What's the most outrageous you've ever been solicited money for?

[cicero]

Regarding the missionaries to London, from a religious standpoint, large metropolitan cities are often areas where moral teachings are most in need. (For a reverse on the typical trope, the silent movie "Broken Blossoms" starts with a Chinese monk coming to the West to proselytize, because he believes its inhabitants are desperately in need of the peace he's found in Buddhism. Ultimately, the depravity in our society breaks him.)

Be that as it may, somehow, I don't think a group of HS students on spring break in another country is the way to go.

[cicero]

Last summer a mom and her daughter knocked on my door asking me for money to help support her daughter in a beauty pageant. What? And as I looked across the street, there was her dad and brother asking my neighbor for the same thing and showing her photo.

A girl I know did that! Well, kinda. She didn't go door to door, she made a booth on the street corner(her aunt's street corner) and sold autographs, handmade jewelry, sodas and cupcakes, all with a huge glittery posterboard sign that said "Help [girl] get to [pageant name]! Every penny counts!" She had a "guest book" for people to write their names and addresses and nice wishes for her.

She raised her money, and won. And then went all over town handing out "thank you" bags with lip balm, a photo of her in her crown, pens and sash, and hand writen notes thanking people for their "belief" in a "small town girl's dream".

It was a nice bag... Even if I just wanted a couple cupcakes and a diet coke.

but that is totally classy! sounds like an updated "Lemonade stand" AND with thank you bags! good for her (I'm not into the whole beauty pageant scene but she sounds like she has brains AND beauty)

[SCMagnolia]

I worked with a man a while back who definitely had some issues with managing his finances.   His wife only worked here and there at part-time jobs for a couple weeks at a time, citing "medical issues" that kept her from standing/sitting/being awake/etc for too long a period of time.  He only worked part-time himself and was reluctant to take a second job because "who would watch the kids?" (Keep in mind, his wife would be home to watch them, but apparently, her "medical issues" didn't allow for that kind of work, either.)

Well, this man and his wife have 2 kids, one of which they decided had amazing football talent, and in order for him to have a shot at becoming a future NFL player,  they decided to pick up the family and move to a different school district that had a football team known for its success and the number of players that were offered college football scholarships.  This same school district is also known for having some of the highest taxes and being one of the most expensive places to live in our area.

Soooo....  Co-worker sends out an email to all his friends, acquaintances, and anyone he might possibly have seen on the street.  Pours out the whole story about their move and flat out ASKS FOR DONATIONS to subsidize their move, the deposit and first month's rent on their (much more expensive) apartment, and new furniture for their new (much larger and much more expensive) apartment. 

Fast forward several months.  Co-worker sends out another email about how rough things have been since their move -- his commute to work has doubled, as have his commuting costs.  Wife can't (more like won't) work, and they're in dire straits, having moved to this very expensive apartment in this very expensive school district to try to help their son get a football scholarship.  To top it all off, Christmas is coming and his kids REALLY DESERVE to have a nice Christmas.  Would any of us like to donate to their cause to help make sure his kids get the (insert name of very expensive, popular, impossible to find toys of the season here) that they want and deserve for being such good kids?  Co-worker managed to even send this email to our boss.

He was fired not long after he hit the send button.

[Twik]

A lady I work with does missionary work in Africa occasionally during her summers with her husband, which is fine.  What rubs me the way is that they buy tons of beaded necklaces from the local women really, really, REALLY cheaply.  They then bring the necklaces back and sell them to friends for a huge profit.  Which is also fine, but for the statement I've heard her say more than once... " those women have no idea how much these necklaces sell for here!  We're making a KILLING!"

I've declined to purchase any.

Wait a second... do you mean that she's selling them for her own personal profit?

Because I can see if she's selling them at a high markup for charity going back into the mission, that would make sense.  But to brag about profit she herself enjoys on these items seems... just... wow...

That's a shame, because it sounds like there could be a great opportunity for some sort of "fair trade" deal with the charity. Instead, it sounds like the woman has a great deal of contempt for the local people she's supposedly helping.

[MayHug]

I have a co-worker that used to always be in dire straits with money. I've helped out a few times over the years when rent was due or the lights were going to be shut off. One time she came to me and asked if I had $75. (I don't loan money, I have only given when I was presented with a real need) I said I didn't have any cash on me was it something she needed right away I could go to the ATM? She said that the anti-virus on her computer was due and if it wasn't paid by the next day it would be turned off. (This was a few years ago) I declined and let her know of the free one I used with no problems. She was a little taken back, I had never turned her down before.

My boss ended up helping her learn to budget and she does well now.

[heathert]

I'm asking this because we recently heard from an acquaintance who is fundraising for the expense of burying a relative.  Only friends are being solicited, none of them really know the relative, no one knows what the immediate family thinks of this, and the kicker is that she (the relative in question) is still alive but will probably pass soon.  It's a very sad situation and one we find very bizarre.

