I just had a call from Plan UK, a children’s charity. I’d written to them ages ago about sponsoring a child, but had completely forgotten about it until now. Judging by the surprise and pleasure in the phone canvasser’s voice, I’m the first person in a while to hand over my bank details and agree to set up a direct debit. No surprise, given the shoddy state of most people’s finances these days.
I’ve been chasing my former employer over unpaid wages for months and months now. Just as it looked likely that I’d be able to claim back the money from the government’s insolvency fund, it seems some deadline I wasn’t aware of has passed and I won’t now see any of the money back. I suppose I could let this get me down, but really, I’m ok. I’ve spent the last nine months living cheaply and saving money. I can afford to spend most of this month on holiday. I can still buy ridiculous shoes. I’m not going hungry. And compared to so many people I know, I’m owed hardly anything. I’m not rich, but I’m doing better than most people. So rather than moan any more about what a c*** my former boss is and how the economy is going to shit, I’m going to give more money to charity this year than I’ve ever given before. I think this is perhaps the best way to cock a snook at the financial crisis, the greedy MPs, the Fred Goodwins of this world.
In case any of you feel like joining me, but lack inspiration, I can recommend two places to deposit your dwindling reserves of cash:
Plan UK are an excellent charity, enabling you to sponsor girls and boys in countries around the world. I’m giving £15 a month to sponsor a girl in Africa. I reckon this works out as about as much as I spend on shoes in any given year. I have worked for a subsidiary of Plan and spent time in their offices. They are run by a good mixture of clued up individuals from developed and developing countries. In other words, if you want to sponsor a child in Africa, you’ll be giving your money to a charity run on the ground, by Africans for Africans. Same if you want to sponsor a child in Asia or the Caribbean.
Media lens. I can’t praise these guys enough. If you like Chomsky and Pilger, you want to read what Media lens writers have to say. They hold mainstream journalists to account, in a way that will make you flinch. I’ve been sponsoring them for several years now, but very few of their readers contribute anything. As almost no mainstream news source will touch them they exist solely through sponsorship, and must make a very meager living indeed. Even if you don’t agree with everything they have to say, they perform a very valuable public service for all of us.
If anyone else has any good charity recommendations, stick em in the comments box to give us all something to be cheerful about.
kxx
Fuck the recession: give more money to charity
Whenever I see a news article that makes me feel sad nowadays I try to find a way of supporting a charity that might change things.
I think charities would also appreciate time if you cannot afford money… I recommend The Food Chain, a sort of meals on wheels for people with AIDS.
Oh dear, paucity of responses indicates a worse situation than I thought. One of my friends is a charity mugger and sometimes he makes as little as £15 a day. Fair enough, chuggers should probably be shot, but is no one except me and Kel doing anything charitable these days?
I had the same reaction as you did — contribute more this year than even before, especially since my financial situation is a strong one (we'll get an 8% pay cut starting in August, but the fact that I can afford an 8% pay cut is indication that my financial situation is strong). We're also setting aside some money in case friends need help (lots of folks losing their jobs).
Mostly I've been giving to local charities like Mama's Kitchen (feeds AIDS patients) and local shelters, but Médecins Sans Frontières is always a favorite. I've also been giving a lot to state parks, because California is probably going to close most of its parks owing to budget shortfalls.