United Way At Walmart Today Looking For Donations.

[Industrial Toys]

I did mention it before. Years back, someone soliciting for books for the kids at the local hospital.

He was getting paid
The publisher was getting paid
The artist was getting paid
The printer was getting paid
The paper manufacturer was getting paid
The various trucking/couriers were getting paid.

Gosh darn it, it occured to me that I was the only one expected to pay all these people.

I declined. The children should be satisfied that they have a hospital and healthcare to go to. Besides, I am sure, they had TV anyway.

 

[reb]

All these higher ups found a way to make piles of money from people that donate out of the kindness of their hearts, it's disgusting really...

Same with one of the most popular thrift stores. Rumor has it that all the good stuff goes to other stores owned by the same person. I know a former city official who ceased to donate to that organization when he found it was listed as a "for profit" business on a permit form for that city.

 

[Bird]

Maybe I shouldn't post about things that happened so long ago, but . . . . when I started as a police officer in 1964, when it came time for the United Way annual drive, my sergeant simply told me how much I was donating "and sign here." So that's the way it was for many years and the police department employees were always 100%. The rumor was that you could refuse, but your overall performance rating would be "unsatisfactory" and you would be transferred to the least desirable job in the department. So we all donated.

About six and a half years later, I was a new lieutenant when the United Way time came around, and I think the news media had found out how the city was always 100% and we were supposedly told in the news media that contributing was not mandatory. So in roll call that morning at 7 a.m., I informed my troops that it was time for the United Way, that no disciplinary actions would be taken if they did not donate, BUT THAT I WAS DONATING and we were planning to request a pay raise that year and I could just imagine some newspaper printing a story that police officers refuse to donate to charity, so I'd appreciate everyone's participation.

Information in any organization travels in strange and mysterious ways, I reckon. I got off work at 3 p.m. that day and barely got home before my captain called. He said, "I heard that you told your troops that their performance rating would NOT be cut if they failed to donate to the United Way." I said, "Yessir, that's what I told'em." He said, "Well, I'll cut anyone's performance rating that doesn't donate, and anyone that doesn't support the United Way never should have been a supervisor to start with." He was almost screaming at me. So the next morning at roll call, I simply told my troops, "I told you yesterday that your performance rating would not be cut if you didn't donate to the United Way. I was mistaken; nothing has changed."

Well, the next morning, the captain, whose normal office hours stared at 8:15 a.m. showed up for the 7 a.m. roll call. And he said to the group, "I understand someone told you that your performance rating might be cut if you didn't donate to the United Way. That's not true. Donating is strictly voluntary." I said, "Yessir, that's what I told'em." and he just glared at me. Nothing more was ever said, but my crew was the only one in the division to donate 100%.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Maybe I shouldn't post about things that happened so long ago, but . . . . when I started as a police officer in 1964, when it came time for the United Way annual drive, my sergeant simply told me how much I was donating "and sign here." So that's the way it was for many years and the police department employees were always 100%. The rumor was that you could refuse, but your overall performance rating would be "unsatisfactory" and you would be transferred to the least desirable job in the department. So we all donated.

About six and a half years later, I was a new lieutenant when the United Way time came around, and I think the news media had found out how the city was always 100% and we were supposedly told in the news media that contributing was not mandatory. So in roll call that morning at 7 a.m., I informed my troops that it was time for the United Way, that no disciplinary actions would be taken if they did not donate, BUT THAT I WAS DONATING and we were planning to request a pay raise that year and I could just imagine some newspaper printing a story that police officers refuse to donate to charity, so I'd appreciate everyone's participation.

Information in any organization travels in strange and mysterious ways, I reckon. I got off work at 3 p.m. that day and barely got home before my captain called. He said, "I heard that you told your troops that their performance rating would NOT be cut if they failed to donate to the United Way." I said, "Yessir, that's what I told'em." He said, "Well, I'll cut anyone's performance rating that doesn't donate, and anyone that doesn't support the United Way never should have been a supervisor to start with." He was almost screaming at me. So the next morning at roll call, I simply told my troops, "I told you yesterday that your performance rating would not be cut if you didn't donate to the United Way. I was mistaken; nothing has changed."

Well, the next morning, the captain, whose normal office hours stared at 8:15 a.m. showed up for the 7 a.m. roll call. And he said to the group, "I understand someone told you that your performance rating might be cut if you didn't donate to the United Way. That's not true. Donating is strictly voluntary." I said, "Yessir, that's what I told'em." and he just glared at me. Nothing more was ever said, but my crew was the only one in the division to donate 100%.

I remember that ka ka.

 

[sd455dan]

I heard the CEO of united way made 200k/year, 30 years ago, at my 40k/year that really took the fun out of giving money to them and then the constant solicitations, I finally said nah go see Bill Gates............

Agree on the overpay of CEO of what is called a (non profit)

 

[wheelbuilder]

I worked for a place 25 years ago that had a big thing every year for United Way. At the time it seemed like a nice thing to do. One year their sales pitch included one of the loan officers at the bank who'd had a heart attack. He was getting assistance from them. At the time, we'd already taken up a collection for the guy, people were helping out at his house too. He had sick time and such paid from the bank and health insurance. That killed it for me. We all were helping out this guy, and on top of that, he got a handout from a charity. He was making 6 figures and his wife worked too.
They never got another dime from me, either one.
The whole thing made me really picky about where my help is directed, and what that help is.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
Unfortunately I believe that happens more often than we want to believe. We try to do the right thing, but some people are just takers. I try to give to local charities when I can, but if you give once they don't say "thank you", it's "now can you give more?" Two years ago when I had my pig slaughtered 15% of the meat went to the local food pantry, and every week I was buying a box at the local grocery store with food for a family of four for 3 days or something like that. Then I got into a long running discussion with a woman who knows everything, and apparently never has wanted for anything. She kept telling me that because of my political viewpoints all of my donations meant nothing.

Last year my pig went into my freezer, and I gave it out to family for Christmas presents.