Jul 20 2009
Charity without prosperity
Today I came across the ugly, handmade box that once belonged to my maternal grandparents. Just a few whiffs of its musty contents – old letters and brittle copies of the Michigan Catholic - is enough to set off my allergies. But after they died, no one pitched it. It represents their charity. The carefully type-written letters, often dating back to the Depression years of my mother’s toddler-hood, convey thanks and prayers.
My grandfather was a farmer and my grandmother a farmer’s wife who, in the tradition of the family, was the one who handled the pocketbook. She could squeeze a nickel until it screamed. There were children to feed and clothe, but they wanted to help out others.
When my Aunt Alice passed the box to me, she showed the dates of the letters. They had had no money to spare, yet they had managed to make donations. I was reminded of the Widow’s Mite.
It’s odd I should come across the box again now.
Like most Americans who still have jobs, I have grown cautious with my money. However, I’m also aware of the growing need for food, shelter, and financial support. So how to be generous without being reckless and to save without being stingy?
Here are just a few ways that members of my community have given with what they have:
1. The charity rummage sale. A few young mothers held a 50/50 yard sale, with 50% of their profits going to a local charity. They didn’t have disposable income or time to volunteer outside the home, but they had some stuff to sell. Organizations also do this; e.g. this week my parish is accepting donations for their annual rummage sale.
2. Scrip. My parish sells this and, now that I understand how it works, it looks like a painless way to give. In a nutshell, you buy a gift card for your usual goods and services. The seller of the card (the church or school) keeps 5-15% of the sale. For example, you buy a $100 gift card for the grocery store. The church or school keeps $5-15 and the store gets the rest. Your wallet doesn’t feel pinched, since you still buy $100 worth of groceries with the card.
3. BOGO Giving. A couple told me about this last spring. Their children’s school had a can drive for the local food pantry. They found an easy way to contribute: When there was a Buy One, Get One Free sale, one time went into their cupboard and the other went into a box for the food pantry.
4. The Change Jar. (Or the ”Hope-and-Change Jar”, if you like.) This works well for guys who hate carrying change. Or fed-up moms who are tired of family members who don’t empty their pockets before throwing clothes into the laundry. Every time you have a coin, drop it in a jar. Once every month or two, donate the money.
5. Curb-side Refurbs. If you’re handy and see something on the curb that you can fix up, then you have a gift to share. So many people do this out of necessity, but it can also be charity. Years ago in Ann Arbor, I bought a 10-speed bike for $60 from a man who rebuilt and refurbished bikes salvaged from the garbage. A cancer survivor, he donated the proceeds to help the families of cancer patients who traveled to the University of Michigan hospital system.
I’m sure you can think of other ways to give, even when it seems you have nothing to spare.
