Looking for charity suggestions

None | 11/23/2005 | Yours Truly

[ChicagoHebrew]

I will be receiving my Christmas bonus in about two weeks. In keeping with the Jewish requirement of donating 10% of my income to charity, I'm now in the market for some good place to give to.

I'd like to give to a charity focusing on the truly poor -- those people unfortunate enough to live in destitute countries -- and one that focuses on developing poor economies (i.e. providing clean drinking water, educating people on modern farming methods, microcredit, fighting malaria with DDT) rather than simply giving handouts.

Note: I will not give to an organization that tries to promote Christianity (or Islam for that matter). I love and respect what good-hearted Christians can do, but as a Jew I simply will not aid Christian missionizing with my money.

Any suggestions?

[ChicagoHebrew]

Tell that to the homeless and destitute people who lost everything they had in Gush Katif / Hurricane Katrina.

No offense, but rubbish. The people who are in Gush Katif don't have it easy. But they are living in relatively modern trailors, with access to running water, free medical care, etc. Likewise, the victims of Katrina are in developed world shelters. Both are being relatively compensated by either the Israeli government, the U.S. government, and/or insurance companies.

Have you ever been to a REAL developing country? 40% of the planet lives on less than a dollar a day. I've been to places where people live in mud huts and burn dung for warmth when the temperature dips to 5 below. That's poor.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Okay, I'll bite. What do you have against Christian charitable organizations?

I have nothing against Christian organizations. If they do good work, I'm all for it. But I will not financially support the promotion of Christianity. Let me ask you this: could you financially support an organization that promotes Islam or Hinduism? What if they otherwise do good work? I bet not.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Why focus somewhere else? A lot of good can be done right here.

No offense intended, but Americans are so ignorant. For any given amount of money, a LOT more can be accomplished abroad than within the US. How many places in the US lack clean water? Or are ridden with malaria? Or where people live on less than a dollar a day? By third-world standards, even crack whores are well-off in the US.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Without several countries made up of "good-hearted Christian" men and women fighting and dying by the tens of thousands 60 years ago, you and yours might not be here today. Put that in you Menorah and light it.

And would you finance a charity that promotes Islam or Hinduism? I doubt it. So don't tell me what to do with my money. Or are you really a liberal troll?

[alisasny]

DITTO your comment.

[COBOL2Java]

I would suggest the Fisher House Foundation. This from their website:

The Fisher House™ Program

The Fisher House™ program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House™ Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illnes, disease, or injury.

There is at least one Fisher House™ at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Annually, the Fisher House™ program serves more than 8,500 families, and have made available more than two million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990. Based on a comparison of fees at a Fisher House™ (the average charge is less than $10 per family per day, with many locations offering rooms at no cost) with commercial lodging facilities in the same area, it is estimated that families have saved more than $60 million by staying at a Fisher House™ since the program began.

In addition to constructing new houses, Fisher House™ Foundation continues to support existing Fisher Houses™ and help individual military families in need. Families and friends of patients at any of the military's hospitals can now receive up-to-the-minute reports on a loved one by going to the patient's own customized web page, thanks to new services provided through CaringBridge. We are also proud to administer and sponsor Scholarships for Military Children, the Hero Miles program, and co-sponsor the Newman's Own Award.

[Samwise]

No offense intended, but Americans are so ignorant.

Now why would I take offense at being called ignorant?

[eleni121]

Let me ask you this: could you financially support an organization that promotes Islam or Hinduism?
ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

Equating Islam with Christianity tells me more than I want to know about you.

[ChicagoHebrew]

In case anyone was wondering, I decided to give to the Trickle Up foundation. Reading their mission statement (www.trickleup.org) it sounds like a great moral cause -- and conservative as well. Trickle Up's mission "is to help the lowest income people worldwide take the first step up out of poverty, by providing conditional seed capital and business training essential to the launch of a small business"

So promoting wealth and capitalism amongst the world's poorest, as a solution to ending poverty? Not bad. Plus, the BBB recognizes them for meeting its criteria for honesty, transparency, and accountability.

[Gay State Conservative]

Sounds like a good organization to me.I'll wager that The Creator will be pleased with your intentions and the way you're planning to put them into action.

[M0sby]

Hey there!
Thanks for taking the time to update all of us about the Charity thing!
I really appreciate hearing back from you and that you took the time to PING each of us! THAT IS A LOT OF WORK!

Good for you for finding such a GREAT charity!

God Bless and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!