{"id":3491,"date":"2015-12-28T13:01:59","date_gmt":"2015-12-28T19:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/?p=3491"},"modified":"2015-12-28T14:59:39","modified_gmt":"2015-12-28T20:59:39","slug":"should-we-stop-giving-our-junk-to-the-poor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/janetheactuary\/2015\/12\/should-we-stop-giving-our-junk-to-the-poor.html","title":{"rendered":"Should we “stop giving our junk to the poor”?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

That\u2019s the call in an article at Aleteia, \u201cWhy We Need to Stop Giving Our Junk to the Poor<\/a>,\u201d the premise of which is that we shouldn\u2019t be donating \u201cjunk\u201d to the poor and consigning them to stained and ripped clothing, but should instead donate items that are lightly worn and in good condition, that would truly brighten the spirits of their recipients.<\/p>\n

Now, there are broader issues such as the fact that donations to second-hand stores are not the same thing as direct provision of clothing to the poor; the donation is to the mission of the thrift store in question, since the store sells the donated goods to anyone who comes in their doors, and uses the profit for charitable purposes (or, if you\u2019re Savers, uses the profit as it wishes, and gives the designated charity a small sum per household when making collection runs).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not clear from the article whether the author is, in fact, actually referring to donations to causes where the goods are given directly to needy recipients, but it seems unlikely, as those types of charities are generally very specific, such as collecting good quality \u201cbusiness dress\u201d-type clothes to serve as interview suits, or collecting maternity clothes or baby clothes for a crisis-pregnancy center, and there\u2019s no mistaking what is and isn\u2019t appropriate. \u00a0These donations aren\u2019t made as a result of a closet clean-out (unless your closet is full of maternity and baby clothes that you\u2019ve been holding onto \u201cjust in case\u201d but that probably shouldn\u2019t wait all the way until menopause to make their way to the local crisis pregnancy center).<\/p>\n

With respect to thrift stores, to be sure, there are real concerns about what happens to the items that are donated. \u00a0Are the customized t-shirts (e.g., for the countless 5Ks and kids sports teams and clubs) actually responsibly recycled, or are they shipped off to Africa, and, if so, does that keep a child from going naked or does it destroy local textile industries? \u00a0Recently the Chicago Tribune reported<\/a>\u00a0(google search link here<\/a>) that (at least some) thrift stores have stopped accepting TV donations, because they don\u2019t sell and have to be hauled away. \u00a0Likewise, some stores refuse stuffed animals, because there are too many of them out there and they wouldn\u2019t sell all they\u2019d take in; others do accept them, but I suspect have to discard those that don\u2019t sell. \u00a0And at the local Goodwill, they don\u2019t seem to think too long and hard about whether the pieces are all there for a game or a toy or a home appliance, so you certainly shouldn\u2019t donate any of these items making an assumption that they\u2019ll do anything other than put it on the shelf, see if it sells, and trash it if not.<\/p>\n

So the core principle is still: \u00a0don\u2019t buy stuff you don\u2019t need. \u00a0That\u2019s true for stuffed animals. \u00a0For t-shirts that are souvenirs of an event. \u00a0And for no end of other items.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not the principle thrust of the article, which seems like it would be better expressed in terms of food pantry donations and types of charitable donations more generally speaking, since the premise doesn\u2019t work with indirect \u201cthrift shop\u201d donations.<\/p>\n

Consider two sets of baskets donated to a food pantry. The one consists of brand-name items, special treats, maybe organic, perhaps even some rib-eye steak if the food pantry is equipped to handle fresh meat. \u00a0The other was purchased at Aldi \u2014 and none of their \u201cSpecially Selected\u201d line, either. \u00a0Just basics: \u00a0maybe some pasta and sauce, some canned tuna, some vegetables.<\/p>\n

Which donor did a better job of caring for the poor?<\/p>\n

The first basket gives one recipient a lot of joy, and lifted spirits. \u00a0But the second basket, for the same price, stretches further.<\/p>\n

I suppose it boils down to a more general question: \u00a0when you make your charitable donations, do you focus on meeting the basic human needs of as many people as possible, or do you do more to \u201cbring joy\u201d to smaller numbers, and, more specifically, to those near you \u2014 with donations, say, to causes such as symphony tickets for the poor, or prom for poor teens, or \u201cmake a wish\u201d-type events? \u00a0Or, even with respect to these latter \u201cspecial treat\u201d donations, do you maximize your donation by giving dresses to 5 girls vs. a full \u201cnight out\u201d to one? \u00a0Do you, in participating in \u201cadopt-a-family\u201d-type events at Christmastime, provide a generous Christmas to one family, or a modest Christmas to multiple? \u00a0And so on.<\/p>\n

Thoughts, readers?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

That\u2019s the call in an article at Aleteia, \u201cWhy We Need to Stop Giving Our Junk to the Poor,\u201d the premise of which is that we shouldn\u2019t be donating \u201cjunk\u201d to the poor and consigning them to stained and ripped clothing, but should instead donate items that are lightly worn and in good condition, that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2209,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nShould we "stop giving our junk to the poor"?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"That's the call in an article at Aleteia, "Why We Need to Stop Giving Our Junk to the Poor," the premise of which is that we shouldn't be donating "junk"\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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