Donations for Wreaths

[hortysir]

The nonprofit responsible for placing wreaths on 230,000 headstones at Arlington National Cemetery expects to be 30,000 wreaths short this year due to a lack of funding
The group’s team captain Bre Kingsbury said they are hoping for more donors to step forward before the fundraising deadline. Each wreath is $15 and donors can contribute directly at wreathsacrossamerica.org.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

The money should come from any bonuses due at the VA

 

[hortysir]

The money should come from any bonuses due at the VA

None of their funds come from the government, though. That's what makes them so awesome. I wonder if some of their shortfall is because of campaign contributions......30,000 short is awful. How do you decide who does and doesn't get a wreath

 

[Moonglow]

make smaller wreaths..

 

[hortysir]

make smaller wreaths..

little late in the game for that now

 

[leftwinger]

I have really soured on any "non-profit" charities over many years. Like the Clinton foundation. Maybe 10% of donations actually get to anyone in need? Always some 6-figure set of do-nothings in charge. I prefer to give direct.

 

[hortysir]

I have really soured on any "non-profit" charities over many years. Like the Clinton foundation. Maybe 10% of donations actually get to anyone in need? Always some 6-figure set of do-nothings in charge. I prefer to give direct.

Hard to pull on any profit from a $15 wreath. My wife makes ours herself every year and it's $20+ easy

 

[SassyIrishLass]

I have really soured on any "non-profit" charities over many years. Like the Clinton foundation. Maybe 10% of donations actually get to anyone in need? Always some 6-figure set of do-nothings in charge. I prefer to give direct.

Reminds me of a men's homeless shelter where we used to live, they rake in millions and provide the bare minimum in support of those that need it, all the while with the employee lot full of luxury cars, most of the employees live in the most well to do suburb of the city and worst of all it's supposedly "faith based". Jesus has a face palm

 

[hortysir]

I have really soured on any "non-profit" charities over many years. Like the Clinton foundation. Maybe 10% of donations actually get to anyone in need? Always some 6-figure set of do-nothings in charge. I prefer to give direct.

Reminds me of a men's homeless shelter where we used to live, they rake in millions and provide the bare minimum in support of those that need it, all the while with the employee lot full of luxury cars, most of the employees live in the most well to do suburb of the city and worst of all it's supposedly "faith based". Jesus has a face palm

Sounds like Salvation army

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I don't have any objection to this but personally, I would rather help vets and their families who need jobs and homes.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

I have really soured on any "non-profit" charities over many years. Like the Clinton foundation. Maybe 10% of donations actually get to anyone in need? Always some 6-figure set of do-nothings in charge. I prefer to give direct.

Reminds me of a men's homeless shelter where we used to live, they rake in millions and provide the bare minimum in support of those that need it, all the while with the employee lot full of luxury cars, most of the employees live in the most well to do suburb of the city and worst of all it's supposedly "faith based". Jesus has a face palm

Sounds like Salvation army

Yeah and that shelter has a city council woman on it's board so anytime an organization tries to start up something to get the job done the city magically finds a way to shut it down. Last I heard there was a lawsuit brewing over the entire mess

 

[hortysir]

I don't have any objection to this but personally, I would rather help vets and their families who need jobs and homes.

I would support that initiative But, again, that's all backed by the government. Wreaths Across America is all private funding. Me and MrsHorty are "debating" how many to donate.....I'm shooting for ten, but she says five.....probably end up being eight, I hope

 

[hortysir]

I have really soured on any "non-profit" charities over many years. Like the Clinton foundation. Maybe 10% of donations actually get to anyone in need? Always some 6-figure set of do-nothings in charge. I prefer to give direct.

Reminds me of a men's homeless shelter where we used to live, they rake in millions and provide the bare minimum in support of those that need it, all the while with the employee lot full of luxury cars, most of the employees live in the most well to do suburb of the city and worst of all it's supposedly "faith based". Jesus has a face palm

Sounds like Salvation army

Yeah and that shelter has a city council woman on it's board so anytime an organization tries to start up something to get the job done the city magically finds a way to shut it down. Last I heard there was a lawsuit brewing over the entire mess

I've stopped donating to SA and RC.....too much overhead

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I have really soured on any "non-profit" charities over many years. Like the Clinton foundation. Maybe 10% of donations actually get to anyone in need? Always some 6-figure set of do-nothings in charge. I prefer to give direct.

Reminds me of a men's homeless shelter where we used to live, they rake in millions and provide the bare minimum in support of those that need it, all the while with the employee lot full of luxury cars, most of the employees live in the most well to do suburb of the city and worst of all it's supposedly "faith based". Jesus has a face palm

A local men's homeless shelter that "rakes in millions"?

