Charity donations (1 Viewer)

[NorthernWisdom]

So based on this on the phone-in thread:

It's not just money. Time is a great gift to a charity and very rewarding personally. Something we've done as a family for a few years now.

Tony, do you mind saying what you do?

And in a general sense, as I end up reviewing my life once again it's probably time I contributed something worthwhile. I have one cause close to my heart I'd like to volunteer for, but am not sure if I have the personality for it.

So... any general suggestions of what people have volunteered for, how they found the experience, what they got out of it/what they found hard?

 

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[Nick]

If I remember I think he helped the homeless?

 

[skybluetony176]

No. Not the homeless. It's volunteer "work" for a charity that helps people who can't look after their dogs anymore (usually because of old age or illness of some description) keep their pets. Usually something as simple as dog walking but can involve other things such as making sure dogs get any medicine that they need (typically eye drops) or a combination of both. It's not finding a cure for cancer or anything but it's very rewarding as the little things can mean a lot and make a difference to someone's world.

The wife set it up and in truth she does the vast majority of the volunteering as she works part time. But we're a family of animal lovers and we have a dog who we walk daily (twice at least) and it seemed an easy way to do something for others and given that we're already doing it ourselves it's not really any bother walking another dog at the same time.

We don't have any to help at the moment as sadly a lovely little yorky called Louie passed away in the week belonging to a lovely old lady who was no longer mobile enough to walk him herself

 

[skybluetony176]

So based on this on the phone-in thread:



Tony, do you mind saying what you do?

And in a general sense, as I end up reviewing my life once again it's probably time I contributed something worthwhile. I have one cause close to my heart I'd like to volunteer for, but am not sure if I have the personality for it.

So... any general suggestions of what people have volunteered for, how they found the experience, what they got out of it/what they found hard?

What's the cause close to your heart? Why don't you think you have the personality for it?

You seem a fairly sensible person (for SBT anyway ) and being close to your heart is probably the best reason.

 

[Nick]

No. Not the homeless. It's volunteer "work" for a charity that helps people who can't look after their dogs anymore (usually because of old age or illness of some description) keep their pets. Usually something as simple as dog walking but can involve other things such as making sure dogs get any medicine that they need (typically eye drops) or a combination of both. It's not finding a cure for cancer or anything but it's very rewarding as the little things can mean a lot and make a difference to someone's world.

The wife set it up and in truth she does the vast majority of the volunteering as she works part time. But we're a family of animal lovers and we have a dog who we walk daily (twice at least) and it seemed an easy way to do something for others and given that we're already doing it ourselves it's not really any bother walking another dog at the same time.

We don't have any to help at the moment as sadly a lovely little yorky called Louie passed away in the week belonging to a lovely old lady who was no longer mobile enough to walk him herself

Ah, harsh as it may sound even more respect for it being with pets and dogs. I don't think it has to be a cure for cancer as such, as I am sure that one gesture means the world to the owners (and pets) as it stops the owners from worrying that their pet isn't getting the life they should be having and takes a bit of a weight off with the worry about their pet! I am terrible with animals and pets, I can sit and watch a random video or film with people being shot or tortured and I am not bothered but if you put Marley and Me on then I am done for! Same with Turner and Hooch.

I don't know why I thought it was homeless, but fair play to you and your wife! It sounds like a great thing to do! Although we would probably end up getting too attached to the animals.

I'd love to do more types of volunteering, I have done unpaid work for charities who haven't been able to pay where I could help but at the minute can't give so much of the physical time to devote each week. In the next few years I'd love to start doing something and involving my daughter as well, I always worry that I would come across as patronising when it would just be actually trying to volunteer help.

I don't like all the monthly WWE / Save the Dogs / Save the children type donations as I don't tend to trust them too much. I'd much rather be able to help causes where I could with people / animals being less fortunate.

 

[skybluetony176]

Talking about things close to your heart. Friends a couple of years ago had very premature twins who had to spend a long time in Birmingham children's hospital. This meant that either him or his wife were their pretty much 24/7 and what I never knew was that there is a site (either next door or over the road) that's a hotel for families of the children in the hospital. The money for this is raised mainly from the collection boxes on McDonalds counters. I always put my change in them since learning where the money goes and always try to encourage others to do the same.

 

[skybluetony176]

Ah, harsh as it may sound even more respect for it being with pets and dogs. I don't think it has to be a cure for cancer as such, as I am sure that one gesture means the world to the owners (and pets) as it stops the owners from worrying that their pet isn't getting the life they should be having and takes a bit of a weight off with the worry about their pet! I am terrible with animals and pets, I can sit and watch a random video or film with people being shot or tortured and I am not bothered but if you put Marley and Me on then I am done for! Same with Turner and Hooch.

I don't know why I thought it was homeless, but fair play to you and your wife! It sounds like a great thing to do! Although we would probably end up getting too attached to the animals.

I'd love to do more types of volunteering, I have done unpaid work for charities who haven't been able to pay where I could help but at the minute can't give so much of the physical time to devote each week. In the next few years I'd love to start doing something and involving my daughter as well, I always worry that I would come across as patronising when it would just be actually trying to volunteer help.

I don't like all the monthly WWE / Save the Dogs / Save the children type donations as I don't tend to trust them too much. I'd much rather be able to help causes where I could with people / animals being less fortunate.

Time is always hard to come by especially when you have a very young family. Our kids are at an age now where they can take part especially as typically it's been a pensioner who's lost mobility and tends to have a smaller dog.

I'm exactly the same with the monthly donations to the big charities. It can be shocking how much (or little) actually makes it to the front line.

 

[Nick]

Time is always hard to come by especially when you have a very young family. Our kids are at an age now where they can take part especially as typically it's been a pensioner who's lost mobility and tends to have a smaller dog.

I'm exactly the same with the monthly donations to the big charities. It can be shocking how much (or little) actually makes it to the front line.

It was only recently we realised how much my wife was giving to them. She was giving about 30 a month, mostly because of the people stopping her in the street and her not being able to say no to them so she signs up and then feels bad for cancelling. They were all phoning up and sending letters asking if she wanted to double it or give even more, so it is things like that that were just cancelled. Comparing that to an old woman who would have lost her dog otherwise is completely different.

Yep, time to get out and about is a nightmare with working different hours and young children so hopefully in a few years there will be more time to be able to do things like that and get her involved a bit more. We have thought about fostering dogs and animals but at the minute we have enough of our own to worry about, then there is the issue of having to part animals away once the bond is there so there would end up just being loads of dogs.

It's the same with fostering guide dogs or police dogs until they are old enough.

I think animals or children will be something we will help with.

 

[NorthernWisdom]

What's the cause close to your heart? Why don't you think you have the personality for it?

Sometimes, things can be too personal. Nick mentioned about getting too attached to a pet and to me, it's a similar kind of thing.

Sometimes if you want to be useful, you need to keep the mask of objecivity