It is said that charity begins at home. I don’t know who it was that said that but several people have certainly taken it at face value. At least, several people think that charity begins at our home and, presumably, those of our neighbours, too.
Four or five days ago a collection bag for the “Extra Care Charitable Trust” fell onto our door mat. It wants, “bric-a-brac, books, jewellery, quality clothing, shoes and accessories”. [Ed: what exactly IS bric-a-brac, anyway?]
The following day a second collection bag, this time for the “Little Treasures Children’s Trust”, followed the first charity collection bag through our door. These folks are more selective; it seems they just want clothing.
Today a third collection bag on behalf of the NSPCC, again just wanting clothes, tried to land on our door mat. I say “tried” because it couldn’t land on our doormat which was already buried by other charitable collection bags.
Now, in addition to my back door being constantly snowed under with food packaging and the like waiting to be washed up before it can be recycled, my front door is obstructed by a plethora of charity collection bags which, doubtless, will not be collected because the driver can’t “see them from the road” and will end up in the same recycle bin as our sparklingly clean garbage.
We get charity bags through the letter box and they are NEVER collected even when stuffed with the desired goodies. Why distribute them & waste the charity’s & our own time & money? Should we all vow never to contribute to such charities?