Charity Christmas Appeals - Operation Christmas Child

[The Idler]

Why are there so many christmas charity appeals providing for former Soviet Union countries? Have living standards plummeted since the breakup or has welfare collapsed? Or is it surreptitious Western propaganda? Or have they always been impoverished but aid could not get through until after the breakup?

Operation Christmas Child is one, but there are many other examples. They say send their aid to the following former Soviet countries (http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/where-your-shoeboxes-go); Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgystan, Romania and Ukraine.

I have donated but how many other revlefters donate or would if asked? Should we organise a whip-round at revleft for kids in former Soviet countries? Revleft Christmas Appeal, I can see it now...

[ComradeMan]

I don't think it's all propaganda by any means... that's a good idea. When the festive season comes I always set aside what I can for charitable causes...

[Ele'ill]

I will not donate.

[ComradeMan]

I will not donate.


Why not? Don't be so mean-hearted!

You've got money for computers, video games and all that stuff and you can't even spare 10 dollars or whatever to help build a clean water well or give a child something to smile about at Christmas? FFS- where's your popular spirit and solidarity?

If you do some research and try to choose charities wisely you could make a little difference. A lot of little differences put together can make a big difference.

[Ele'ill]

Why not? Don't be so mean-hearted!

You've got money for computers, video games and all that stuff and you can't even spare 10 dollars or whatever to help build a clean water well or give a child something to smile about at Christmas? FFS- where's your popular spirit and solidarity?

If you do some research and try to choose charities wisely you could make a little difference. A lot of little differences put together can make a big difference.

Just stop trolling. :rolleyes:

I have money for specific things that I need- I have money for computer parts to start building a rig over a period of time- that I will need for school. Video games are fun and everything but they're not a priority right now (Guild Wars 2 doesn't even come out until 2011-2012 :lol:)

I don't donate money to charity- I will donate things to places such as sleeping bags, food and time as a volunteer. The places I do this at are usually local.

[Bud Struggle]

Excuse me Mari3L, but don't you think your:


I will not donate.

Was the trolling? :rolleyes:

Anyway: we should all do what we can when we can. How we do it, local, international--what's the difference as long as people are helped?

[ComradeMan]

Just stop trolling. :rolleyes:

I have money for specific things that I need- I have money for computer parts to start building a rig over a period of time- that I will need for school. Video games are fun and everything but they're not a priority right now (Guild Wars 2 doesn't even come out until 2011-2012 :lol:)

I don't donate money to charity- I will donate things to places such as sleeping bags, food and time as a volunteer. The places I do this at are usually local.

That's a bullshit excuse for not putting your hand in your pocket or dare I say your money where your mouth is.

I'm glad you donate your sleeping bags, food and time but at the same time your

"I will not donate"- didn't even specify this. So who is trolling?

WTF- ten dollars is not going to change your life but it could change someone else's a little.

[Ele'ill]

That's a bullshit excuse for not putting your hand in your pocket or dare I say your money where your mouth is.

I put my actions where my mouth is rather than believing in a strictly vertical system that perpetuates and very blatantly highlights the flaws in capitalism.

I am an activist that has and does organize for social justice.

I can only engage in so much while still attempting to better my position as an individual and with that said I do plenty to help others.



I'm glad you donate your sleeping bags, food and time but at the same time your

"I will not donate"- didn't even specify this. So who is trolling?

I was replying to the original poster's post and question. I will not donate to such organizations because as I said, I donate elsewhere by other means.

Stop trolling.


WTF- ten dollars is not going to change your life but it could change someone else's a little.

To be honest with you I don't have the money to give as such. I have enough money earned being spent on things that I need such as rent, food, clothes and medicine and enough money being saved to obtain things that I need to better my position such as for school, computer that wasn't designed for windows 95 and can actually load basic websites without locking up, car repairs so on and so forth.

You come across as a spoiled brat in this post of yours.

[Ele'ill]

I have donated but how many other revlefters donate or would if asked? .


I replied to this with-


I will not donate.



There is nothing trolling about it.

