How About A Change Of Pace? Request For Gift Ideas, And Your Preferred Charities
[guest post by Dana]
Now that Thanksgiving is over with, we can look ahead to Christmas! As such, a long-time Patterico reader/commenter emailed me to see if I would ask all of you the following:
Share what have been the best small gifts you’ve given and received for Christmas. Include the sex/age/interests of the recipients.
Also, I would love to hear from anyone about their favorite charities they’ve been involved with (whether hands-on or donations) during the Christmas season. Two of the larger organizations that I always look forward to helping are The Salvation Army and Mercy Ships. Regarding The Salvation Army, I love seeing the red kettle and hearing the bell ring in front of my little neighborhood market, reminding me every time I’m there that others could use some help. Also at the same market, as with every holiday, brown grocery bags packed to the brim with necessary, non-perishable items needed to make a Christmas dinner, minus the turkeys (which are donated closer to the holiday), sit parked on a three-tiered rack just waiting for customers to grab as many as they want, and purchase them with their own groceries. It’s a lovely way to help. And of course, as in most communities, there are more hands-on opportunities for anyone with a heart to serve and a willingness to push up their sleeves. What an incredible gift it is just to be able to help someone in need, no matter the avenue chosen.
Share your gift ideas for our blog friend, and share your experiences/preferences of various charities.
–Dana
The best part of our grocery bag donations at the market is, store employees have a hard time keeping the rack stocked with the bulging bags because they get snatched up right away by customers!
Dana (023079) — 11/25/2017 @ 6:11 pmWhat a great idea at that market, and I also love the red kettle. My sons’ first lessons in giving came from putting money in the kettle as little boys.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/25/2017 @ 6:18 pmOur church works with samaritans purse to missions in the Caribbean and even europe
narciso (d1f714) — 11/25/2017 @ 6:24 pmGlad you mentioned Samaritan’s Purse, narciso. It’s another good one with a number of donating options available.
Dana (023079) — 11/25/2017 @ 6:49 pmI make a regular donation to a local food bank. And by local I mean locally staffed and funded. There are probably several in any given area, and none of you are in my area, so I will just say start Googling and researching until you find the one you are most comfortable with.
As for gifts…if you have a Marine in your family or friendship circle….http://www.usmcmuseum.com/ways-to-give.html
If you have a history buff in your family, help the Civil War Trust in their name
kishnevi (c62fd3) — 11/25/2017 @ 6:51 pmhttps://www.civilwar.org/give/donate-campaign-1776
The best gifts I’ve seen are things that let the recipients do or learn new things, or are a little surprising. A cookbook and kitchen tools for someone getting a new home, paints and art paper for someone with extra time on their hands, and books are always great. Some of the best books I’ve received were complete surprises: One about medieval monks, and another called “The Fourth Part of the World: The Race to the Ends of the Earth, and the Epic Story of the Map That Gave America Its Name” that is incredible. The hardest gifts are for people I don’t know well or haven’t seen in years.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/25/2017 @ 6:52 pmFor those people, especially if they are older, they often appreciate donations in their names to their favorite charities. Like the ones we’re talking about here.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/25/2017 @ 6:54 pmBest gifts I received from immediate family over the years, in no particular order (this excludes love letters and handmade Merry Christmas cards and projects from my kids, which years later remain the best ever received!) : two Weeping China Doll Tree Roses, a new baseball mitt, handcrafted jewelry from local craftsman who donates a portion of her sales to local charities, new hiking boots, endless amounts of books, 35mm camera.
Favorite gifts I’ve given: tix to take elderly parent to see Dave Brubeck before he passed, followed by a late dinner, subscription to Wooden Boats Magazine, Japanese maple tree, gift certificate to nursery specializing in native plants, sewing lessons.
The idea is, think outside the box, and think about what the receiver has mentioned throughout the year as wishing they had.
For tactile kids: any kind of Lego set, K’Nex, and good old Erector sets and Lincoln Logs. They’re not techy, but I’ve seen a lot of kids just get happy to build something with their own hands. For today’s kids, they might be consideredactually retro cool.
Dana (023079) — 11/25/2017 @ 7:30 pmFisher House, Shriner’s Hospital and St. Mary’s Kitchen are my charities every year.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/25/2017 @ 7:37 pmCan you give us links, Col.?
Dana (023079) — 11/25/2017 @ 7:40 pmSalvation Army, Salvation Army!
The Dana who remembers an old girlfriend's (yes, she was over 18!) Salvation Army ditty (ecab7a) — 11/25/2017 @ 7:46 pmPut a nickel in the drum, save another drunken bum!
