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In Ann Arbor I volunteered at a place that would pick up food from restaurants and stores and deliver it to shelters. It was all food that was going to be thrown out, but not bad yet.

Patrick says

In Ann Arbor I volunteered at a place that would pick up food from restaurants and stores and deliver it to shelters. It was all food that was going to be thrown out, but not bad yet.

Honestly, do you think this makes a world a better world?

I fostered over 20 dogs. In my opinion I displaced dogs in a shelter that would have been otherwise adopted, and the only dogs I saved were the two I adopted, which I was forced to euthanize in the end.

I honestly do not know if charity work is useful in any way.

I liked the efficiency of not throwing away food, but I don't think it really helped the homeless that much because they have other sources of food.

richwicks says

I would never donate money to a charity I did not work within. Most of them are frauds in my opinion.

Don't have the time to work within the one I donate to. But I know multiple people on the board of directors. I'm sure there is fluff, as that happens with any charity unless it's some all volunteer small food pantry type thing. Non for profits cost money any way you look at it.

I don't like to dox myself, so won't name the charity. But it's similar to what you've done/do with dogs, but with kids. Deadbeat parents that fail their kids and abandon them or go to jail. So instead of state foster care system (which is shit) this organization matches kids to qualified adults to help raise these basically homeless kids stuck in the state judicial nightmare of foster care and custody. Basically the country club of foster care/custody for kids that had shit parents.

Maybe I'll become physically active in something in the future. I'd like to, but that's probably 10 years out due to kids and time restraints. In the meantime I know the people running the show at the charity and that 90% of what I donate is going to kids and not paying administrative BS. I'd never blindly donated to something I didn't trust. It's hard to gain my trust too.

I appreciate ya'lls sentiment towards dogs, but I absolutely hate dogs lol.

I have been attacked x2, so I just keep my distance.

joshuatrio says

I appreciate ya'lls sentiment towards dogs, but I absolutely hate dogs lol.

This was my dog:



That was honestly my dog. She was sitting on a couch. I bought the bear on sale after Christmas.

If you ran into her on the street, she'd be looking to be pet. Absolutely had no aggression, very affectionate.

No I never have.

Once I got a couple of guys to help me remove junk some idiots left in Elkhorn Slough, Monterey County.
I couldn’t finish the job, nobody was very interested in doing it during their free time.

Another time in La Paz, BCS Mexico I got a couple of guys and a truck to clean a place on the beach.
An old building was falling down, one of those metal sheds.

My partner and I spent nearly all the "PTO" vacation days from our jobs as volunteers at our kids' schools. This was an 18 year grind till the youngest finished high school. When he finished my employer would give cash to employees who logged volunteer hours at qualified non-profits, so I stayed on volunteering a couple years longer. What can happen if you're a fixture on the campus, is that you can exert a bit of influence. I was able to direct the finance clerk at the school to on where to direct the donations. Then a Wall Street Titan company bought my employer and did away with that program.

This volunteering effort was partly an act of largesse, but mostly not. It was a way to have our fingers on the pulse of what was happening at our kids' school. Over time, we had a bit of influence when certain class selections or teacher assignments were made. It was a also great way to meet people, make new friends, etc.

When I quit working I began driving for Meals on Wheels in Santa Clara County 1-2x per week.. Again, not out of a sense of largesse, but more to have something to do. I've delivered thousands of meals all over the county. I have learned so much. I learn something new every time I drive for them. I'm sure I'll learn something driving for them tomorrow.

joshuatrio says

I appreciate ya'lls sentiment towards dogs, but I absolutely hate dogs lol.

I have been attacked x2, so I just keep my distance.

I like dogs, a lot. They make sense to me, and I’ve always known how to approach and assert dominance enough to trigger their friendly response.
That said, I don’t consider volunteering to help dogs to be a “charity.” It’s just helping animals, which is good for the soul but not truly helpful to your fellow man.
Most of my volunteer work has been working with kids. Everything from big brother mentoring when I was a young man to helping with a church middle school program to being a volunteer youth baseball coach for years.