[ComradeMan]

I put my actions where my mouth is rather than believing in a strictly vertical system that perpetuates and very blatantly highlights the flaws in capitalism.
I am an activist that has and does organize for social justice.
I can only engage in so much while still attempting to better my position as an individual and with that said I do plenty to help others.
I was replying to the original poster's post and question. I will not donate to such organizations because as I said, I donate elsewhere by other means.
Stop trolling.
To be honest with you I don't have the money to give as such. I have enough money earned being spent on things that I need such as rent, food, clothes and medicine and enough money being saved to obtain things that I need to better my position such as for school, computer that wasn't designed for windows 95 and can actually load basic websites without locking up, car repairs so on and so forth.
You come across as a spoiled brat in this post of yours.

Stop accusing people of trolling when they put you under the spotlight.
I don't doubt what you have done or do. But I still think it's mean-spirited. As for all the bullshit about believing in a strictly vertical system that perpetuates and very blatantly highlights the flaws in capitalism- yeah because that kid you didn't help out at Christmas is not going to feel sad when he or she gets nothing because they understand you do not want to highlight the verticality of flawed capitalism- retreating back into those ivory towers....?

I do charity work too, and help out people, and I buy mineral water and food for poor people on the streets but I don't go on about it all the time either because I just think it's part of being a decent human being and nothing special- and I also try to help out poor kids in the Third World.
$10 dollars for fucks sakes-- what's that? It's about two packets of cigarettes. As for saying a spolit brat... who's the spoilt one, the one sitting with the computer, the car and all of that or the kid who literally has to steal to eat, or doesn't even have fresh drinking water. WTF - all some kids want this Christmas is perhaps clean water to drink.

[Ele'ill]

Stop accusing people of trolling when they put you under the spotlight.

Stop trolling.




I don't doubt what you have done or do. But I still think it's mean-spirited.hahahahahahahahahahalhf;kjah38rt08foiufhf j




As for all the bullshit about believing in a strictly vertical system that perpetuates and very blatantly highlights the flaws in capitalism- yeah because that kid you didn't help out at Christmas is not going to feel sad when he or she gets nothing because they understand you do not want to highlight the verticality of flawed capitalism- retreating back into those ivory towers....?:rolleyes:

And the peope that ddn't get sleeping bags from you and the crisis centers that don't have enough volunteers because you didn't volunteer are going to be really angry with you. :rolleyes:

(the point here since you miss a lot of them is that as - surprisingly enough, Bud Struggle said- we all do what we can when we can)





I do charity work too, and help out people, and I buy mineral water and food for poor people on the streets but I don't go on about it all the time either because I just think it's part of being a decent human being and nothing special- and I also try to help out poor kids in the Third World.I help out poor kids in the Global South through other means. What you seem to not be realizing is that a donation is a sum of money given as money. If I don't have the money I will donate something else such as time that saves organizations money.


I find your attempted guilt trips to be appallingly weak.




$10 dollars for fucks sakes-- what's that?Gas for a week- and not for my vehicle.




It's about two packets of cigarettes.I share cigarettes with my roommate and rarely purchase them myself.

This is semantic bullshit at this point. :lol:




As for saying a spolit brat... who's the spoilt one, the one sitting with the computer, the car and all of that or the kid who literally has to steal to eat, or doesn't even have fresh drinking water. WTF - all some kids want this Christmas is perhaps clean water to drink.I will deliver clean water to two shelters three times a week as their plumbing is poor and they often prefer to use gallon jugs for whatever reason.

I don't have a car that's mine and even if I did that doesn't play into this subject at all.

I have to steal to eat and I have been homeless several times throughout my life.

In order to better my position to help myself and ensure that I do not end up on the street again I am taking steps to prevent this.



As for donating money in the fashion that the OP listed- I prefer a hands on approach. To criticise someone such as myself that does plenty and who does not live comfortably themselves- as illustrated in several other threads in OI recently- is nothing more than a blatant character attack which is clearly trolling.

Stop doing this.

You've jumped from one attack- and when I have put that down- you jump to another- and I put that one down as well- ....I mean come on Comrademan....you're being silly.

[ComradeMan]

And the peope that ddn't get sleeping bags from you and the crisis centers that don't have enough volunteers because you didn't volunteer are going to be really angry with you. :rolleyes:

Sorry, but I do everything I can do when I can. You are taking some sanctimonious stance about not doing something you fundamentally can do. Think about the difference. ;)

Your "I will not donate" is not saying "I'd like to but I can't" - is it? It's a refusal and your backtracking is quite pathetic. One minute you don't want to highlight the verticality of capitalism- oh, and then all of a sudden it's that you can't.



