Are you kidding me with all of this? A day hasn't gone by in the past week where I did not get hit up to buy popcorn, a magazine, a raffle ticket, entertainment book, etc etc etc. Really, it's gotten completely out of hand, imo, and is turning me sour.
I know I'm gonna ruffle some feathers here, and I know I can simply say "no thank you"...but why am I (we) being counted on for you (not you....you) to send your kid to Catholic school, Cub scouts, sports tournaments, camps, retreats, etc etc? Then I fall into the trap (yes, a personal weakness) of judging how the parents spend their money.....yet always expect me to support their kids to get ahead.
Don't even get me started when I'm asked to support an adult organization (not the biggies like the Eagles, American Legion, VFW, etc) but, for example, a men's softball team? So that they can travel to "nationals" are you kidding me, bub? You want me to support you to go on vacation? hahahahahaha
The catholic school thing really gets me riled....as our public school district, a good one, struggles financially,and is annually raided for athletes (leaving our cupboards bare). Then to top it off, I can sit back and watch a top notch TV commercial/recruiting tool, professionally produced by the catholic high schools. That's a nice kick in the balls.
wheeew....End of rant. :>)
Collecting, by LAWRENCE JAY DESSNER
Toledo, 1978
In my town
Children come collecting:
The St. Pius marching band needs plumage,
Abandoned infants need my old telephone books,
The United Methodists, affluent with Bingo,
Want to give my old clothing to the poor.
The downcast eye and shuffled foot
Of primordial and vestiginal shame
May do for the simpler causes of nine or ten;
Soon it will be the popped and glossy eye,
The heartless learned-by-heart spiel.
The children will graduate to magazine subscriptions,
To proud boast, begging for Junior Achievement.
They will grow to nestled cookware and hopechests,
To encyclopedias, expensive light bulbs.
They will bloom, at last, to cemetery lots,
Insurance, OK Used Cars, trailers, Hoovers,
Aluminum siding, foamed insulation, baby pictures,
Diapers. They will come with cosmetics,
Tubs of detergents, carpet swatches.
They will call, long distance, from retirement villages,
Vacation estates, sanctified retreats
Where our next Saint stands ready to pray for me.
Cerebral palsy,
Sending the soccer team to Albuquerque,
And Jerry Lewis' disease,
Will be their recreation. In due time,
They will take their last leave of my stoop.
Friends will come collecting for their gold watches.
Public schools have just as many fundraisers, so it isn't a Catholic school thing.
If I'm not interested in the product, I typically just say no thanks, and be done with it. No reason to let it get under my skin.
I've recently been in several cities on business (St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Dallas)...and in each city, I've seen a ton of "football players" fundraising on the streets for some sort of team thing. If legitimate, any parent that consents or any coach that allows players to dodge through traffic to collect donations (and these are BIG intersections--major thoroughfares) is not only an idiot, but damn near criminally stupid. But in actuality, I don't believe they're real--just a new way of begging and taking advantage of people's goodwill. Haven't seen it here in Toledo, but maybe I'm travelling the wrong intersections at the wrong times of the day.
Sad part is, all of this questionable fundraising is having the effect (at least on me) of making me much less generous when confronted with face-to-face appeals, unless it is someone I know.
I'll buy things from students in our neighborhood that attend local schools. It seems that sports teams, elementary level, need to raise money.
I'm known as a soft touch around here by the kids. When they have lemonade, cookie, etc. stands I am the first to purchase. And they also deliver to my door if need be.
I do not feel I'm being used at all. I gladly support our local schools and their activities.
We know, Jackie. We know.
Bulldog, I feel your pain. The only thing I can say in defense of the practice (kids selling things, not just asking for $) is that it teaches the larger lesson that if you want something special, or to travel farther, or to get a better whatever than is already supplied, you have to personally get your butt outside and do the sales work and find out what it's like to get money firsthand.
We're pretty low on kids right now, but I have enjoyed seeing one local girl go from tongue-tied stammerer to confident, organized saleswoman in the course of 4 years!