Back in June I wrote about Mom, charities and her overdrawn checking account. You can read about it in:
Mom, Money and Charity, but suffice to say that Mom was invariably softhearted and generous to anyone, or any charity, that had a good story and an outstretched hand. As a result, she ran her checking account into the red. I spent six bills bailing her out and forbid her to write any more checks to charities. I tracked twenty-some odd charities, contacted them and told them to go away, but the mail kept right on coming.
About six weeks ago, I started throwing all the junk mail I get (actually, it's all addressed to mom) from charities into a large box. Here is the accumulation of unsolicited pleas for donations from charitable, non-profit organizations, all addressed to my dear mother who passed away in July.
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| Six Weeks of Charity Solicitations |
Each and every one of these organizations believes their cause is bigger and much more important than any other - it's for the
children, it's for the
abandoned dogs, it's for the
wild animals -
it's for us, because we have to eat too! They don't want a donation. They want
all your money, and they've actually started sending forms to fill out if Mom would care to leave her entire estate to them when she finally starves to death in the poor house.
This is a normal size dining room table which will seat four adults comfortably. This is six weeks of unsolicited mail. Isn't it about time some elected weasel did something about this?
3 comments:
I think it's a damn shame. I can't give to someone without them thinking that gives them the right to hound me ever after. I know your mom hit some disreputable characters, but even the reputable ones have forgotten how to just send a fricking thank you note.
I agree with CW... It's beyond the pale anymore...
Thanks guys. I generally don't like government intervention or new regulation at all, but in this case I think things have gone too far. What really gets to me is that all this mail was received after Mom had passed away, and after I'd made contact with 30 separate charities telling them politely not to call anymore. One genius called me, offered his deepest sympathy for my loss, then tried to sell me a year's worth of garbage bags. One year's worth? Who is he kidding, me or him? I think the cost was well over two bills.
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