From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Please, help if oyu can.
Message-ID: <h1948vo0l0632us3v8lo1ni46912g4eicb@4ax.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 17:31:22 -0500

On Wed, 26 Mar 2003 08:28:17 -0500, "JEB" <berndt@berndtmd.REMOVE.ME.com>
wrote:

>If you are interested in doing something good for a soldier please consider
>this request.

good plan.  something else people can do.  I was listening to WGST in Atlanta
via the internet a few days ago when Kim Peterson, ex-marine and afternoon
talk show host, forwarded a request for people to send international prepaid
phone cards.  He said that phones are available over there but the
international rates amount to extortion.  I bought one of those large economy
packs of cards at Sam's and sent 'em off to the address he gave out (sorry, I
didn't save it.)  On each card I wrote "THANK YOU" with a magic marker.

I wish I had saved the address, as I'd like to send some more.  I suppose
googling might turn up a clue or a call to the local Nat Guard armory or
recruiting office might work.

After this is over let's not forget these guys.  Especially those of us in
retail.  A lot of them, especially reserves, are undergoing great financial
hardship in order to serve, hardship that won't end when the Flag goes up over
Baghdad.

Ever since I opened the doors on my restaurant I've had a little publicized
policy of giving any combat vet I find out about a free meal.  Once a month
for regulars.  I'm expanding the program by printing signs to go in the dining
room and having my waitresses point out the program.  I hate to limit it to
just actual combat vets but I'm not made of money...

Anyone who owns a retail establishment can do the same thing.  For those NOT
in retail, you can buy gift certificates at restaurants, C-stores and the like
and ask the proprietor to hand them out to soldiers.  A meal or a tank of gas
would be most welcome.

Something else I do that others might want to copy is to search out vets that
could use some assistance and do anonymous nice things for them.  For example,
there is a vietnam combat vet who's disabled that I pay his electric bill each
winter.  Nobody knows who is doing this because do it via money order in an
unmarked envelope.  All I had to do was call the utility and ask what his
account number was and then mark that on the MO.

There's another local vet, an amputee, who I bought an electric scooter.  Had
it delivered anonymously.  I really love seeing him scooting around downtown
on his new ride.

I don't give a dime to organized charity, as I don't want to support the
professional drones nor do I want my money flushed down the toilet known as
"the needy".  I quietly find people who need things and give directly.  Your
local VFW, DAV or American Legion can give you names of soldiers who could
benefit from your generosity.

I don't do "the needy" thing.  I try to find vets who are doing OK but whose
quality of life isn't what I think they've earned.  The gifts seem to be much
more productive that way.

None of this is tax deductible but then I don't want uncle sam paying any of
my tab.

I thought about making this post for quite some time, not wanting to come
across as a charity whore pimping for ego stroking.  But I couldn't figure out
any other way to get the idea out without just describing what I've been
doing.  I just want to stimulate others to think outside the box when they're
considering ways to do their giving.

John

PS: for any of you RV'ing combat vets, John G's BBQ is in Microsoft Streets &
Trips.  GPS over this way and let me buy your lunch!

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Please, help if oyu can.
Message-ID: <nqd48vc9psuorc9h2gq60beugsps3fo2dj@4ax.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 18:36:09 -0500

On Wed, 26 Mar 2003 17:31:22 -0500, Neon John <johngd@bellsouth.net> wrote:


>good plan.  something else people can do.  I was listening to WGST in Atlanta
>via the internet a few days ago when Kim Peterson, ex-marine and afternoon
>talk show host, forwarded a request for people to send international prepaid
>phone cards.  He said that phones are available over there but the
>international rates amount to extortion.  I bought one of those large economy
>packs of cards at Sam's and sent 'em off to the address he gave out (sorry, I
>didn't save it.)  On each card I wrote "THANK YOU" with a magic marker.

To follow up my own post, I found out that it is the USO that is sponsoring
this phone card effort.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: OT: Bad charities
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 17:18:53 -0500
Message-ID: <blqnt1dt1g5aoff9fa81dleh3b7joibf4j@4ax.com>

It grieves me to see how much money is blown on so-called organized
charities.  I couldn't believe people gave red cross a billion dollars
to waste last year.

I encourage people to not give a dime to any organized charity.  There
are more than enough local and direct needs to soak up every spare
dollar.  Your church can point you to needy people, not lazy-assed
deadbeats but truly needy.  Same with the local Salvation Army.  Not
to give SA any money but to find someone to help directly.

GIs are another good target.  I can't think of a better thing to do
than help make the lives of those putting their lives on the line a
little better.  My current personal project is buying and sending
prepaid phone cards to Iraq so the GIs can call home at no cost.  The
VFW and USO are coordinating the shipping.  Rather than give money
that can be wasted on overhead, I buy as many cards as I can (Sam's
Club/AT&T is about the best deal) and send them to the VFW to be put
in care packages or shipped en masse to units that need them.

The nice thing about direct giving is that you can control where the
money goes.  I won't help anyone who smokes or has consumer debt, for
example.  No use pissing my dollars away on reckless and irresponsible
lifestyles.

If we all did things like that, we could help people who actually
deserve it while starving out the professional charity whores who
populate the upper ranks of "charities".

John

On Sat, 28 Jan 2006 19:47:00 GMT, "Bill Kiene" <billkiene@kiene.com>
wrote:

>There was a good piece in a local CA paper about how bad some charities are
>now.
>
>They had a dozen or so that had between 5 to 15% of their funds raised that
>actually got to the people in need. It should be the other way around.
>
>I think this should be illegal and the government should had a standard for
>operation costs. Maybe 20% operation cost max to be considered non-profit.
>
>It is actually a form of fraud. Be careful where you donate your money.