It's Complicated- How do you help make the world better?

@ReAdSaLoT Said

I'm hoping that people will take a look at all of the links and not answer haphazardly. I didn't do this thread for points, it truly bothers me. We each can do something. What did you do last year to make the world a better place? Did you volunteer, recycle, come to a realization about the homeless, study or read about something close to home; drug addiction, alcohol abuse, mental illness, cancer. Did any of your opinions change through better understand? What's your top cause? Mine usually have to do with children or substance abuse. Those have touched my life the most. Add links to your causes please, this thread is not for arguing, it's strictly for information. When a person is ignorant, even though they're intelligent, stereotypes persist. Let's end that, one person at a time.

https://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0779147.html-Leading causes of death in the world.

https://www.self.com/magazine/2010/12/give-back-special-interest-slideshow#slide=1 Leading worthy charities for a better world.

https://www.self.com/magazine/2010/12/give-back-world-slideshow#slide=1
Worthy charities for food health and shelter

https://www.self.com/magazine/2010/12/give-back-kids-slideshow#slide=1
Worthy charities for kids

It's Complicated

We're given no choice in our birth,
few decide the time of their death.
We must take what's given,
endure, live this thing; life.
Children have no alternative,
they must understand ideas which
trouble the strongest scholars.
No one is guaranteed happiness.
Too many arrive into tragedy
believing this is how the world is.

Some are content with their existence;
others desire to enhance their life.
Will persistence achieve this?
Living and dying are the guarantees.
Are fate, karma, or luck the basis
for anything that gets in their way?
Will man ever see the complete picture,
ignore clueless, erroneous assumptions?
Life will always be a complicated mess,
how we handle it makes the difference.
sjo/jazz

https://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d6a49784e5451354d54453d0d0a&blogview=true

Quote:
Life will always be a complicated mess,
how we handle it makes the difference.

@boobagins Said

If you didn't do the post for points...why even mention that? No one assumed...but the fact that you're bringing it up makes me question your motives though.

@Demented Said

Well,as lousy as this sounds,I will not give money to charities.So many of them skim the best part of the money off for them selves rather than do what they say their going to do.

Look at any charity and find out where their HQ is,then look at the size of the building and what kind of chauffer (spell?)driven car the head of the charity is driven home in and where he lives. Then ask yourself where all the donated money goes.
I'm not to tight to help people or to lousy either but I WILL NOT give to Thieves and Liars.

Sorry Jazz,I know your hearts in the right place,but I see these people in a different light.

@GSnap Said

Yea, I agree to an extent as with some charities you don't really know where or how all the money is being spent but giving money to a charity is by far the only thing people can do....

There are many things people can do to help others that don't require doling out cash.

I prefer usually to help out someone I know personally that is going through bad times. Maybe an elderly person who is all alone, stopping by to chat for a few minutes, or take them a plate of food or something on a holiday. I know that sounds cheesy, but i think these small things can be very appreciated by the recipient. Or maybe a single mother who is going tough times, take her kids a few gifts for their birthday, or offer to babysit for a little while so she can run errands - you know, little things that might not change their life really, but can put a smile on their face when times are tough. And I don't do this typically with strangers since I don't know them and you don't want to risk offending anyone, but people i know of - even if only peripherally - who might need that extra helping hand. I have had my head bitten off by friends when I have stopped to give a little old homeless man a five or a ten - they are like he's just going to by wine with that! I dont know, sometimes somethign in their eyes tells me different, and i don't do it with EVERY homeless person i see, sometimes I get this feeling. And if they do buy wine with it, oh well, my heart was in the right place, and to me that is what counts.

I know I likely won't die with having significantly changed the world but I do know I will die knowing that I really did try to help people if they were in my vicinity and i had the means to do so....

For anyone who wants to say "what a cheesy post" so what. It's how I think about these things.

@Demented Said

I agree with you whole heartedly ,to me Charity begins in the home,and it's far better to help rather than give to someone who'll keep rather than pass on.It's not cheesy,it's honest.

@ReAdSaLoT Said

I don't give money to charities, but if you click the links it tells which ones are worthy and rated well. From personal experience, I trust The Salvation Army. I'm too lazy and have a cranky neighbor, so I don't do yard sales. They get things I can no longer use which are in great condition. I trust my church who raises money by renting tables for people to sell things they no longer want. At the end of the month they'll have a rummage sale where they will take any gently used items to raise money for our inner city commitment. Since I'm one of the money counters, I know where it goes. They don't just turn over the money; they stock a food bank. Too many families are one pay check away from being on the street. These are working people who got wiped out by a medical bill, etc.

@ReAdSaLoT Said

I don't give money to charities, but if you click the links it tells which ones are worthy and rated well. From personal experience, I trust The Salvation Army. I'm too lazy and have a cranky neighbor, so I don't do yard sales. They get things I can no longer use which are in great condition. I trust my church who raises money by renting tables for people to sell things they no longer want. At the end of the month they'll have a rummage sale where they will take any gently used items to raise money for our inner city commitment. Since I'm one of the money counters, I know where it goes. They don't just turn over the money; they stock a food bank. Too many families are one pay check away from being on the street. These are working people who got wiped out by a medical bill, etc.

@Demented Said

I'll agree with what you say about the salvo's,and I have given to the local church that;s having a jumble sale even though I don't go there.

I remember Iwannano's thread about Child Prostitution a long time ago and had a young lady (maybe early 20's) from Amnesty Australia ask me for a donation,when I declined she got a bit nasty so I backed her into a corner with what I wannano said about nobody doing anything about it. Poor girl backed down very quickly and snuck away .

@GSnap Said

Oh wow, I'd never donate in that manner. Yea let her get nasty and walk away...