In Chicago, sometimes you'll randomly get stopped by someone primarly for either two things; to listen to a random person talking about a promotion whose handing out flyers, or a homeless guy asking for some money. I was walking back from my bank and this guy started talking to me, he had some decent clothes on and def wasn't a homeless guy. I figured he was going to talk to me about a promotion, or something I didn't care about so I walked on saying "no thanks." Immediatly after I said that, he replied, "Did you know that 33,000 kids in Africa die each day." I turned around and started listening. He said "That's a kid dying every three seconds." Pretty amazing statistics. So I listened further assuming I would pay like $15 for a child to eat for a week or something when he said "All you have to do is pay $22 dollars a month to support a kid." I looked at him, looked back towards the ground pausing for a few seconds, then looked at him again and said "$22 a month?, I'm sorry man I don't have enough money to do that." (I lied.) And he went on about how its only 70 cents a month, one less dorito bag a day, one less pitcher at the bar on a weekend. I stared at him not knowing what to say as he talked, pretty much making me feel like shit. I told him "You know what, I'm in the proccess of looking for a job, once I get it, I'll look into this." (Another lie.)

At the time $22 a month seemed like a lot, but as I got on the CTA to go back to my dorm I realized that I do have the money to do this, I have more then enough money to do this, I spend over $1500 a day in multis when I put in a session, I spend $20-$40 on alchohal a weekend. But yet I refused to pay this small little fee of $22 a month (less then my lowest tournament buy-in) to save a child's life. To give him/her opportunities in which he/she would not have otherwise had. How can I look at myslef as a good person after denying to save a childs life. I could understand if I really didn't have the money but I do. I have given money to drunken, crackhead, homeless guys on the street but I can't give money to save a childs life. One more child could be living on this planet 20 years from now if I wasn't such a cheapskate. I didn't realize that this money would mean so much more to the little child then it ever would to me, infact it would mean his/her life.

Even now as I'm typing this I don't know if I want to hand over money to something I will never hear about, to something that will just feel like a bill to pay every month. I don't want to send money to a child in which I will never know, never speak to, never see. How do I get over this jackass reasoning, I feel like shit typing this becuase I could have done something, I can still do something, but I havn't, and I feel reluctant to do so. Maybe if I would have talked to the guy more, I would have figured out more information. I want to know the person I am sending money to, I want to see a picture, I want to see a name. I am thinking about doing some research to possibly sponsor a child, but I want to know those things listed above. I don't know if this makes me an asshole that I need a reasoning for doing something like this, but i feel otherwise that I would be throwing money away even though I'd be saving someones life. I want to do more than just pay a $22 dollar bill every month. I want to be involved this kids life somehow, I want to get to know this child, I want to write to him and recieve letters back (even if the child told someone what to write because he/she is uneducated,) I want to see his progress throughout life, talk to him on the phone one day, and maybe, possibly, potentially meet him. Again, I dont know why I feel this way, but I don't want to pay this money to sit on the sidelines, I want to be involved.

Has anyone sponsored a child before? Have you seen there face? Wrote to them? Recieved a letter from them? I don't know why I want to know these things instead of anonomously sending money to save a life but I do! Help?

read it all, or don't read it, idc

It's a good idea to give to charity.

But it is a better idea, to know a LOT more about the charity before giving them your money.

1. the guy was scamming you LDO

2. there are plenty of ways to help, look at groups that operate through universities

3. so if you saved 1 child you would be satisfied? would you beat yourself up over not saving 2? that's only another $22 a month, less than your lowest buy-in! you couldn't sacrifice 2 tournies to save two human beings? And if you are going to save 2 humans, why not four...etc

4. seriously, see #2. I know University of san francisco has programs as well as many schools. much better than the other "charities" where either 90% of the money is eaten up by "costs" or just straight-up jacked by crooks.

Yes, I have sponsored a kid in Uganda for about 5 years. It was GBP 15/month so pretty much the same (GBP used to be worth more). Once or twice a year she wrote me a brief letter, I had a picture and the aid organization kept me up to date what the money was used for (school, clean water...). There are opportunities to meet but I didn't want to spend more on traveling there than I spent on donations. Might do something like this again in the future.

My aunt(in-law) is a nurse and does missionwork in Haiti - there was a little girl who was born with a wrapped spinal cord - she had to come to the US for surgery and recovery - my aunt and uncle cared for her for the six months it took for her to heal - she went back to Haiti but her parents wanted a better life for her and asked my aunt to adopt her - she's awesome - they saved her life

 

Originally Posted by JRoth15

no offense to African kids b/c they are obviously unfortunate, but i'm pretty sure i could find a homeless person in the city of Chicago that is worthy of having my help as well.

why not just do that??

this

well its how far your money will go, If you give $22/month to someone in chicago, thats what like 3 meals/month. If you find a legit donation to africa, you will keep that person fed for the month get them to school, and prob put a roof over their head.

? maybe I'll make another thread of this, but how many lives is an american life worth vs other countries. So if you can save 1 american but 10 canadians die is that ok? So is saving your dogs life>>than saving an african person's life.

my ratios I'm canadian

1can life=2 g8 nations people(amer, europeans etc..)

1can life=5 poor africans (why bc if you save them today they prob have 5x more likely to need saving tomorrow)

I'm too lazy to start a new thread going for a nap peace

 

Originally Posted by pigalet42

My aunt(in-law) is a nurse and does missionwork in Haiti - there was a little girl who was born with a wrapped spinal cord - she had to come to the US for surgery and recovery - my aunt and uncle cared for her for the six months it took for her to heal - she went back to Haiti but her parents wanted a better life for her and asked my aunt to adopt her - she's awesome - they saved her life

Wow! Great story man.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, tbh, my perception of homeless people in Chicago isn't good, although possibly skewed. I have ran into too many scumbag homeless guys that I just can't see myself giving monthly to a homeless man unless I knew there background and what type of person they were. I am more looking into sponsoring a child. I am reallllly busy these next three weeks as I am ditching my last week of classes before spring break to take a trip to the Bahamas so I have a lot of work to do. However, after my trip I will most likely be trying to find a "legit" program in sponsoring children. Thanks again... shrub

I got one kiddo sponsored for childrens international...they send an updated picture every couple months, and progress reports every month. You also write letters back and forword with them. I think its a pretty good program it doesn't feel like paying a random $22 bill every month. Figure since i don't have a job and don't give back that way, this would be decent way to give back something...You can go on the website and it has a bunch of different kids pics from around the world with back stories and all...u should check it out