Minor Donors

"Would you like to round up to the next dollar and donate to a local coven of witches that are rescuing unwanted kittens and using them for sacrifices on the winter solstice?", Asked the clerk at the pet store.

"No thanks."

I was already spending money I didn't want to so I could buy a couple of silly cat toys and snacks for a project the girl's 4H club was doing; giving silly cat toys and snacks to a cat rescue group in the community.

It seems that this is the season to make me feel more and more like the Grinch. Most every store wants me to throw down a buck or two in order to help out one cause or the other. The Postman, well, our Postman is a woman, regularly brings pleas to help feed the homeless. The radio lets me know how I can help local families get bicycles Now I want to get bicycles for my family this year too. Every School in town wants me to throw dollars their way, promising I will get tax credits. My kids are begging me to go Mad Max at the stores on Black Thursday so I can get them all brand new computers (well, not really, but it seemed to fit the zeitgeist of this post).

Even at work, they want me to adopt families to buy gifts for for Christmas. I chose my family, and I didn't even have to pick anything off of their tree thing. I am trying to figure out how to get my family on the tree too.

Not to brag, but I really am a generous person. I wish I had the means to be more so. I do give. I give a percentage of my income(extra points to anyone who guesses just what that percentage is) to our Church, we give regularly to sponsor a World Vision child, and we try to help out with other stuff and with other people as we can.

My kids try their best to be generous too. Ethan (6) told me today, after he gave some change to the Salvation Army bell ringer, that he tries to always give them some change when he has some and he sees them. One time, he told me, his mom had to give him money so he could give. The Salvation Army is a great organization. I would strongly encourage everyone to give to them. But I have to wonder, does my son's 4 ¢ really help them out all that much?

I had a friend in Sacramento who's job was to work with major donors for World Vision. All he does is cultivate some major donors in the area and ask them for help with some of the large projects that they have. World Vision does some amazing work worldwide and I think it is really cool that their are people with money that help make that happen. I would encourage you all to make as much money as you possibly can because, historically, without wealthy people, philanthropy just doesn't seem to happen.

I still have to wonder how much of an impact all the little bits and pieces have on the world during the holiday season. They say that every penny counts. Every little bit helps, I guess.

*Oh, I included the picture I did, because with these sorts of pleas, you always see little children from some other Country that need some sort of help. This picture includes bicycles. How could you not help out?