Post by laceylaplante on Dec 14, 2013 14:40:05 GMT -5
I will not donate because of their homophobic stance. Also, not all, but some of the bell ringers are only there because it's their forced community service, so I don't usually feel bad at all. There are better ways to be charitable, IMO.
I don't donate to them but I am always polite to the bell ringers. I know a lot of them are either just doing something to help the community (my employer sends people to ring) or like pp said it's part of their service. Besides it isn't the bell ringer who is making the decisions re: the anti homosexual views.
I will not donate because of their homophobic stance. Also, not all, but some of the bell ringers are only there because it's their forced community service, so I don't usually feel bad at all. There are better ways to be charitable, IMO.
Yeah, they're also scarce around here. I used to see them outside of Target, but I know the store no longer allows them (iirc - because of their anti-gay stance).
The anti-gay stance saddens me. I give to the food bank (in addition to others) and put change in the kettles. They were there for me and my family when I was homeless and barely homed after XH was first disabled, when other organizations weren't. I ate at their foodbank a number of times, my kids had Christmas and Thanksgiving because of them. Because they were there for me, I support their efforts. I also, however, support the efforts of VOA and other organizations that do similar work but don't hold the same religious and homophobic views to negate the SA support. I can't condemn them when they didn't condemn me, but I won't wholeheartedly support them when I don't agree with all of their views.
ETA: Team toledo and @smace. And a little change, while it adds up for the Salvation Army, is good for the kids to donate and develop charity and philanthropy. And they don't discriminate in who they give food to, so "in-kind" donations don't harm the spirit of the giver.
I used to do kettles for them, for a friend who asked. In recent years I haven't signed up because of the stories I had heard related to homophobia and the organization. While it doesn't surprise me it also isn't something I can support. My friend did just post an article on FB about how what has been said isn't entirely true. I skimmed it.
Fwiw the Canadian branch is not anti-gay. Just the American one.
I was in a community service club in HS, and we had to do different things to earn a certain number of hours. One of them was being a bell ringer. The shifts tend to be short (2-4 hrs) and its done by volunteers. I'd say most of the time they aren't affiliated with Salvation Army - and don't care if you donate or not.
I don't exactly live in the safest town, so I actually like the extra people around the doors of retail spaces. They are typically manned by 2-3 people, and it's not uncommon to have a cop in the parking lot to prevent people from trying to steal the change.
Post by SusanBAnthony on Dec 14, 2013 15:40:34 GMT -5
I don't like the, because of the gayz and because they are obnoxious. My kids know we don't donate because they aren't kind to gay people, not the details of the homeless shelter set-ups.
I also don't like that with your free food you get to learn about Jesus. I don't kind that appropriate. I realize you can just throw the paper away, and I am sure most people do, but I don't think people in need of food should have to accept proselytizatiom in order to get food.
Post by RoxMonster on Dec 14, 2013 15:42:19 GMT -5
I do not give to them. But the bell ringers themselves are always very friendly and I will return their greeting of "Merry Christmas" and smile as I walk by them.
We were walking past them today and I had spare change in my pocket. I told DH, in a somewhat obnoxiously loud voice, "I'd put my change in there if they didn't hate the gays."
I don't like them. I'm in Canada so it's not because of the anti-gay views, but because there is a ringer parked outside my store who rings his bell so ferociously I want to scream.
Post by underwaterrhymes on Dec 14, 2013 15:47:05 GMT -5
I have a problem with the Salvation Army, not the bell ringers. I wouldn't donate any major sum of money to the organization because I loathe their anti-gay policies.
Still, I occasionally drop a dollar in because it's cold out and the bell ringer is cheerful and I'm feeling charitable and happy and also because I DO support the work they do to help the homeless.
I also found myself buying extremely overpriced popcorn from an adorable little Cub Scout who showed up at my door the other day. The Boy Scouts as an organization piss me off, but this was a neighbor's kid and he was really cute.
My GRANDFATHER told me to never give to them because they tried to charge him for a blanket during the war. No one ever believed him when he used to tell the story, but I have never donated because I didn't want to upset my grandpa.
They used to hire my clients at minimum wage to ring in front if Macy's. There were two sides to the coin, one is that they were hiring the disabled & giving them a paycheck. The other is that they admitted they were exploiting the disabled because people would give more.
So before there anti gay views were well known I was pretty anti donating. Now that I know that my view has not changed much.
I also found myself buying extremely overpriced popcorn from an adorable little Cub Scout who showed up at my door the other day. The Boy Scouts as an organization piss me off, but this was a neighbor's kid and he was really cute.
H will buy most anything a kid making the effort of going door to door is selling. I do, generally, too.
I used to do kettles for them, for a friend who asked. In recent years I haven't signed up because of the stories I had heard related to homophobia and the organization. While it doesn't surprise me it also isn't something I can support. My friend did just post an article on FB about how what has been said isn't entirely true. I skimmed it.
Fwiw the Canadian branch is not anti-gay. Just the American one.
That must be why she posted it, she lives out in BC now but I used to work with her.
I did hear on the local news this week that donations are WAY down in the metro area kettles, i wonder if the LGBT issues are related
I think it is. Unfortunately, because of the anti-gay views of the US org getting so much publicity, donations are down in Canada as well despite the fact the Canadian org is vastly different and not anti-gay in their policies.
Post by sailorgray on Dec 14, 2013 16:46:00 GMT -5
My brother was a firefighter at the Pentagon on 9/11. He said the Salvation Army was absolutely awesome that day and the weeks that followed. He said that other organizations that are well known did nothing and seemed to be there to receive media attention for being there. I will always support them.
It sucks because they do good work and help lots of ppl, but their anti gay stance is a dealbreaker. They make families with same sex partners split up at their shelters instead of letting them all room together like other families. Not okay.
Seriously??
H's parents are Majors in the SA, lol.
I knew there was an anti gay stance, among other weird things, but I did NOT know they made LGBT families split up at shelters, wtf??
I don't like them. I'm in Canada so it's not because of the anti-gay views, but because there is a ringer parked outside my store who rings his bell so ferociously I want to scream.
Wait, do they not have anti gays views here in Canada too??