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Professional Beggars

ESMOD's picture

I know you were thinking I was going to be venting about BM's...lol NOPE.

I was just scrolling my FB feed and see my OSD's SIL had posted about a fundraiser that she is supporting for her son's DAYCARE!

They have a catalog of useless crap that you can buy and a portion of the proceeds will go to support activities for little Bo and the daycare.

Yes, Daycare! The place where people pay other people to watch their children while they work and whatnot. Not a school subject to cut funding from the govt.. this is a private daycare. WTF.. professional beggars!

I am really tired of having to dodge the people with their hands out selling donuts and other crap when I am trying to go to the store and feel strong armed to support jump rope for kidney disease etc..

It just really rubbed me the wrong way that a for profit daycare has jumped on this bandwagon!

Comments

DaizyDuke's picture

I HATE asking people for money. BS7 class is raising money for St Jude's Children's Hospital. I shouldn't complain because this is his 3rd year in school and this is the first time he has come home with any sort of fundraiser and OBVIOUSLY this is a super good cause, but I just absolutely HATE asking people for money, because it seems like EVERYONE is.. from candy bars, to Go Fund Me's, to Girl Scout cookies.

BS7 is sweet and he donated $2.00 out of his own money, so I donated money and my mom did and DH did as well. I don't mind asking family, but I really HATE asking coworkers and such, but I also hate to send him in to school with it, like he(we) made no effort. UGH!!!!!

ESMOD's picture

I don't know how it is now.. whether people know how much each child is raising. To be honest, I really think that if kids know what each other raises.. it's just another way kids can be labeled.

For example... Susie has two parents who dote on her and get all their extended family to donate a LOT and they get all their coworkers because they are all well to do and have plenty of money.

Johnny comes from a home with only one parent and they are at the poverty line or below and he lives in a neighborhood filled with people in the same condition and his parent doesn't work.

So.. he raises zero.. what is an 8 yo supposed to do, get on the city bus alone and go door to door? Why should he feel like a failure at a task he never should have been given to begin with?

DaizyDuke's picture

I didn't even think about that. BS7 was most excited because it came home with a sheet that said if he raised 50-100 dollars he'd get some ball or if he raised 101-200 dollars he'd get some hat and on up. I said good grief, I could buy you each of these "prizes" and have less than $20.00 invested and if he was just doing it to get a prize, I'd just buy him the crap and save myself the hassle of hustling! lol

BS7 was like NO!!! I HAVE to do it, the whole class is doing it!! Mrs. Smith wants us to!!! So then I feel guilty, like I can't have him be the only one who doesn't do it and be singled out ykwim?? It's just ridiculous!

Bruniesmom's picture

Jump rope/Hoops for Heart is the bane of my existence. In order to get all of the animals and the lanyard, you need to raise $100. I have 2 girls doing it. They HAVETODOITIWANTTHEANIMALSOHMOMMYPLEASEBEGEVERYONEYOUKNOWTODONATEIWANTTHEANIMALSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Livingoutloud's picture

We had a secretary years ago who was collecting for her kid's college. The way she went about it was sending letters to staff asking for donations. She wasn't even selling anything.

I was just hired and was in total disbelief.

Years later we found out she was having drug and alcohol addiction (she made no secret out of it and in fact used it as evidence that she cannot be fired)maybe that's why she was collecting. Sad story all together. But I seriously was just hired few days ago and she sent me a letter to my home address

zerostepdrama's picture

Last year was the first year I let my BS participate in fundraisers and that was only because he was really adamant about it and had a speech prepared and a sales plan and everything.

He was selling these cookies- Simply Living- and they were $16 a box. HOLY SHIT they are the BOMB!

So whenever that fundraiser comes around I let him do that. Plus I know the neighbors love the cookies and one even asked when we were selling them again.