I do it thru work, Dana, right around this time of year. No links.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/25/2017 @ 8:05 pmMy sister and brother-in-law were with Mercy Ships for many many years as head of their agricultural /farms division. We supported their work there for years but have been running their own ministry for about ten years teaching people in developing nations (mostly African) how to grow their own food and build family businesses. Food is power in this world. Their ministry is Living Seeds Initiatives. Another group we give to is Revival Sport which has a huge and effective ministry in mostly Russia and former Soviet countries. They also have a big ministry in the Houston area for refugees from various places. There are so many places to give, I encourage everyone to give somewhere, but not just during the Christmas season, giving year around is a real blessing, to the giver and the recipient both!
Marci (1f2d81) — 11/25/2017 @ 8:17 pmI give of my time. Four weeks a year to a NGO dealing with drug addiction.
Kevin M (752a26) — 11/25/2017 @ 8:34 pmMy wife is the director of this race. They donate too many local needs. Equipment for EMT, fireman and police. As well as needed essentials for others. The race was today and it was beautiful.
mg (60b0f7) — 11/25/2017 @ 8:37 pmhttp://www.andreaholden.org/template.php?menuMain=home&adminID=
One gift that has always been a hit with seniors is a set of cordless headphones for the TV. Not only do they help for hearing loss but the spouse may be just as appreciative that the TV volume is no longer at an oppressive level.
harkin (a9a478) — 11/26/2017 @ 1:29 amFistula Foundation.
faxhorn (0fda17) — 11/26/2017 @ 5:42 amSt. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Remote Area Medical.
City Of Fairfax (VA) Band Scholarship Fund.
Smile Train.
Fisher House. Also drive Meals on Wheels where you see the issues.
Richard Aubrey (415087) — 11/26/2017 @ 6:35 amharkin, great idea. What brand did you get?
//
My favorite gift was a camel hair winter coat I got when I was 16. I was walking around our little burg and saw it in a window and fell in love. Did you ever fall in love with a thing? I must have talked about it within earshot of Mom, because a few months later there it was under the tree. She had 8 other kids to think about, so this was especially touching. So that coat and her love will forever be entwined in my heart.
Patricia (5fc097) — 11/26/2017 @ 7:34 amOh, Patricia, an absolutely lovely story.
Dana (023079) — 11/26/2017 @ 8:10 amI’m fresh out of gift ideas, sorry.
My favorite charities are, yes, the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and your local, no-kill, rescue organization. I won’t give to the ASPCA, mostly because they’ve gotten very “animal rights” oriented, lately.
Dianna (c1b8e5) — 11/26/2017 @ 8:35 amCan y’all make up the difference?
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/22/tax-reform-could-reduce-charitable-giving-by-up-to-13-billion-per-year.html
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 8:40 amMy dad giving me my first daisy B.B. gun will always be close to my heart.
mg (60b0f7) — 11/26/2017 @ 8:58 amNever mind that, BenBern. To whom do you give?
kishnevi (bb03e6) — 11/26/2017 @ 9:07 am19 –
There are nice ones from JVC that I’ve found for less than $40. We have the same type and they’ve lasted years and work great.
I give to various (Salvation Army, Veterans, Hospice).
One that I’ll slways remember was a program I joined in NoCal where you would meet at a department store and a needy parent would hand off their young kid to you and you’d take the little goomer shopping for clothes. There was a set amount and it was great letting the kid decide what he wanted and making it fit his clothes budget – it was Christmas plus math plus youd always give extra to get in a few more items. Everything was discounted so by the time the parent met you at the other side of the Kids section you were loaded down with multiple everything, shirts, pants, shoes socks etc. The look on the faces of the kids and parents was solid gold.
And Christmas always mean tamales!!
harkin (a9a478) — 11/26/2017 @ 9:17 amThanks, Marci, for providing links about two organizations that I didn’t know about, although perhaps others here may already be familiar with.
Dana (023079) — 11/26/2017 @ 9:28 amAmazon widget?
NJRob (b00189) — 11/26/2017 @ 9:38 am24
I give to charities that distribute 90 cents out of every dollar like S.A..
Too many career professionals in non profits. About 25 years ago when my boys were in Cub Scouts I realized how greedy and self interested former volunteers who now get salaries when $850k of a 1.2 million budget went to salaries. Forget that.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 9:44 amGreat idea, harkin.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 9:57 amThanks, Dana, I felt like Audrey Hepburn for a good many years in that coat!
Patricia (5fc097) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:11 amThis is about Giving right?
How much can you donate to US?
This is only one example out of countless loopholes that exist in the current global economy. Between rampant tax avoidance and similarly rampant tax evasion, the largest firms give almost nothing back to the societies whose customers they gouge.
