I gave at the grocery store

I started this blog to have a place to vent on stuff, but then decided that I had better things to write about. But today I have decided to vent. I am tired of being hit up for donations every time I go to the grocery store, and now that Christmas is approaching we have the usual bell ringers at the front door, but that used to be a short term deal. It seems like 365 days a year the store is asking for something for someone at the register, "Would you like to add $5 to your bill today for -----add your own disease or need of the moment..while outside there is a table collecting money for homeless people or a barbecue for needy kids. So I guess I sound pretty scrooge like but this isn't about money for me. I write my checks and donate my time to causes and groups that I care about. I even went door to door for the American Cancer Society one year. But I'd like to just go to the grocery store, buy my stuff and leave without feeling like I have to duck out to avoid the conversation about a charity I never heard of. This seems like a short step up from panhandling. Matter of fact eliminate the middle man and just throw dollar bills at the people standing at the freeway entrance, who cares if they spend it on the largest bottle of fermented potato water you can buy at Ralph's. Of course there are panhandlers outside some of our stores as well, but according to a sign just posted they aren't welcome. So what about the other charities....and why this huge influx? It used to be that besides girl scout cookies and the christmas bell ringers, you could pretty much shop in peace. What's in it for Ralph's? Altruisim? Who gets the tax credit for the money they collect? And do they keep a management fee. I hope not, but this all seems like United Way DejaVu back in my corporate days where there was a big strong arm to give or you might not get promoted. And then it turns out United Way is running this big organization and keeping quite a bit of the proceeds for themselves. So maybe I just don't like getting hit up by big businesses to donate to non-profits that are basically big corporations themselves. I'm sending my check to Dafur. Hope some of the money gets there.