Poll

[ewt]

[Poll #1112752]


As always feel free to discuss further in comments...

Comments

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I didn't answer the "if everyone acted as I did..." question because my answer would be "pretty much the same, but maybe a tiny bit better". I would aspire to help those less fortunate but in practice I admit I don't do an awful lot.

And the organised voluntary work was just a 24-hour charity fast at school while collecting money on the street, so not that impressive.

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

I also didn't answer, because I thought "better" sounded pretty arrogant, especially since I don't do very much, and none of the others really fit. I think the world would be better if everyone *did* "do their bit", but they might not necessarily do it the same way I would, and that's probably good.

[dyfferent.livejournal.com]

I do what I can, but it's not much. If my husband and I ever split up, I will be homeless myself. As it is, I do not have much at all. I tend to give groceries out of my bag to homeless people, it's not very impressive, I know.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

If everybody dropped as little litter as I did, the world would be a better place, because I drop zero litter. I try to help other people when they need it and it's only putting me out a little, like if a friend is being threatened with eviction if they don't clean their house and they have no time to do it, or somebody is foreign, confused and holding a map and it seems appropriate to offer them directions. I try to be helpful whenever I can.

I don't do any organised charitable things, like helping in a homeless shelter or in a charity shop*. I just have too much to do already. I think everybody does; the reaction of big business and the housing market to women being able to earn a living was to make it too expensive for anybody to live without a job unless they marry somebody earning an enormous salary who is trustworthy and convincable. Nobody has any time anymore. I think the blame for there not being enough volunteers should be laid entirely on the doorstep of people who profited from enormous property prices and the heads of big business.

(So I suppose my answer to the question would the world be a better place if everybody acted like I did would be no, because nobody would run shelters and charities. But if the average went in my direction I think it would be going in the good direction.)

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Thinking about it, I am also passing on the charity daneel_olivaw gave to me when I was on single figures of thousands a year and he was well employed and bought me lots of dinners. I accepted on the understanding that I would buy broke students dinners when I had more money, so I am, or at least I make them dinners sometimes.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

*nod* It is certainly my intention to pay forward the charity that people have shown me in this particular area, as and when I am able to do so.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

I think everybody does; the reaction of big business and the housing market to women being able to earn a living was to make it too expensive for anybody to live without a job unless they marry somebody earning an enormous salary who is trustworthy and convincable. Nobody has any time anymore. I think the blame for there not being enough volunteers should be laid entirely on the doorstep of people who profited from enormous property prices and the heads of big business.

I think there is some truth in that, but I also think people have bought into the "I need lots of stuff to be happy" tales they are told by advertising. I know I struggle with this and in many ways I'm less consumerist than average.

I think most people do not think about the consequences (for others) of the purchases they make, and big business has been able to profit from this.

[crankles.livejournal.com]

Now that I am employed again, I'm going to start giving monthly to three different charities: a local community thing (probably the free medical clinic that helped me years ago when I was sick), a local environmental protection group, and something non-local, whatever that may be. I have to research which charities I want to give to once I get my first paycheck.

I'm curious about "charities are a way for the rich to assuage their consciences." What is the alternative? I mean, if you have a lot of money, isn't it right to give some to the poor? Or are we talking about celebrity orphan adoption and things that seem designed more to bring press to famous people?

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

I'm curious about "charities are a way for the rich to assuage their consciences." What is the alternative? I mean, if you have a lot of money, isn't it right to give some to the poor? Or are we talking about celebrity orphan adoption and things that seem designed more to bring press to famous people?


Good question.

I guess I'm assuming that many (not necessarily all) of the rich have managed to get rich through means that are at best unfair (inheritance) and at worst directly exploitative of those less fortunate. I possibly should not have used the word 'rich' when what I meant was 'guilty and wealthy'.

