Every holiday season, people open their hearts and wallets for family, friends, and charities alike. Unfortunately, some large organizations who regularly solicit for money are often using funds for political motives or ‘overhead’ costs. In a series of posts, we’ll be investigating three popular charities that don’t deserve your charity.I've given up supporting large corporate charities and focus more on local non-profits with what little I can share.
Everyone knows the Salvation Army. Whether it’s the secondhand goods at their thrift stores or their collection kettles outside department stores, the Salvation Army is ubiquitous to the holiday season.
However, the Salvation Army’s virulent opposition to gay rights both in public and through persistent legislative lobbying raises the question how donations intended for the needy are being spent. Many people forget that the Salvation Army is in fact an Evangelical church, and as such, it tends to have a hard-right social agenda.
In fact, the Salvation Army goes so far as to say gay people shouldn’t be having sex. You can find this nugget on their website: “Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life.”
Starting at the beginning of George W. Bush’s presidency in 2001, the Salvation Army began lobbying for an exemption to equal labor practices for government-funded faith-based organizations. Why? Because the Salvation Army wanted to continue to discriminate against gays and prevent them from being hired.
In 2004, the Salvation Army threatened to close all its soup kitchens in the New York City area—which would have ended $250 million worth of contracts with the city—if they were forced to offer benefits to same-sex couples. This move would have lost the Salvation Army around $70 million in direct funding from the city and endangered the lives of several thousand people reliant on the Salvation Army.
Was this supposed to be a principled stand? All the homeless people receiving care from the Salvation Army would be turned out on the street. What would have motivated The Salvation Army to make such a callous move? They said that, by offering benefits to same sex couples, they’d be supporting HIV/AIDS because HIV/AIDS is only the product of homosexual intercourse.
The rest of the piece is HERE.
More later.
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It's one of the reasons I stopped giving to the Salvation Army too.
ReplyDeleteThere are many local non-profits who can use our hard earned cash and/or your help as a volunteer, and not only for the holidays.
Peter, I think you hit on a very important issue; non-profits need volunteers ALL the time, not just at holidays.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, I hope others read this and follow up, too.
For years I also have not been giving to the Salvation Army. I watched their "response" to some local emergencies/crises and I was less than impressed. When my bf (now deceased) hit rock bottom (lost job, home, car - I had helped him as best I could making rent payments, etc. ) and he went to them for help he got *nada*. (The same with Catholic Charities - he was an RC) I feel badly for the guys and gals at the pots this time of year, but I walk past with little guilt and I shred their many, many solicitations throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteI too am giving my pennies to someone else.
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