I share cigarettes with my roommate and rarely purchase them myself.

So you're prepared to smoke off the charity of someone else who buys them....


This is semantic bullshit at this point. :lol:

No- it's because you contradict yourself with your own words- and resist any logical analysis of them- then you either say a) trolling or b) semantics.

As for the rest- that's all well and good. Why do you refuse to help on this one then? Don't tell me you can't! You can't possibly expect me or anyone else to believe that.


As for donating money in the fashion that the OP listed- I prefer a hands on approach.

Easy- take your hands, put them on your computer and with Paypal make a donation, or take your hands put them in your pocket and slip a ten dollar note into an envelope... I'd call that a hands on approach too...

PS The only person who has been put down is..... hmmmmm, the person who refuses to donate to help poor kids at Christmas.

[Ele'ill]

Sorry, but I do everything I can do when I can. You are taking some sanctimonious stance about not doing something you fundamentally can do. Think about the difference.

I simply do not have the $10 to give right now.

I would likely not donate to an international charity because I am unsure what their beliefs are and I am unsure how they would use their money.

I am afraid of scams and would not want to support an under the table deal between a charity organization and some unknown entity.

I do not trust giving money to groups that I cannot interact with in person.

I donate locally by giving things I acquire or have previously purchased and by volunteering my time.




Your "I will not donate" is not saying "I'd like to but I can't" - is it? It's a refusal and your backtracking is quite pathetic. One minute you don't want to highlight the verticality of capitalism- oh, and then all of a sudden it's that you can't.Charity is a vertical process that doesn't address the actual issues. I thought you could have understood this when I said the same thing in my original post-

You could donate 400000000 billion dollars and at some point there will be people suffering again.




So you're prepared to smoke off the charity of someone else who buys them....

I guess I could also eat once every other day and not shower at all- would this be a good idea to save money for charity too?

You are a fool and you are a troll. :lol:






No- it's because you contradict yourself with your own words- and resist any logical analysis of them- then you either say a) trolling or b) semantics. You can say this to me in this post but every person that comes through this thread and sees your posts will think otherwise. I'm not too worried about this from my end. :)




As for the rest- that's all well and good. Why do you refuse to help on this one then? Don't tell me you can't! You can't possibly expect me or anyone else to believe that.I listed some reasons at the beginning of this post.

Right now I quite literally do not have the money.




Easy- take your hands, put them on your computer and with Paypal make a donation, or take your hands put them in your pocket and slip a ten dollar note into an envelope... I'd call that a hands on approach too...
I don't want to dedicate my life to altruism in the form of charity because I believe it is ultimately a vicarious and vertical process that lacks community structure.

I spend my time and money helping locally where I can meet people that I will never forget and who will never forget me. I don't feel a need to spread myself thin worrying about which charities I'm going to donate to without having ever met anyone involved or witnessed in person what their process and politics are like.


PS The only person who has been put down is..... hmmmmm, the person who refuses to donate to help poor kids at Christmas.

I donate and I help poor kids at christmas- it isn't by the methods you've laid out.

Stop trolling.

[Revolution starts with U]

Seems legit. I would have to ask how much in salary per dollar is spent per donation (how much is actually getting to the kids, in other words) like I always do.
Only problem... it takes donations in pounds
:crying:

[Bud Struggle]

I
You are a fool and you are a troll. :lol:


Not just you Mari3L--but how about we all stop calling each other trolls and other names. Let's just keep the discussion friendly. :)

[Ele'ill]

Not just you Mari3L--but how about we all stop calling each other trolls and other names. Let's just keep the discussion friendly. :)


Well, the person being called a troll, who is very obviously trolling, should stop trolling.


As for the 'fool' comment it was inaccurate and doesn't really fit at all. It's more like 'misguided' although that is also not very accurate.

[Ele'ill]

My question is that instead of paying $10 towards a charity that's locally based around where I was living- I volunteered- become close with other volunteers and co-organized a trip to the affected areas to set up aid and food shipments and errected shelters?

This is what I would rather do and I can tell you that 'donations' don't always go towards things that would make the donors happy.


