. 100% goes to housing and feeding the families.
Goodwill makes it so easy to drop off donations, but there are many more deserving local charities, many of whom will pick up items from your residence. When I lived in Sacramento in the 1980's I regularly bagged up clothing and household items for Americans for Retarded Citizens. I will definitely look for an alternative to Goodwill in the future. I believe Salvation Army will send a truck to pick up household/furniture items, although I haven't used that service.
Note that I am passing along what was in a local booklet, and I can't verify the information. It is something to think about though. Comments welcome.
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I haven't had those statistics, but I do know that the Red Cross charged folks I knew for blankets and such after a devastating tornado. Interesting to know.
ReplyDeleteI have passed by... been in, in many cities ... Goodwill stores because I though I was helping the handicap as well as buying 'disposable' clothing or eating stuff.
ReplyDeleteIn each instance, I've noticed very expensive looking facades... Salvation Army usually utilizes space left by folded stores/companies.
We have a HUGE gorgeous new Goodwill store on one side of town toward a wealthy neighborhood ... I decided that ... that just doesn't makes sense... building a big ol place? when there are empty stores they could rent.
I began to look at them like I do the people who build multi million dollars churches ...
I don't like that. I'd rather go to a little ol mom and pop thrift shop and other charitable type little places to buy stuff and sit under a tree or by a river to say hey to my God .. who could care less where you say hey to him ...
feed a kid and an animals or an old woman like me... I've been requesting a couple of groups I belong to to give me $500 as their charitable contribution ... so far? no takers...
rats
there are so many typos in that comment that I don't even want to correct them... forgive me ... I know not what I doooooo
ReplyDeleteThanks for that info. I didn't know all that. Makes me wonder. . .
ReplyDeleteI liked Carolyn's take on multi-million dollar churches.....
ReplyDeleteI read some of that information recently and was shocked about the Goodwill. I seldom shop there because I don't have the patience but think they are overpriced. I will be making donations somewhere else. My husband believes in the Salvation Army and donates to them.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe in donating to the Humane Society either. Very, very little money makes it down to the local shelters. If you want to help the animals donate to your local shelter.
I kind of feel about banks like Carolyn feels about Churches. Most are paying lest than 1% interest on your money and are opening a branch on every corner.
I haven't shopped or donated to Goodwill for years. When I saw more and more stores opening I started questioning the validity of their claims. Feel the same way about United Way. They're lined up with most big businesses who all but forcep employees to contribute.
ReplyDeleteSalvation Army helps the hungry here and the kids of the hungry and homeless...They will also try to find missing family and friends for no money..I give my money and time to them and to the ARC assn. of retarded citizens, they really help people who are mildly and severely handicapped I never use retarded as a lot of clients are downs syndrome and autistic citizens one could never detect high functioning individuals, they get them jobs and it is a joy and boost to all the places they work..Give to ARC and Salvy Army I give in the winter times, and summer when donations are down baby down, they only take usable stuff, so don't dump anything not usable at Salvy Army, goodwill won't take anything here that is not brand new they will charge you money to return it to you..In Portland, Oregon I live across the Columbia river in Washington state they had a news story of abuse of the workers paying them nothing, I have a developmentally disabled brother in law he would never work for them, the cheated his friends out of a paycheck..SO DON'T CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOODWILL AT ALL..please get better, I follow your blog, you are wonderful good souled human being who should not be suffering..ciao!
ReplyDeleteAlways spend a bit of time Googling before deciding when/where to donate your money and used articles. Some places that formerly had sterling reputations now have quite tarnished reputations. Goodwill is one of them.
ReplyDeleteI read the statistics about highly-paid CEO's of these charities, and was quite appalled. Later on I found out that some of the numbers were bogus. I don't recall the specifics now, so Martha's numbers may reflect current information.
The one that really gets me is Susan Komen. Please investigate thoroughly before letting them benefit from your generosity in any form.
Virtual hugs,
Judie
I'm skeptical about that booklet. First, UNICEF does not have a CEO - it's a United Nations agency. Secondly, Goodwill provides training for handicapped people. That is where the "profits" go. I might be wrong, but I believe they *do* pay their trainees.
ReplyDeleteI steer my donations to St. Vincent De Paul, because they offer real help. And someone I know needed their help. The only thing they asked her was, "Can we do anything more for you?".