Flip-side
18 December 2004, 17:33
Bagged and tagged gifts for the Smith Family Christmas Appeal yesterday.
It was a well ordered affair – around 30 volunteers came, some from anOther Bank, who shall remain nameless (although they’ve had some nasty affairs of their own to deal with this year) which made for some interesting banter.
We set up in the top floor of a warehouse, with tables scattered around the edges, each table for a different age-group. Donations were unwrapped, sorted into age-groups, then bagged – one “big” toy, 3 smaller toys/novelties, and 1 book.
Lots of things couldn’t go into bags – religious toys, table tennis sets (likelihood of v. poor family having table tennis table being v. slim) and really big/expensive toys – gift envy is still rife out there (hey, didn’t you compare your gifts with your brothers/sisters gifts when you were kid? I almost whipped out my calculator for Christmas analysis during the troubled-teen years…)
My anal-retentive nazi side kicked into 5th gear when I saw bags with 5 books in them. What were these volunteers thinking? I mean, how pissed would you be if you were a kid and you got 5 books, when your neighbour got a Spiderman suit, Incredible Hulk action toy and Formula One leggo set? I soon got a rep as a bossy boots which was not my intention, but at least things got done right.
It did amaze me the gifts people donated – x-boxes, bikes, cd players… those gifts are used for special cases throughout the year, not as part of the Christmas Appeal. For example, if a mum or dad has cancer and a small army of kids, they will give the kids an x-box while the folks are in hospital. Their neighbours would hardly have gift-envy of super-gift, given the situation.
On the flip side of this generosity are the scumbag(s) who stole $17,000 worth of donations from the Starlight Foundation. What sort of mother-^&*$%#@ assholes would do something like that? Shit, go rob a Bank with a truckload of robbery insurance. Oh that’s right, it’s easier for cowards to steal from a charity than a big armour-guarded bank.
I’d like to think the altruistic contingent is bigger than the asshole one. I think that culturally, it’s quite different in Japan, where probably fewer people give to charities/do something to help the homeless or poor, but at the same time, would never steal from a charity. I think the extremes are more defined in Australia. The Japanese seem to be very generous (tied to obligation? I’m not sure) amongst their “own”/their “superiors” etc. but the stigma of being poor or helpless or homeless is still very real and the current of volunteerism is still a bit retarded (although getting better, I understand).
Am I off the mark here?
Permanent Link | - *F* Fudge! They were my charity when I didn Project Blog this year. Dammit all to hell. I hate that. It's hard enough that kids who are sick hardly get to smile, but to have an organisation like this suffer such a set-back... ARGH. I hope their (the theives) bollocks turn green and fall off.
— Ren Dec 19, 03:07 AM #
