At one time or another, we have all been solicited by an organization or charity for veterans either in person or over the phone. Most people do not donate because they get solicited on a regular basis by many different charities. Many of us will treat the person soliciting us as if they were less than human. Even though solicitations and requests for financial support have gotten out of hand over the years, the need for financial backing for our disabled veterans is very real.
It's the telemarketing companies who give charities a bad rap because they raise money for several different charities and as soon as we donate to one charity they call us repeatedly with solicitations for their other charities. This tactic will eventually irritate even the most charitable people. Before we hang up immediately we should take a second to recognize the facts. The government is constantly pulling funds away from VA Hospitals that were meant to help those who have made huge sacrifices for our country.
SACRED HEART MEMORIAL HOSPITAL DIET
There are several reasons the government does this, with the major reason being the current war in Iraq. It doesn't make sense to penalize veterans who have been injured fighting for our country and shovel more money into an endless, meaningless war. These decisions by our government ultimately lead to more soldiers being killed, and more injured soldiers for whom there will be no medical care when they finally do come home. Most of us do not think about this fact when we are being solicited for a donation.
We immediately think the organization is trying to scam us, but in many cases this is not true. The real scam is being run by our government, not by charities for disabled veterans. The scam is also being run by telemarketing companies, but we shouldn't penalize the men and women who put their lives on the line for our well being and freedom. Some veterans charities have care package drives that show our soldiers that we as Americans care and appreciate their efforts, and soldiers do appreciate receiving these reminders from us. Some of us will ask what a care package will do for a soldier at war, does a care package really help? The answer is a resounding yes! Do you know how hard it is to get a bag of potato chips in the middle of the desert? How about a tube of toothpaste or a bar of soap? How about a good book to read or even a letter from a concerned family member?
We take these little things for granted because we are accustomed to them being readily available for us at any time. However, this is not the case for our soldiers. It isn't too much to ask of us to take a minute out of our day to pay some type of homage to the people who would lay their own lives down for us. Most people who don't think it's important to support our veterans would fold up like cowards in the middle of the desert with bullets whizzing past their heads, but they have the nerve to get tough on the phone and use profanity towards a telemarketer!
Telemarketers have to make a living too and if I was a telemarketer who had to call hundreds of people every day or starve, you'd better be prepared to hear the phone ringing! I do understand that it's just not feasible to give to every veterans charity we receive a call from, but we should show common courtesy to solicitors for veterans charities because they are human beings just like the rest of us. Our government is not doing everything they can to help wounded veterans, regardless of what they claim to do. There are numerous complaints of injured veterans going to their VA Hospital for help, and being turned away for whatever reason. No man or woman who has been injured fighting for this country should be without proper medical help, period! How can the government authorize a trillion dollars to fight a stupid war, but say no to someone who has gotten an arm or leg blown off while fighting a war for the same country that is run by that government?
These are the reasons we are solicited for donations by veterans charities and when we finally realize the reasons, we will become more sympathetic to their cause.
Even though we should be more charitable towards our disabled veterans, we still should ask what percentage of our donation will actually reach the ones it was meant to help, and who is cashing our check. A reputable charity based in Michigan, Disabled Veterans of America Inc., provides funding for disabled veterans in and outside of VA Hospitals across the U.S. Their activities include wheelchair drives, artificial limb drives, and care package drives for active soldiers overseas. The Michigan attorney general records indicate that at least 85% of donations collected are used for programs to benefit disabled veterans, homeless veterans, and current soldiers. The other 15% is for administrative expenses necessary to run the charity.
If you are considering making a donation to any charity please ask for the breakdown of their expenses, and the information can also be found at the state attorney general for that organization. In summary, let's be a little more sympathetic and understanding when we are approached by a veterans organization, as they are among the few that are making an effort to help our American soldiers, and if we can't donate at the time at least keep their cause in mind just in case we can afford to donate in the future. If nothing else, we can at least pray for the ones who have been injured, and the ones we hope will come home soon.
Support Our Disabled Veterans in America SACRED HEART MEMORIAL HOSPITAL DIET
1 comments:
please delete this article from your site, i am neil thrasher and did not give you permission to publish this article. the charity no longer exists, kindly remove from your site thank you
Post a Comment