I doubt it.

We donate constantly to the local homeless shelter. They don't "rake in millions" and the "employee parking lot is not full of luxury cars. Local shelters simply do not support in the millions of dollars from the community.

ClasslessAss says this kind of crap every day but can never back it up with facts.

I am also very skeptical about most national charities. Many years ago, I volunteered with March of Dimes and was horrified at what I saw. It most certainly has not gotten any better.

I don't usually donate to national charities but prefer to give to local groups for the very reason stated above - too much money goes to the top and, just like the Repub's voodoo economics, very little trickles down to those who need it.

 

[tinydancer]

I try to really sort out charities. When you find out that so many have head honchos that have six figure salaries and levels of bureaucracy that would put the government to shame it's so disheartening.

We grow an extra garden for our local food bank. But my favorite is all leading up to Christmas we buy all these stuffed toys and decorate them for our local women's shelter. So the babies stuck at the shelter over Christmas know that Santa loves them too. Been doing it for years now.

 

[tinydancer]

I have really soured on any "non-profit" charities over many years. Like the Clinton foundation. Maybe 10% of donations actually get to anyone in need? Always some 6-figure set of do-nothings in charge. I prefer to give direct.

Reminds me of a men's homeless shelter where we used to live, they rake in millions and provide the bare minimum in support of those that need it, all the while with the employee lot full of luxury cars, most of the employees live in the most well to do suburb of the city and worst of all it's supposedly "faith based". Jesus has a face palm

Sounds like Salvation army

Yeah and that shelter has a city council woman on it's board so anytime an organization tries to start up something to get the job done the city magically finds a way to shut it down. Last I heard there was a lawsuit brewing over the entire mess

I've stopped donating to SA and RC.....too much overhead

Red Cross completely gets me spitting bullets. Now up here they've started a new power drive to sucker people in for donating to their new and improved bullying campaign.

They are only in it for the money.

 

[blastoff]

I was surprised to hear the price of a pack of cigarettes in a convenience store the other day, $7 and change which seems like a lot since the days I'd get a pack at the store for my grampa for like 35-cents.

A day or so later I'm waiting in line to pull out of the Costco parking lot. There at the turn light I'm waiting on was a "homeless" person, complete with long face and sign detailing his life's woes, for which he's seeking donations from others. And all the while he's sucking on a cigarette while trying to look as needy as possible. But I figure anyone who's got enough money to blow that much on a pack of smokes is doing just fine, so I declined to contribute.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

The nonprofit responsible for placing wreaths on 230,000 headstones at Arlington National Cemetery expects to be 30,000 wreaths short this year due to a lack of funding
The group’s team captain Bre Kingsbury said they are hoping for more donors to step forward before the fundraising deadline. Each wreath is $15 and donors can contribute directly at wreathsacrossamerica.org.

I notice on the site that you can choose to put a wreath at a local cemetery. My father is buried at Ft Logan National Military Cemetery.

Like I said, I don't object to people spending to do this but imagine how many meals each of those $15 wreaths could buy.

Another very worthwhile cause (IMO) is Toys For Tots and we always spend pretty substantial bucks to buying toys for them.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

I was surprised to hear the price of a pack of cigarettes in a convenience store the other day, $7 and change which seems like a lot since the days I'd get a pack at the store for my grampa for like 35-cents.

A day or so later I'm waiting in line to pull out of the Costco parking lot. There at the turn light I'm waiting on was a "homeless" person, complete with long face and sign detailing his life's woes, for which he's seeking donations from others. And all the while he's sucking on a cigarette while trying to look as needy as possible. But I figure anyone who's got enough money to blow that much on a pack of smokes is doing just fine, so I declined to contribute.

I've had them ask for money while holding the classic paper bag with a bottle in it.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I was surprised to hear the price of a pack of cigarettes in a convenience store the other day, $7 and change which seems like a lot since the days I'd get a pack at the store for my grampa for like 35-cents.

A day or so later I'm waiting in line to pull out of the Costco parking lot. There at the turn light I'm waiting on was a "homeless" person, complete with long face and sign detailing his life's woes, for which he's seeking donations from others. And all the while he's sucking on a cigarette while trying to look as needy as possible. But I figure anyone who's got enough money to blow that much on a pack of smokes is doing just fine, so I declined to contribute.

So?

Buy him a pack of cigarettes.

What is it with people who think they have the right to tell others how to spend their money. To be honest, I don't much care for people who can't afford food but can buy cigs and booze but that's their business and their problem.

If you don't want him to spend it on cigs, buy him food.

Or, just be the pissant, judgmental little tiny person you are.

The bottom line is, once you give a gift, you also give up the right to say what happens to that gift.