Food banks, disabled veterans: how much do you donate?

[53' Stude]

Being a U.S. NAVY veteran I try to donate a lot of clothes, shoes and stuff I come across I cannot use or grown out of. Any food my fathers friend gives me that I can't eat since I'm on Keto diet I donate to homeless shelter/food bank. How much do you folks donate?

Thanks in advance

 

[skyactiv]

My wife and I donate clothing and shoes, but the last time I donated it was to a VOA.

 

[fsdork]

I struggle with my own judgement when it comes to the "need" of the people receiving donations. There is a long list of people who I would have no problem helping out, but it is hard to swallow the fact that a lot of food bank donations go to people who are just plain lazy. I would be interested to hear about charities that do a better than average job of filtering out the less deserving recipients. Or maybe I should just accept the reality of these things, and focus on the fact that some percentage of my donation would go where it is truly needed.

 

[eljefino]

We mostly give to Goodwill. Firstly because it's convenient and secondly due to their teaching job skills within our own community.

My kids used to play with a kid whose parents were crack heads and we sent him home with a few extra snacks & books in his backpack. When he visited he'd bring an apple down to a pencil-thin core while my own brats just gnawed a white stripe around the perimeter.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

One of my peeves is the Food bank right across from my workout gym has people driving up on one and two year old cars then coming out with a cart full of groceries. Lots of people are abusing this. I'm very careful where I make my donations. Need I say this Food bank isn't one of them.

 

[FlyNavyP3]

I give money to DAV, disabled American veterans. The amount it personal, but it's not insignificant. They do a lot for Veterans around the country and personally helped our family by providing services and support to my Grandfather who was a WWII battle of the bulge vet.

Clothes and household goods go to Goodwill because it's convenient, not because I think they use the donations in the best or most efficient manner. But it's still better than throwing perfectly serviceable items away.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by fsdork
I struggle with my own judgement when it comes to the "need" of the people receiving donations. There is a long list of people who I would have no problem helping out, but it is hard to swallow the fact that a lot of food bank donations go to people who are just plain lazy. I would be interested to hear about charities that do a better than average job of filtering out the less deserving recipients. Or maybe I should just accept the reality of these things, and focus on the fact that some percentage of my donation would go where it is truly needed.
There will always be someone who will take advantage, but if you donate consistently you will probably help people out. From what I understand some charities give out staples like flour, oil, potatoes, canned goods. These would be less desirable for a lazy and really help someone out who can use them. If they're giving out snack foods and cereal, vultures will be all over that like white on rice.

 

[53' Stude]

Originally Posted by FlyNavyP3
I give money to DAV, disabled American veterans. The amount it personal, but it's not insignificant. They do a lot for Veterans around the country and personally helped our family by providing services and support to my Grandfather who was a WWII battle of the bulge vet.

Clothes and household goods go to Goodwill because it's convenient, not because I think they use the donations in the best or most efficient manner. But it's still better than throwing perfectly serviceable items away.



Very good point. I have been giving to the Vietnam vets also as of late as well

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by FlyNavyP3
I give money to DAV, disabled American veterans. The amount it personal, but it's not insignificant. They do a lot for Veterans around the country and personally helped our family by providing services and support to my Grandfather who was a WWII battle of the bulge vet.

Clothes and household goods go to Goodwill because it's convenient, not because I think they use the donations in the best or most efficient manner. But it's still better than throwing perfectly serviceable items away.





The DAV is a top notch organization that does a lot of good. The Salvation Army is another good place to donate.

 

[OVERKILL]

Given how much I pay in taxes that fund social programs, public housing, social assistance, which includes free dental for those on it..etc I do not donate monetary sums to any organization, though I used to donate to th Princess Margaret Cancer fund. We do however, donate appliances, round the house items and clothing to Value Village.

 

[spasm3]

If i see an older veteran in a restaurant, i will usually ask my waiter/waitress to bring me his bill, and keep it anonymous. I do this especially if he is eating alone. I'd done the same thing if i see an LEO eating.

 

[Bud]

I am a life member of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Associations. I donate through them to help military families.

 

[Dinoburner]

We donate to the DAV annually and local food bank and a small donation center that delivers to northern NH. Being a vet myself I`m discouraged by how the VA doesn`t live up to the hype in the news media but maybe should start a different thread.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted by Dinoburner
We donate to the DAV annually and local food bank and a small donation center that delivers to northern NH. Being a vet myself I`m discouraged by how the VA doesn`t live up to the hype in the news media but maybe should start a different thread.

I would like to disband the VA fire all the employees. Then Give the vets a medical credit card and let the Vets get the best care they can find.The Vets earned the benefits.

 

[RooflessVW]

Toys For Tots

 

[Duffyjr]

We have a couple bins in the basement that we put clothes in and when they get full I take it to the Salvation Army along with anything else I don't want or need that may be of value to someone else, the guy that runs it does a really good job for what he has to work with. We stopped giving cash years ago because of not being sure how it is used.

I used to get mailings from the disabled veterans, address labels etc...so what ever cash I had on hand I would send them but for some reason they stopped sending me mailings, maybe I wasn't giving enough.