So to pretty much end this 'debate' here- what I'm saying is that I am already donating time and often money to organizations in my area- my time and financial situation is stretched thin as it is. It's a more direct hands on approach than simply throwing money at an organization without any control as to where that money is actually going. This is why 'I will not donate'. I like to know what kind of impact the organization is actually making and if they are using 'fail tactics'.

Why you are attacking this, I have no idea but it's a bit bratty and rude.

[Ele'ill]

Preparation
Even before you have thought about your shoebox, we and our volunteer teams are busy preparing to receive your shoebox through:


- PrayerAnd they recieve! There must be a god!


Why Christmas?

Why not another day?


Distribution of shoebox gifts
This is when your shoebox gets into the hands of a child!

- Lively, fun event for children
- Shoeboxes are given to children unconditionally
- Where appropriate, creative Christmas Gospel presentation by local churches and ministry partners;
- Where appropriate, children are offered a copy of The Greatest Gift of All booklet (see below) in their local language by local churches and ministry partners
- Soon after an Operation Christmas Child (OCC) distribution event the local churches and ministry partners may offer The Greatest Journey (TGJ) (http://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/the-greatest-journey) to children participating in OCC in many of their communities

Is it true that shoeboxes cannot include any religious items?

You will note that religious items are not on our suggested list of gifts to put into a shoebox, as we want to be sensitive to the indigenous culture where shoeboxes are distributed and we also want to place an emphasis on education and fun. However, we would welcome appropriate items such as Christmas cards or Christmas colouring books.

lol



I’ve heard that you put Christian literature into the shoeboxes before they are shipped. Is that true?


No. We do not put Christian literature into shoeboxes.

Is Christian literature sometimes distributed with the shoebox?

Yes. Whenever we are asked to provide Christian literature, we are always pleased to do so, free of charge. This usually takes the form of a booklet, The Greatest Gift of All, containing Bible stories and an explanation of the true meaning of Christmas. While local churches and Christian partners distributing the shoeboxes may offer a free copy of this booklet with shoeboxes, no child is obliged to take it. The booklet is given to a child with their shoebox, not inside it.

[Milk Sheikh]

It is always better to give directly to the person concerned than to charities. At least, you'd know your money is going to someone who really needs it. With charities, you never know.

[ComradeMan]

It is always better to give directly to the person concerned than to charities. At least, you'd know your money is going to someone who really needs it. With charities, you never know.

You are right with this of course and it does raise an issue. However you can do some simple research and find out which ones are actually getting the aid directly to the people.

You see I've done a lot of charity work and I hear all these "excuses" by many people for not giving all the time and when you explain to them how the money is used and where it will go they either :blushing: and put their hands in their pocket or snarl "charity starts at home" or something.... get it?

The other thing that irritates me at times is this, I know there is a lot of poverty in Europe and the US. There are parts of Italy that would probably qualify for Third World status along with many other places and so poverty is also relative however when you look at the prospects of the poor in their respective localities and the issues they face- take for example indigenous peoples, there is no comparison.

I know the old one, if you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, if you give him a net he can eat forever- but the problem is that nets take time and in the meantime he needs to eat. I believe that both short and long term aid should be combined so you can provide fish and nets.

[Ele'ill]

You are right with this of course and it does raise an issue. However you can do some simple research and find out which ones are actually getting the aid directly to the people.

You see I've done a lot of charity work and I hear all these "excuses" by many people for not giving all the time and when you explain to them how the money is used and where it will go they either :blushing: and put their hands in their pocket or snarl "charity starts at home" or something.... get it?

The other thing that irritates me at times is this, I know there is a lot of poverty in Europe and the US. There are parts of Italy that would probably qualify for Third World status along with many other places and so poverty is also relative however when you look at the prospects of the poor in their respective localities and the issues they face- take for example indigenous peoples, there is no comparison.

I know the old one, if you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, if you give him a net he can eat forever- but the problem is that nets take time and in the meantime he needs to eat. I believe that both short and long term aid should be combined so you can provide fish and nets.


What you don't seem to be getting is that I am 'donating' (technically) money as well as time past what the typical volunteer would.

Your attacks against my position are as unfounded as if I were to suggest that what you do donate isn't enough and that you should donate more.

Also- sorry for calling you a fool- it didn't even fit into what I was trying to get at.

[Revolution starts with U]

Iiii'm not sorry!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocv5WdBmSok&feature=related