Oprah Gives Away $1000 Debit Cards

2moretrees · #1 (**permalink**) 10-31-2006, 06:53 PM

So what does everyone think about Oprah giving away $1000 debit cards to all the members of the audience. I love the fact that they can't spend it on themselves or give it to a family member.

If you were given that opportunity, what would you do with it?

tgavin71 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-31-2006, 07:05 PM

I'd give it to the Salvation Army.

LuxLiving · #3 (**permalink**) 10-31-2006, 07:27 PM

Give 1/2 to my church library and 1/2 to the church benevolence fund.

ren · #4 (**permalink**) 10-31-2006, 08:23 PM

If there was a way to do it completely without her knowing, I'd charge all of a coworker's utilities for a couple months, since she has a four-generations household right now and I know things are really tight for them. I think I'd have to do it secretly, because she wouldn't even let me buy her a cup of coffee when I took her out to vent one day.

If I couldn't figure out a way to do that, I'd like to do a RAOK spree -- look for the families with lots of kids in the grocery store and swipe it for them, pay for people's prescriptions, buy gas for a bunch of people, that sort of thing.

tinapbeana · #5 (**permalink**) 10-31-2006, 08:29 PM

ooooh, a challenge! let's see... don't know if i could do all of these, but here are my ideas.

go to the library and pay all the fines for people whose last name starts with W,X,Y, or Z (i think i'd run out of cash if i covered more of the alphabet!)

buy bulk cat & dog food for the animal shelter

make a large food donation to the domestic abuse /rape crisis shelter

see if i could provide juice/cookies to the blood mobile (heheh OT, but here they call the blood mobile the Blood Vessle!!! haaaaaaaaahahhaha!)

Broken Arrow · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2moretrees

I love the fact that they can't spend it on themselves or give it to a family member.

I heard it over the radio, and I love how the disc jockey took a friendly jab at the audience's cheers before and after they found out they can't keep it.

I would try to dollar match for my friends. Friends only because I know them well enough to know what "futures" I am investing in. Dollar match so that they would have a good incentive to pay off their debts.

Ima saver · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 06:38 AM

Give mine to broken arrow to help pay off his student loans or start his car fund.

puppypal · #8 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 06:39 AM

I love that idea. Giving folks money and requiring them to do random acts of kindness! Way! Cool!
The challenge to me wouldn't be what to do with it it would be trying to figure out which folks to give it too.
HHHHHMMMMMMM
Well, My Son's Girlfriend's Older sister just had a child. Not married been in trouble etc. She is staying with her mom and had a beautiful baby boy for that matter. I think I would take the 1000.00 and put it into an investment idea and then give it to the child when he gets older. That way, the money would not only go to a wonderful cause it would actually make money for the wee one too!

Elgin526 · #9 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 06:41 AM

We'd give it to my MIL. She lives off of a small pension from her late husband, social security, and a little money she makes on the side making custom curtains. She always can use more money, the house she has always needs work. We'd make sure she didn't spend it all on "needs" though, we'd insist she would have to buy something nice for herself!

abowers · #10 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 06:47 AM

Some ideas:
-Donating some of that to an animal shelter/pet adoption agency (i.e. the one we adopted our greyhound from)
-As we're now coming up on Thanksgiving, I could use the money to put together Thanksgiving baskets for needy families
-Donate some money to one of the nonprofits I have worked for in the past

dossin1 · #11 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 07:47 AM

I like Salvation Army's "adopt a family" program. Also Head Start provides gift boxes to kids during the holidays.

Broken Arrow · #12 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ima saver

Give mine to broken arrow to help pay off his student loans or start his car fund.

[cue in the pre-"can't keep the money" Oprah cheer!]

scfr · #13 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 08:19 AM

United Animal Nations (www.uan.org) is a great organization worthy of support.

I would give $500 to UAN's Lifeline Grants program; it helps pay emergency veterinary bills for people who can't afford them. Hopefully the recipients would "pay it forward" when they were able to.

With the remaining $500, I would pay the travel expenses for low-income volunteers to travel to UAN's EARS (Emergency Animal Rescue Service) training sessions. EARS volunteers go in and rescue animals who need rescuing, for example during natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. With their training, those volunteers should be able to go on helping animals long in to the future.

Oh, wouldn't that feel good?

greedy4chips · #14 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 08:53 AM

One of the coolest things that ever happened to me was one night at a restaurant our waitress informed us that the elderly couple (80's+) who just left wanted to give us $10 to help pay for our meal, because we brought our three kids who were 5, 3, and 1. They told the waitress that they were so impressed that we brought our kids instead of getting a babysitter! They told her that is what is wrong with society nowdays versus when they were younger.

We obviously didn't need the $10 so we discussed what we should do with it. After a couple minutes our answer sat down at the same table as the elderly couple, a family of 3. We told the waitress to wait until we left and to pass the $10 bill onto the other couple. I am not sure whatever happened to that $10 bill, but I would love to think it is still making its rounds around the restaurant 3+ years later!

My $1000 debit card would start 100 $10 bill stories!!!!

fairy74 · #15 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 09:00 AM

I would give $500 to pitbull rescue association, have a pit mix (sweetie!) and just saw "off the chain" (horrible and heartbreaking)

I would give the other $500 to that program that helps prisoners to buy gifts for their kids at Christmas (no one should be left out at christmas)

disneysteve · #16 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 11:29 AM

I'd donate it to the endowment fund of our temple. We made our own donation last year and I'd love to be able to throw in another $1,000.

markio26 · #17 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 12:01 PM

i would donate it to our local food pantry prior to thanksgiving.... she must receive a good discount on the gift cards and she can possibly write it off her taxes... i think it is a good idea for her to be so generous... but, it is targeting her studio audience.. what about all the people who subscribe to her magazine too... maybe they would like a gc too...

gloriacampos · #18 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2moretrees

So what does everyone think about Oprah giving away $1000 debit cards to all the members of the audience. I love the fact that they can't spend it on themselves or give it to a family member.

If you were given that opportunity, what would you do with it?

I'd spend $100 to take my family out to a nicedinner, which we haven't done in years.

The rest I would use to buy things that make my home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

disneysteve · #19 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloriacampos

I'd spend $100 to take my family out to a nicedinner, which we haven't done in years.

The rest I would use to buy things that make my home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

You can't spend it on yourself or your family (see OP). That was the point. You have to give it away.

gloriacampos · #20 (**permalink**) 11-01-2006, 12:54 PM

Then I would give it to a charity