I think that it's particularly hypocritical to invest in certain industries (for example those reliant on child labour or environmental damage), and then to donate a tiny portion of the income from that to alleviating poverty. I don't think that's really charity--yes, it's better than not donating anything at all, but it's not as good as thinking about the initial choices to be made... I'd rather see ethical investment in the first place.

[pplfichi.livejournal.com]

If I do something to someone's benefit it's usually with no strings attached, but generally such people will help others where required, and would try to help me back if I asked, without any explicit being said. There are times when I will want to be paid back, but that's usually involving specific resources (eg books or money) and I'll make that clear initially.

[siderea]

Hmm. From my perspective, the topic of the poll changed several times -- kindness != charity != volunteering != just concerned with poverty -- and I wonder if there was an implicit assumption of connection.

Few things that lept to mind when you asked about kindness have anything to do with charity -- charity is about helping those in need, but we may (and hopefully do) do kindnesses even to those who don't particularly need them.

Also, I've done a lot of volunteer work -- for an educational org whose mission is the general public, not the needy. If you volunteer at your local science museum, is that charity?

Meanwhile, I have done unpaid work in direct support of the profoundly needy -- but not uncompensated, for I got academic credit. I was the only non-professional there; they don't generally trust volunteers to do that work. Volunteering can be lovely, but mostly it provides causes with amateurs, and those in need are often better served by professionals -- people with specialist training, and more durable commitments to the field.

Amateurs have a bad rep among certain branches of the social services because amateurs tend to have oversimplified conceptions of the problems and not realize the depth of their ignorance, and thus reimplement the same sorts of problematic solutions as were tried and discarded in the past. Particularly problematic is white folks with no clue about the racial dimensions of a problem coming in to tell people of color their business. Not that that doesn't happen with professionals, but the professions are aware there's a problem there and trying to do something about it in the training of subsequent generations.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

From my perspective, the topic of the poll changed several times -- kindness != charity != volunteering != just concerned with poverty -- and I wonder if there was an implicit assumption of connection.

There is a link but it's rather tenuous, in that those who are concerned about poverty may try to do something about it through volunteering or charity, and those who are kind may be concerned about poverty if they give it a bit of thought.

If you volunteer at your local science museum, is that charity?

Yes, if people are in need of education and the science museum is one way to provide it. I don't think 'needy' only applies to people lacking the bottom rungs of Maslow's Hierarchy.

Volunteering can be lovely, but mostly it provides causes with amateurs, and those in need are often better served by professionals -- people with specialist training, and more durable commitments to the field.

Agreed. I think the issues with that are more about good program coordination than anything else, though; even amateurs can do some basic fund-raising for most causes.

[ruthi.livejournal.com]

I found it a lot easier to remember instances of people helping me than instances of me helping others. It might be because there is a discrepancy, it might be my mind-set (of 'what I do counts for less').

[poggle.livejournal.com]

I find I do things for others like if I am going shopping I will ask others if they want things, same when I go to the Doctors do they need a prescription picking up. I do these things automatically so don't see them as big things.
I have worked in family service unit running the creche, helped in adult education, helped at school and nurseries, mainly because I was asked rather than I volunteered.
I have had woman who have been battered by partners sitting in my house all night crying their eyes out, they came to me because I never criticized them and if they went back to the abusive partner that was their choice. I can listen but I can't tell them what is right.
I am a bit confused on what is helping others I suppose.

[qadira.livejournal.com]

The world isn't fair. It has never been, and never will be, and therefore I don't waste any of my time feeling guilty for anything that I may have.

I do, however, believe in supporting one's community, country or world, at whatever level a person *wants to*. And for someone else to decide for me how much or what percentage I "should" give away, is offensive and rude.

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

Your poll reminded me about my need, now I'm earning, to start making regular charitable donations again, and by DD, so the charities/organisations can benefit from Gift Aid. I will need to whittle them down to the most deserving/ what I can feasibly afford on a regular basis, because there are so many.

Also, I need to get back into using my reasonably ample holidays for volunteering again, but for that I need to be more healthy. I feel bad about my failings on that score this year.