I’m tired of being hustled at the cash register.
Cashiers at the two grocery stores where I shop at regularly have begun the holiday charity spiel early this year. The script literally says, “Would you like to give a dollar to help a family have a turkey for the holidays this year?”
Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes, if I thought that dollar actually went toward the purchase of a turkey. But I’m afraid that only 40 cents of that dollar goes toward a turkey. Possibly less.
And, you see, I know and trust several local organizations to take that dollar and do something awesome with it. Your unknown organization, not so much.
You might say that I won’t miss a dollar here and there. And you’re probably right. But at some point I WILL miss the sum of those dollars, and my own pet charities may get shortchanged.
So stop it. Stop delivering your spiel in a manner that makes me feel like a cheap jerk for saying no.
Stop hooking up with organizations that I’m not familiar with. Would it be so bad to sponsor a LOCAL organization? Ask me to donate a dollar to Manna House, or Friends of Huntsville Animal Services, and see how quickly I say yes.
Until then, the answer is still no.
Entirely Adequate 