I do a little work, dump runs etc., for a little Cancer Aid thrift store. The old ladies that run the place work thieir asses off to distribute up to 15k to cancer patients caught in the vise grip of The American Sick Care Grift. Poor people are impacted just by costs of driving down to UC Davis for treatments and so forth. They can’t afford the gas, parking, day care and some co-pays on super expensive drugs. A lot of people don’t realize how fragile financial equilibrium is on the precarious fringes. I think most people that go bankrupt due to medical expenses are “insured”.

"Look at them, they are losing, they must be stupid. Or lazy.”

Source: I’m old, got sick, went broke.

Shaman says

Most of my volunteer work has been working with kids.

I think a lot of people are pretty naive to how bad some kids have it. Not anyone here that I've notice via comments, but I think the general public has blinders on for the most part, maybe 40%. They take their kids to games, practice, tutor, etc. and it's no big deal. They have the money and resources to take care of it.

It's not the end all be all, but the amount of kids I know that haven't even left the state via car is staggering to me at least. All they know is their hometown and maybe went camping an hour away if "lucky." There are a lot of selfish, lazy and flat out deadbeat parents out there. I'm dealing with one via my SIL and nephew. I suppose I'm giving back in that way. My SIL would have fucked this kid up badly. So in a way I'm giving back to society and a child.

I guess charity comes in different forms. Whatever makes you happy and gives you something to do. I still don't mind donating $$$ to a trustworthy charity though. Physical time is difficult to come by as my wife travels a lot and I'm solo with 3 kids frequently.

WookieMan says

There are a lot of selfish, lazy and flat out deadbeat parents out there. I'm dealing with one via my SIL and nephew. I suppose I'm giving back in that way. My SIL would have fucked this kid up badly. So in a way I'm giving back to society and a child.

Helping the helpless and the powerless is the truest form of charity. Indeed you are doing good work to care for this nephew. There is nobody with fewer rights in our society than children who very often are subject to petty, uncaring, uninterested tyrants who they call mom and dad. If they get through childhood without getting too abused or molested it’s a miracle. So many sad sad stories out there... stuff you wouldn’t even believe could happen in America but it happens every day.

There r lot of homeless people. Besides Dogs r cute n cuddly.

Why prioritize pets over people? Tons of homeless, hungry, people on street in usa?

Comparing dogs to person
Both bite
Both act up , person little more predictable in most cases


Dogs give companionship and might kill u.
People might take your car house etc n kill u.

KgK one says

Why prioritize pets over people? Tons of homeless, hungry, people on street in usa?

Is this why new generation has more pets than kids, at least in Bay Area?

Yes, plenty. I will do no more though in commiefornia.

KgK one says

Both act up , person little more predictable in most cases

I would respectfully disagree. Dogs don't usually take drugs.

Dogs don't tell when you approach them with peanut butter on your asshole. Homeless people do.

That is something I never considered that anyone would do, and kinda wish I had not heard the concept, lol.

It's the old saw: "Who is the best unconditional friend? The one who can never talk."

Sure they can.

Speak, Fido!

It's just kind of hard to understand them.

Come to think of it, a couple of my wife's dogs were little finks. They would follow me and bark to get her attention when they thought I was doing something. Her first wrathful and jealous mongrel would shit on my text books. She had this perverse doggy-mommy relationship with them where they were her proxy embryos and they would mush and gush over each other in fulsome displays of bizarre emotion..She's been mad at me because the last dogs have liked me better.

One things dogs always approve of is opening the refrigerator door, and they are always trying to herd you to the refrigerator.

richwicks says

FuckTheMainstreamMedia says

Church and dog rescue were the long term ones. I’ve done one day volunteers for political and community causes.

You've also done dog rescue?

I gave it up thinking that I was just replacing another dog in a shelter that would otherwise be pulled. When I had to put my dogs down it kind of shattered me and I just couldn't do it any more. All the fosters I've had, must be dead at this point.

What was your involvement in church service? I'm pretty much an atheist, but I recognize the utility of religion. Do you think it was worthwhile?

The dog rescue work was mostly just day to day care of the dogs. They had employees, just not enough of them. Often also setting up and staffing at adoption and other events.

The church stuff was anything from food and clothes drives for low income people, transporting seniors who couldn’t drive to general maintenance. Was it worthwhile? That doesn’t really factor into my thinking. My mindset is more…something needs to be done and im capable of doing it.