The price of living

For the most part, I don't feel sorry for the homeless people here in the US. I know for a fact that anyone can walk into a McDonalds and get a fulltime job. If they worked for 40 hours a week at $6.50 an hour, that would be $260.00 a week and $13,520 a year. That may not be much, but that is enough for them to get a small little studio apartment and buy the bare necessities.

As for donating, I never donate money. Partly because I don't really have a whole lot to spare, but mainly I don't trust other "less fortunate" people with money because a good majority of them are irresponsible with it. I do however donate old clothes and food at local food drives.

For the random acts of kindness part, I do my part on this. If I see someone broken down on the side of the road, I will pull over and help (Daytime or well lit area, and as long as its not the hood, lol). It is also a great feeling to go above and beyond helping people.

Thats just my $.01 (I can't spare $.02 :) )

A lot of extremely wealthy people do help out, more than most people think. They just don't act like rock stars or movie celebs and have their publicist tell everyone about it. They do it because they want to help people, not because they want their name in the papers or on entertainment tonight.

The two richest people in the world give away BILLIONS each year, and have promised to give even more.

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Originally Posted by Mike_Hawk

The two richest people in the world give away BILLIONS each year, and have promised to give even more.

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Yes, some of these richer people give away billions..... however, not to ppl in this country.....

Look at Madonna.... building an orphange in Malawi Africa.... I dont have an issue with her helping ppl out...but what about our own country.... oh, thats right, she is not even a US resident... she lives in London. So why should she care about ppl in her own country...

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.... helping others in other countrys..... once again, what about our own country? We have plenty of ppl with very little here in the US.

Bill Gates.... yes, just another one more worried about ppl in other countries rather than thier own backyards (the US)

I could propbably go on and on giving names of those who have/are sending butt loads of cash to other countrys and not even thinking about whats going on here in the US... and those ppl are US citizens, yet, they give little to no thought at all about thier fellow country men/women. Why is that? Whatever thier reasoning, it sucks....

If some of those ppl listed above in my rant, and others I failed to mention were to help ppl in thier own home lands, it would not be such a slap in the face to those here when we have to hear about them doing this that and the other in some far off country. Makes me wonder if the reason they are doing for other countrys is because they want nothing more than the publicity it gives them or other benfits that thier "star" status gives them.... such as Madonna..... able to take and adopt a child out of Malawi (who by the way, was not an orphan, his parents chose to give him up), without going through all of Malawi's procedures to adopt.. according to the media, she and Guy should have lived in Malawi, for a year, while being checked out by child welfare workers there to see if they are even capable of raising a child... yet, it was the star status that did this for her.... and I am sure her money helped.

I think it is time that all ppl, including these loaded "stars" should think about what goes on in thier home lands first, rather than some far off country.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are the two richest people and they give away so much each year, and have promised even more when they die...and they are americans.

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Originally Posted by Mike_Hawk

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are the two richest people and they give away so much each year, and have promised even more when they die...and they are americans.

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Yes, but my point is... the money is not given to ppl in the US, it is going out of our country to others.

Bill and his wife run the Bill and Melinda Foundation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%2...tes_Foundation and Warren Buffet has promised to leave his fortunes to that foundation when he passes on..

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Originally Posted by Jeanne

Yes, but my point is... the money is not given to ppl in the US, it is going out of our country to others.

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Well, the way I see it, these people have been able to travel the world, and have seen the desperate conditions in these 3rd world countries that most of us can't even begin to imagine.
America is one of the richest countries. We actually have social programs, free or reduced health clinics, county run emergency rooms, free education, lunch programs for kids, food kitchens, truck stops with free showers, and best of all....CLEAN WATER.
If you could just once go to the places those people are donating to, where children actually DO die of hunger, dysentery, malaria, and many easily treatable and preventable diseases.....these kids are dying in droves, have no clean water, no food, and no hope of any improvement.
In my mind, the people who go over and see for themselves, then do what they can to help are heroes. America doesn't need those donations even a fraction as badly as other places do. If you want to blame someone for the problems in America, point that finger at our own gov't, which spends billions on campaign fincances, weapons, and useless bureaucracies.

And for the record, the child Madonna is adopting wasn't placed for adoption by his parents, just his father. His mother died in childbirth and his brother(s) died of one of those easily treatable (in America) diseases. His father was unable to cope. I can't imagine how hard his life has been, and I seriously doubt anyone else here can, either.

Being a recent college grad, i am trying to put away money too, and i understand how tough it is. While in college i volunteered my time, since money couldn't be. I became a construction leader for Habitat for Humanity, lead week long immersion trips into the inner city, ive worked at soup kitchens clothing drives all that stuff. What bothers me the most were the student at my Uni. Many were from very well off families from Long Island and Jersy (no offense to those who are from the area, but you had to meet these kids!) They were being given nice brand new cars, partying and blowing money every night, while nearly a mile away people were out in the cold and starving. They would volunteer one sat a semester with their Sorority or Fraternity, and expect to be pat on the back, while people like myself were volunteering every sat at habitat 4 humanity, while trying to raise money for other organizations. It bothers me when people do so little and expects to be rewarded for helping when they don't even want to be there.


I comend everyone for volunteering/donating, it is very much appreciated by those who need it, i have seen first hand the smiles on the kids getting new gloves, or a new jacket, or the people who show up to a food wagon, which gives out hot food to those who need. There is only one better feeling to helping people out on a scheduel, it is like it has been said before RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS!! nothin makes you warmer inside!

~mike

PS i agree with giving food and such other than free monitary hand outs, makes the people use it for what it is supposed to be used for (ideally)

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I hate to be so jaded, but I have heard too many stories of people giving money to people on the streets, only to see them go in the liquor store a few hours later with it and money from others.

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I acutally don't give money to people who walk up to me and ask for money. Too many of these people (I run into them when I go into Chicago) are scamming...or they're just wasting it...like the guy wearing the brand new Chicago Bulls Jacket asking you for money.

I've offered food before to a guy asking for money before and he wouldn't take it. He wanted money instead.

I've seen a guy turn down 15 cents becuase he wanted more money than that and the 15 cents wasn't worth it to him.

When we've paid bills and there's not a lot left I try to remember to look around. Yes there might not be a lot of cash left for fun stuff, but we have a nice home, food in the fridge, our health and so forth. A lot of us just don't realize our blessings and live our life for what we will get next week, next year, next pay check. Somedays my blessing might just be a quiet cup of coffee and this forum but that's a wonderful thing to have coffee, a computer and a warm house to sit in that many people will never have. Every day I'm blessed to have a husband and kids I love and love me back, friends to care for and to care about me. I try to remember to say thank you for these daily blessings, big or small.

Recently at our local big transit station I saw a wonderful thing. A local church set up a table and just gave away juice, coffee, milk, etc. for free. No religious pamphlets, no nothing like that. I asked if I could donate or pay for my coffee and they just said "the price of a coffee is a smile". Now that's an act of kindness that costs little but makes someone happy in a small way. So is donating your kid's winter gear to a coats for kids group, so is offering to help an overloaded mom with her kids or buying a homeless person a sandwich, speaking to a lonely older person at the bus stop, shovelling your neighbours walkway, etc.. Whatever you can do to connect in this busy "don't bother me" world.

You don't have to have money to offer yourself to another person. The greatest gift in the end I think isn't about writing a check to a charity but rather in giving another human being a feeling that they aren't alone even if it's only for a few moments in time.