The man in this picture (who must be the worlds richest homeless man) was resting near a vacant Burger King on Rice Street in St. Paul, MN. I stopped by to ask if he had a few minutes to chat. He got out from under his blankets and we had a decent conversation.
I see this guy pretty much every day when I drive up and down Rice Street. You'll notice he has brooms laying across the top of the wheelbarrow, and any time he is on the sidewalks he's putting them to use. He spends every day sweeping the public street from one end to the other - a couple of miles in distance.
I asked what he does in the winter, as I pointed to his blankets. He told me he shovels, because his job is 24/7, 365 days per year. I actually meant I wanted to know where he stays, but the answer was still sufficient for the moment.
I told him I appreciated the job he was doing - keeping the streets looking so nice - and I handed him a $10 bill as we parted. He thanked me profusely as I walked across the parking lot to my car, and I think he was still thanking me as I drove off. I didn't know what to expect before I started talking to him, but I didn't expect the overwhelming gratitude. Had I known this was coming, he may have gotten a $20 instead.
There are two points I'm trying to make. The first is, as the title implies, is how to pick where you donate your money this Holiday Season. The answer lies in that exact statement - you pick where to donate your money. I chose this guy because I wanted to. He didn't pick me. And, I do think it's pretty cool that a guy who could do nothing all day chooses to work instead, even though he doesn't have to. It's ironic that so many people who have work, choose to not work all day. By choosing my own charity and directly donating the money, I know 100% of it is going to the charity. It's very common for charities that are contacting you are allocating only 10% to the charity. The other 90%? It goes to 'administrative fees' and 'advertising'.
When you pick the charity yourself, two things happen - you feel good about it because you took the initiative to help someone, and the charity is probably going to be more appreciative because they are not expecting it. IT'S O.K. TO SAY 'NO' to charities that come knocking on your door. You can't possibly donate meaningful amounts to every charity that confronts you. Trying to please everyone is the surest way to please no one. Do you think ten gifts of ten dollars are going to be remembered by the ten charities you give them to? Or, will one charity remember the $100 you gave them when they really needed it most? Don't feel guilty about not giving to everyone.
The second point is about who get's my money again - and again....
The homeless man was more grateful than those who have asked me for my money in the past. Most of the time the 'baristas' at the coffee shops never even say 'thanks' as you dump your tip into their jar. It's as if they feel they are automatically entitled to it. Why do you think I don't put my tip in those stupid jars. And if you do, why do you?
Who do you think should get my money? The homeless guy who can't stop saying 'thank you', or someone who shows no appreciation?
I've got a $100 tip waiting for someone for right around Christmas. My money is currently on the homeless guy.
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