The Most Good
The earthquake in Haiti has had me thinking a lot about the idea of charity and I am continually amazed at the sheer quantity of need out there for one thing or another. I support any type of charitable giving because no matter what, it will benefit someone else in some way but I must admit I find myself overwhelmed at times by how much need is out there.
One of Brad's favorite shows is Extreme Makeover Home Edition which I am sure everyone has heard of. I like the show and my heart goes out to the families that they feature. Some of the people are just downright selfless if you ask me, or at least, that is how they are portrayed. They are honestly deserving by my understanding of the word but I find myself a little turned off during the reveal usually. The grandeur of the new homes is just a bit much. I always think to myself "they could have fixed 10 homes that were perfectly liveable and beautiful for the cost of this one." They could downgrade a little and really save a lot of money and help WAY more people. I mean, if you are someone that lives in a house with no hot water, drafty windows, and mold issues you would be more than thankful for a brand new house that has new (but not top-of-the-line) appliances, mold free, and maybe a landscaped yard. I doubt you would be saying "where's my 60" LED flat screen in my bedroom?" Or, "where's my energy efficient cutting edge hot water system", or "why isn't my house 5000 sqft?" or, "why don't I have custom made concrete counter tops?"
I feel like there are a lot of charities out there that do really great things for people and they are excellent places to give money but really, can I say giving my money to the ASPCA to rescue abused animals is as worthy a cause as feeding starving children in Africa? My gosh, those ASPCA commercials really make me want to give them money but I just can't wrap my head around saving animals over people. How in the world do you decide what is a "worthy cause" and how do you say no to one thing and yes to another without feeling guilty? What is that thing that will most greatly improve the earth as a whole? These are just my thoughts on something that I have a hard time figuring out. I would love to hear what you think, how you solve the conundrum, or if it's really solvable?
One of Brad's favorite shows is Extreme Makeover Home Edition which I am sure everyone has heard of. I like the show and my heart goes out to the families that they feature. Some of the people are just downright selfless if you ask me, or at least, that is how they are portrayed. They are honestly deserving by my understanding of the word but I find myself a little turned off during the reveal usually. The grandeur of the new homes is just a bit much. I always think to myself "they could have fixed 10 homes that were perfectly liveable and beautiful for the cost of this one." They could downgrade a little and really save a lot of money and help WAY more people. I mean, if you are someone that lives in a house with no hot water, drafty windows, and mold issues you would be more than thankful for a brand new house that has new (but not top-of-the-line) appliances, mold free, and maybe a landscaped yard. I doubt you would be saying "where's my 60" LED flat screen in my bedroom?" Or, "where's my energy efficient cutting edge hot water system", or "why isn't my house 5000 sqft?" or, "why don't I have custom made concrete counter tops?"
I feel like there are a lot of charities out there that do really great things for people and they are excellent places to give money but really, can I say giving my money to the ASPCA to rescue abused animals is as worthy a cause as feeding starving children in Africa? My gosh, those ASPCA commercials really make me want to give them money but I just can't wrap my head around saving animals over people. How in the world do you decide what is a "worthy cause" and how do you say no to one thing and yes to another without feeling guilty? What is that thing that will most greatly improve the earth as a whole? These are just my thoughts on something that I have a hard time figuring out. I would love to hear what you think, how you solve the conundrum, or if it's really solvable?
I always think it's a good idea to really know where your money is going and how much overhead is being taken from donations to certain causes. I also think you need to trust the agency to which you give your money. Personally I think the red cross is a good one. They help throughout the world, as you know. I also think it's a good idea to give to the church, since they do a lot of humanitarian things as well. Also, your money can go further with certain companies. Last week we were at Henry's and they were matching donations (up to a certain amount) that people would give to the Haiti relief effort. My mom donated because she figured her $25 would turn into $50 and that was better than donating elsewhere in that case. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI have some of the same feelings about Extreme Makeover. I am always in awe of the people who give so much of themselves while taking nothing of their own...yet the houses are really really overdone, in my opinion. I heard on the news once that several of these houses end up getting reposessed (or whatever you do to houses) because the people can't actually afford the upkeep. In that case, it really hasn't helped them out very much at all!
ReplyDeleteThats why I like the PEF and the humanitarian aid fund through the church. none of the money goes to anywhere but the fund itself. Like Kierst said uou never know how much overhead comes out of your money. the church takes nothing out in overhead. The PEF has helped tons of people better their lives and in turn offer somthing to their country. the humanitarian aid is ofetn the first responder. often even before the Red Cross shows the church has been there and gone. And they give to places that have not had a disaster too, through the missionaries. they contact humanitarian aid when there is a great need in their area, and they get what they need.
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