Donations during the pandemic?

[ua_guy]

If you wish to comment, have you donated anything to a cause or group during this time of COVID? Why, or why not?

[disneysteve]

We made a $200 donation to our local food pantry a week or so ago. Normally we would bring them food, but that's too hard to do now. Then we thought about buying supermarket gift cards but I didn't want to make a special trip to the store (it's not the one we shop at) just to buy cards. So we just opted for the direct donation. We spoke to them first and made sure that would be useful to the cause.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I'm paying our cleaner to not clean. I've given $500 to each kids teacher because I figure they need it more than us. I've given $1000 to food bank nearby. I also donated about $500 to school for gift cards for low income families. I also am hoping my girl scout troop decides to just donate money.

[bjl584]

I have tons of stuff that I could take to the Salvation Army Store, but I haven't done so.
I'm not sure if they are open.
Not really a donation. More decluttering I guess

[scfr]

I decided to donate my stimulus money.

Starting with my family so not technically a donation but I'm helping to keep them from relying on outside aid or getting sick (knock wood):
Masks (surgical style & cloth washable) for 3 family members.
Care package to a family member who is a front line worker.
Grocery delivery charges for a vulnerable family member.

Then I decided to split what remained as cash between short, medium, and long-term causes:
Short = local food pantry (why? people are going hungry)
Medium = international medical nonprofit (why? this is a world-wide problem)
Long = political activism group I've been supporting for awhile that focuses on election reform in the US (why? Gotta keep thinking long-term and working for a better system so that the next time we face a crisis like this we will hopefully be better-equipped to deal with it.)

I also donated a pint of blood.

[kork13]

I decided to donate my stimulus money.

Starting with my family so not technically a donation but I'm helping to keep them from relying on outside aid or getting sick (knock wood):
Masks (surgical style & cloth washable) for 3 family members.
Care package to a family member who is a front line worker.
Grocery delivery charges for a vulnerable family member.

Then I decided to split what remained as cash between short, medium, and long-term causes:
Short = local food pantry (why? people are going hungry)
Medium = international medical nonprofit (why? this is a world-wide problem)
Long = political activism group I've been supporting for awhile that focuses on election reform in the US (why? Gotta keep thinking long-term and working for a better system so that the next time we face a crisis like this we will hopefully be better-equipped to deal with it.)

I also donated a pint of blood.

Can I just stand back a cheer for a minute?
THAT is exactly the attitude that is helpful today, and always. God Bless America (and beyond) for the good people like you that actually care about more than themselves.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Only money, and only as usual. I'm afraid I have not stepped up any donations. I had put together a Goodwill type donation at the beginning of March and it sits still in our foyer. I read yesterday that St Vincent de Paul near me is now accepting in-kind donations and that they are sanitizing them. That must be a huge, tedious job. My favorite charity, a shelter for women, had asked for a jogging stroller because one of the live-in staff there would use it to take little ones out with her when she jogs so that they could get a change of scenery. I hope they got that donation.

[scfr]

I read yesterday that St Vincent de Paul near me is now accepting in-kind donations and that they are sanitizing them. That must be a huge, tedious job.

You are being so thoughtful by thinking about what will need to be done to the items after they are dropped off. If they aren't items that will fulfill immediate needs, the kindest thing might be to hang on to them awhile longer.

[disneysteve]

St Vincent de Paul near me is now accepting in-kind donations and that they are sanitizing them.

There's no reason they need to sanitize anything. All they have to do is take in the donations and set them aside for a couple of days before unpacking them. The virus doesn't live forever. They're wasting time and cleaning supplies if they are actually sanitizing every item as it comes in.

[james.hendrickson]

There's no reason they need to sanitize anything. All they have to do is take in the donations and set them aside for a couple of days before unpacking them. The virus doesn't live forever. They're wasting time and cleaning supplies if they are actually sanitizing every item as it comes in.

Doesn't it make people feel better?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

nah. I'd be fine if they said it wasn't touched for a week.

[Bluebird]

We donated $5,000 to a local cause to save a historic home from being demolished. It was a one time chance to save it, and extremely important to us and our community. I also donated money and household items to a young mom who recently left an abusive situation.