I did let him do a regular fundraiser with different items this year but I won't do that again. All the stuff was overpriced crap. He did earn like a 5lb bag of sour gummy worms that him and his friends ate in like 2 days. :O

Exjuliemccoy's picture

I'm a childfree person, and over the years I have given and supported fundraisers of all sorts for schools, sports, 4H, FFA, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, you name it. Add to that all the showers, kids birthdays, graduations, sweet sixteen, blah, blah, and I'm just done. Tapped out. If I had a nickel for every time I've been hit up to buy a magazine subscription from Susie or pledge a dollar a lap for Johnny, I'd have a tidy sum.

I'd like to see fundraisers for the elderly who can't afford rent or medicine; for the homeless; for abused women or disabled folks. I'd also like to see more kids urged to EARN money for fundraising, to balance out the begging.

ESMOD's picture

I'm not 100% opposed to fundraising like typical girlscout or boyscout drives that sell quality stuff.. but most of the crap is NOT quality.

However, post your sign up sheet in the break room.. don't make me dodge 6 sugared up brownies when I am trying to go do my weekly grocery business. If stores want to let kids set up tables AWAY from the front entrance fine. Those who want to buy goods can walk on over. Accosting customers should be be cause to be asked to leave.

Peridwen's picture

That might depend on the individual store. I know when SS10 did popcorn sales, they were told by the management that they were not allowed to approach customers. They could only address the customers who came up to them. The boys sat in chairs behind a table by the entrance and the den leaders told them not to get out of the chairs unless someone asked about the popcorn.

uofarkchick's picture

From your mouth to God's ear, girl.

Who cares if there are women dying daily at the hands of their spouse or elderly folks only eating one meal a day? Little Johnny's daycare got more useless toys that no one plays with!

notsurehowtodeal's picture

The last year my niece was in 4-H they gave up on selling worthless junk and just asked for "sponsorships." They made more that way then they ever did selling stuff. Most people found it easier to just write a check and were happy to do so.

thinkthrice's picture

I'm not too keen on crowd funding that's for sure.

I don't mind fund raisers if the parents are nice and their kids are well behaved.

I remember every time picking up Chef's lovelies for another weekend of entitlement training and they wouldn't even say "hi."

Instead they would come waddling out and shove yet another one of their fundraising brochures in our faces without saying a word--the Girhippo would sign them up for every.friggin.activity.on.the.planet.

notsobad's picture

I've done so many fund raisers over the years! Hockey is stupid expensive and my boys loved it. Add in Boy Scouts and Terry Fox runs and school sports trips, it began to feel like every month I was asking friends, family and coworkers to buy something!

I did help that my kids are polite, friendly and were fundraising for things that they were very engaged in.

It also helped that the products they were selling were really good. I'm still in contact with my youngests rugby coach because I love the steaks they sell every year.

What I really hate are these gofundme things that everyone seems to be doing. That to me is straight up begging!

robin333's picture

Tacky.

Thumper's picture

Your not alone with disliking professional beggers.

20 years ago I would fall for it and buy some candy . BUT now it is way WAY out of control. They send home on the first day of school a pack of garbage.

Using kids 'day dreams' to sucker the parents into everything so Snowflake can win a metal detector IF they sell 1000.00 bucks worth of Dollar store junk. BUT MOM I really want xyz...Pleaseeeeeeee????? help me MOM. :O

Now we dont look at the stuff any longer. It goes into the trash.

We write a check to the school and take the kids out to eat. They are happy and I am not stressed out.

OR stuck with a box of tiny candy bars I will eat Wink $50.00 later

Thumper's picture

omg GOFUNDME and all other sites. UGH

Huge pet peeve of mine.
1. Foster Parents who set up gofund me account to help with adoption of their foster child.
Uhhhhh first they are paid approx 600.00 per mounth per child, free daycare vouchers, FREE health insurance, free counseling etc. When you adopt a child from foster care you are also given a rather big check per month until the child turns 18. Since most foster kids are diagnosed with a mental illness (pffft) you get more money plus ssdi.
No attorney needed because the child is still a ward of the state and DSS represents the child.
dont fall for that booo hooo scam.

Sad...