It’s 2 min until the 5am sales start. The madness is about to begin. Is it worth it? Will I get what I’m hoping for? Am I being a good citizen for spending? Or am I just being a greedy American? Maybe I can be both by buying a toy to donate to Kops to Kids today. TTYL
Update: A little clarification on that earlier post.
The average U.S. retailer expects to make a lot, if not the majority, of their annual revenue during the holiday shopping season (Thanksgiving until Christmas). Our economy is teetering on the edge of a recession, and poor sales during this season would be bad for our economy. By getting out there and spending hard earned greenbacks, my money added to everyone else’s helps stabilize the economy. That’s a good thing. (I’m not discussing the “Wal-Mart” effect of spending my money at the worlds largest retailer.)
On the flip side, there are many countries around the world, and even places within our own country that could really benefit from a contribution right now. That benefit would be much more meaningful than helping to ensure that some corporate balance sheet shows profit this quarter.
While standing in line waiting for the magic hour of 5:00 to chime, I was remembering the faces of the people in Bangladesh who have gone for days without food since a huge cyclone struck their country. I remembered the faces of people here in the U.S.A. still suffering from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina over a year ago. I thought about kids in the Sacramento Children’s Home who do not have parents to read to them at night or comfort them when they are scared. I thought about other children spending their Thanksgiving and Christmas in the Shriners hospital going through chemotherapy or other treatments. Then there are the shut-ins and homeless who have so little.
Just as I was thinking about all of that (and starting to get really depressed), a volunteer from the Sheriff’s department came by passing out a flier informing the people in line about the Kops for Kids program, where they collect toys or monetary donations to give children in need a special Christmas. This made my conscience feel a bit better. I could do good for others and still be a consumer of a shiny electronic item unnecessary for my survival that was built overseas by workers earning less than a living wage.
Dolt that I am sometimes, by the time I left, I’d forgotten all about Kops for Kids, and it wasn’t until I was driving away that I realized that my greed had been all-consuming and I hadn’t donated a thing. *sigh*
I guess that’s a good thing, because it means that I can be a little choosier and plan where and how I want to donate. I still feel bad about getting so caught up in the moment (or was it just because I was so tired?) that I forgot to think of others.
So, do you have any suggestions for good international aid and also local Sacramento regional charities? Tell me why they deserve a donation from me, and I will consider it. Thanks.
Tags: Black Friday, charities, Christmas, donations, Sacramento, shopping, Thanksgiving, toy, volunteering, Wal-Mart
