Giving in a time of need

I’m one of those people who has a hard time saying no. Particularly when someone comes up to me asking me to support a worthy cause. Especially when that someone is a child. My pantry is full of Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout popcorn. I’ve bought shampoo, seeds, light bulbs, ribbons, bracelets, and a chance to win a dream home, recliner, cash and jewelry. I have placed ads in annuals, school newspapers, and pageant programs knowing that no one really sees the ads, but I don’t want to disappoint the young man or lady selling to me. When I do make these purchases I have a rule. The child selling whatever it is must sell it to me. Not Mom. Not Dad.
Lately I have not been able to help like I would like to. With the economy slowing down as it has, it just isn’t in the budget. So, rather than giving like I normally would to each person, I have had to be a little more selective in what I support and how much I support it with. I’ll still buy the Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout popcorn, but I can no longer supply the whole neighborhood with these treats. You can still find my ads in the various publications but the size of the ads will be smaller. Hopefully, one day, I’ll be able to increase the amount of my gifts to the levels they once were. But until then, I have to say no.
Does this mean that I think less of the needs of these individuals or groups? Absolutely not. Does this mean they are less worthy? Again, no. It simply means that I don’t have the money for it. Is this a hard pill for me to swallow? Wouldn’t I like to be in the position to help everyone who asks? Certainly. But I can’t.
So, who makes the cut? How do I decide who gets money this time and who doesn’t? For me, the number one deciding factor is the gratitude of the person to whom the gift is given. I recently supported a local school who was selling raffle tickets to raise money. The raffle was for $5,000. I knew I had little chance of winning (based on my track record), but I purchased 1 ticket. Normally I would have easily laid down the funds for 5 or more. After the raffle ticket I found out I won! No, I did not get the $5,000. Instead I won a thank you note from an appreciative 11 year-old young man. That was worth more than $5,000 to me. His parents have raised him right.
The point in this article is not to impress you with my charity or to have you feel sorry about my economic struggles (like we don’t all have them). No, my point is, if you don’t have it to give, you can’t give it. Sure would be nice if our government knew this – on both sides of the aisle.