That’s why bills like this new Republican-sponsored tax reform concept going through congress are not, really, about lowering corporate taxes.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:26 amhttp://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/taibbi-new-tax-plan-contains-more-bad-news-for-student-borrowers-w512423
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:26 amPeople really appreciate fresh cut flowers from our gardens and we enjoy giving them to all. My nurses this past year love me!! [hard to believe, i know]
mg (60b0f7) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:39 amMost taxpayers (about 2/3) give while taking standard deductions, so they don’t benefit from charitable giving — except knowing they are trying to help someone else. And people who don’t pay taxes also give and try to help others. That’s a lot of people who are givers.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:39 amSorry you were sick but what a great idea, mg.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:40 am“Too many career professionals in non profits. About 25 years ago when my boys were in Cub Scouts I realized how greedy and self interested former volunteers who now get salaries when $850k of a 1.2 million budget went to salaries. Forget that.“
The Girl Scouts are even worse.
harkin (a9a478) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:42 amYes. You don’t get a receipt when you donate on the street.
But experts predict the Tux (sic) reform will reduce charitable giving by $13 b…
Not chump change. Can you make up for it Drj?
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:43 amGirl Scouts are worse
Cookie Monsters
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:47 amNot all giving helps people equally or as well. Some is even wasted by the recipients, such as those organizations with high administrative costs. Maybe the people who give without tax benefits make better choices.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:50 amThe back story in taxes has always been it’s better for charity to be done privately…making revenue for public service an individual concern, not government….in spite of the Preamble to the Constitution.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:50 amPromoting the general welfare doesn’t mean providing for the general welfare.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:53 amA distinction without a meaningful difference.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:54 amTo me, it means government should help when it can but definitely don’t get in the way. It doesn’t mean there is an obligation to provide for everyone.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:55 amI feel bad calling the girls a monster. See the greedheads for payback.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:55 amTo me it means government is here for the People not people for the government.
the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:57 amIt may be that humans are incapable of governing themselves and this argument is moot.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 10:59 amThat sounds nice, Ben, but government is funded by the taxpayers. In effect, you are saying taxpayers are here to serve the people. That isn’t right.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:04 amINO some Americans shouldn’t be here to serve others, with government deciding how it will be done. That encourages jealousy and corruption and even partisanship.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:06 amyou are saying taxpayers are here to serve the people. That isn’t right.
Didn’t Jesus serve his disciples as an example? What you call servants could be partners who work in cooperation.
But we are talking about flawed humans.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:08 amBefore I give to any organization, I make an effort to do my homework. Charity Navigator is one of the watchdog groups that breaks where the monetary contributions go, whether administrative, on the ground, fundraising, etc. It’s a good safeguard.
Further, the best, very best help for others is to do it quietly, without the left hand knowing what the right is doing, and simply smiling to yourself because it feels so great to help and have such a wonderful secret to keep!
Dana (023079) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:18 amGovernment compels compliance. Believers serve and give voluntarily.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:23 amA nation of unbelievers in democratic republic?
Why are they taking up space?
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:36 amBecause we have free will. All humans are deserving of love and can love Christ.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:39 amAnd if they do love Christ they’ll work toward cooperation.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:41 amI am not saying believers are more charitable than non-believers, only that some gifts are motivated by desire and not compelled by law.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:42 amOk, nothing wrong with cooperation but government isn’t the only form of cooperation. However, it is the only form that can compel people to do things against their free will.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:43 amNot even compelled by the law of love?
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:43 amLegally.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:44 amThe law of love? God wants us to live each other. I don’t think that means he wants us to give ourselves to Caesar.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:45 amLove each other.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:45 amThusly the problem
Too many look at the blood sacrifice as an end game. Just the beginning. Salvation must be worked out not give to you like a welfare check.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:45 amParable of Talents recently a blog post.
Better get to work…stat!
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:47 amI’m not sure I understand you but I think you are saying I need to work harder every day so I can give more to others. If so, that’s true.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:50 amDrj:
IMO you are a good christian..fww.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:51 amI was suggesting many need to get to work. Not referencing Drj.
Admiral Ben burn (b3d5ab) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:52 amAs are you. God just wants us to try out best.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:53 amThe hard part is doing our best every day.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/26/2017 @ 11:53 am35 – DRJ
mg (60b0f7) — 11/26/2017 @ 2:44 pmthanks. hip and knee replacements this year. Flowers seem to brighten up the moment of giving.
I’ve become quite cynical of national charitable organizations and as a result, I support none of them. I have changed to supporting local charities where I can see their effectiveness and feel confident that any embezzlement is of a more petty nature.
While I am not religious, I donate frequently in both cash and goods to the food bank operated by a neighborhood church in the Denver metro area. I also donate to the local Denver chapter of Habitat For Humanity as I’ve been able to watch their actual work first hand.
SPQR (240837) — 11/27/2017 @ 10:18 amAn additional note, in many areas, outdoor search and rescue is done by volunteer organizations. Those organizations need donations to fund ongoing overhead as well as the purchase of equipment and supplies for their operations.
Consider donating to your local volunteer search and rescue.
SPQR (240837) — 11/27/2017 @ 10:26 amI think the New York Times Neediest cases is probably a good charity.
Sammy Finkelman (9668e6) — 11/27/2017 @ 7:02 pm