Best Way to Give
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| Mon, 05-26-2008 - 2:06am |
Ok, I need some ideas from y'all. Both my mother and I are always getting mail from charities, as I'm sure everyone here gets as well. My mother prefers to support local charities and keep the money within the state, which I can understand. I love animals and really want to help them, but sometimes I wonder if the really big organizations, like the ASPCA and Humane Society really use the money towards the animals or if they use it for the people who run the organizations. So I've always been leery of sending money to the large organizations. I know that everyone has a special cause they support and mine is animals. What about y'all here who give to charities? Do you do it on a local level or do you give to the larger organizations? Do you ever worry about the money not reaching those who need it the most?
Does anyone here do volunteer work? I have been thinking about going to help out at some of the shelters. I can't foster any of the animals in my home (my mother and my other two cats would not go for that). But I could help to socialize the animals, clean cages, feed them, etc (I worked in vet clinics for three years, so that work I can do). I think that volunteering would work just as well as monetary donations, wouldn't it? What does everyone here think?

&n
There are a few national charities that I trust and sometimes do donate money to. Being rather new to our city here have not yet found a charity that I want to support but have been checking it out.
I think volunteering is a great way to support a cause you really feel strongly about. They can always use another pair of hands to help take care of those animals.
Hugs
I
I think that volunteering at an animal shelter is as important or more. You would be giving of yourself, which is probably a greater gift than whatever money you'd donate.
Good for you!
Hugs,
Kathie
Thanks for everyone's responses. You've given me some things to think about. There is a shelter of sorts right near where I live that takes care of wounded, ill and orphaned willdlife. They recently had a "baby shower" where they were open to the public for tours. All you needed to bring was a gift for the animals: paper towels, baby food, cloth towels, trash bags, etc. I have seriously given a lot of thought for volunteering there to help feed and take care of baby squirrels and birds, etc.
I also love cats and dogs and would like to volunteer at a shelter. We have a no-kill shelter here called Project Pet that my mother supports with donations. They always need people there to help. Trouble is, so do the regular animal shelters, where they do euthanize animals. But I don't know if I could handle volunteering there. I worked in vet clinics for three years and had a hard time dealing with having to euthanize pets there. So now I'm torn between helping where I know the animals won't get killed and helping where I know the majority of them will get killed and maybe not be able to handle it emotionally.
By all means....DO volunteer.....your time is a valuable gift!!
Since you love animal I think volunteering at an animal shelter would be perfect. Years ago I used to foster baby squirrels from an area wildlife rehab center which was so rewarding. The money they received from grants and gov was not much so I did donate to them since it was local. I think volunteering at a shelter would benifit the animals just as much as a cash gift. animals don't understand money but they do understand kindness especially when they are living in shelters without the benifit of a loving family. To me that would be most important but the final decision is yours. Good luck.