I've heard of collections being taken up for new homes, career changes, weddings, adoptions, etc but this seems to me so far outside the realm of bad taste that I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't heard it myself.

So what havse you been asked to contribute to that you just couldn't believe?

I've solicited funds for a funeral and burial before.  Not everyone is prepared for final expenses or has family that can pay.  Why do you find this in "bad taste?"

This is my thought as well. I know right now we are not prepared and God forbid something happen but if you don't have it, you don't have it. 

[cwm]

Just remembered one from my mom. She got a letter from a cousin that she's fairly close to, and that Sis and I are close to. Cousin used to babysit for Sproglet on a regular basis, she's a great girl. Mom and Cousin's mom are also extremely close.

Anyway, this letter was a fundraising letter asking for money to go on a Missions trip to Costa Rica. Great, right? Except it was a form letter. No name, no personalization whatsoever, just a form letter. Mom said she's never been so hurt. If Cousin really wanted some money for fundraising, all she had to do was get on FB and message, or call, or email, or stop by. Mom would have been very generous if Cousin came and personally asked. As it was, she felt more like she was in a massive cattle call for money. I believe she declined to give, but I'm not sure.

I understand your mother's disappointment, but it's entirely possible that they required the kids to give out names/addresses (or address the envelopes themselves) while actually at the church for the mission fundraising event. Peer pressure and all.

I know that's the way they made my peers do a bunch of similar fundraisers back in the day, anyway.

Once, I gave an umbrella to a person living on the street in the pouring rain, walked into a store, and when I walked out they asked me for cash.

Another time, in the same area (where a lot of teen runaways lived), I gave a group a pizza. They asked me for one with different toppings (not just cheese) and heckled me when I said that's all I had.

While this is a good point, I think what stung most was that she didn't otherwise hear from Cousin at all. Had Cousin called or messaged her personally it would have been different, but to get only the form letter and nothing else stung.

[scotcat60]

Waing for a bus, I and other travellers were solicted for money by a man who said he wanted money to go an visit his wife in hospital. When we declined, he stomped off into the nearby bookmakers. It was a long wait for the bus, and he didn't come out.  Being charitable - maybe they gave him work tidying up to earn the money for the bus fare.,,,,

As for proselytizing in the UK, the British are notoriously shy and awkward being asked about religion, and usually ignore anyone giving out leaflets, or holding meetings in the street in my experience, so good luck to any who try.

[Twik]

Regarding the missionaries to London, from a religious standpoint, large metropolitan cities are often areas where moral teachings are most in need. (For a reverse on the typical trope, the silent movie "Broken Blossoms" starts with a Chinese monk coming to the West to proselytize, because he believes its inhabitants are desperately in need of the peace he's found in Buddhism. Ultimately, the depravity in our society breaks him.)

Be that as it may, somehow, I don't think a group of HS students on spring break in another country is the way to go.

No, but if it's *that* sort of trip, London is probably one of the safer places they could go.

[Ginger G]

A few years ago, a coworker I barely knew asked me for $20 to fund some extracurricular activity for her daughter.  I was extremely stressed about my finances at the time because I just had to pay for an expensive life-saving surgery for my cat.  I told her I would give her $20 for her daughter's activity if she would give me $20 for my cat's surgery.

[Miss Misery]

The homeless woman who wanted me to buy something for her rash.     Ummm.....yuck?

I declined.

[MommyPenguin]

A lady I work with does missionary work in Africa occasionally during her summers with her husband, which is fine.  What rubs me the way is that they buy tons of beaded necklaces from the local women really, really, REALLY cheaply.  They then bring the necklaces back and sell them to friends for a huge profit.  Which is also fine, but for the statement I've heard her say more than once... " those women have no idea how much these necklaces sell for here!  We're making a KILLING!"

I've declined to purchase any.

Wait a second... do you mean that she's selling them for her own personal profit?

Because I can see if she's selling them at a high markup for charity going back into the mission, that would make sense.  But to brag about profit she herself enjoys on these items seems... just... wow...

Yep.  I'd have no issue if the money was used to fund another mission or some such.  But their past two trips have been to kayak in Hawaii.  Openly funded by their huge mark up on the necklaces.  Most people who buy them are given the impression the profit is for charity.

Wow ... that's ... wow. I am dumbfounded.

Wow, that's really sad!  And so not the way these things should go.  I used to belong to a church that did something similar in terms of buying things made by women in 3rd world countries (generally the women had been rescued from exploitation situations and were being trained in new jobs, etc.), and it sort of went the opposite way.  The things were probably slightly more expensive than you'd be able to buy the item for here, but all of the money went to the women back there (the church ate the costs of shipping, etc.), so that they could continue to buy supplies and such and get enough practice/exposure so that they could sell things where they were for cheaper, and sell them overseas for more.

[Just Lori]

Friends of ours participate in a student travel event that costs several thousands of dollars.  When their oldest child went, they sent out the standard letters asking for donations.  I'm not sure how that went, but they tried something new for the second child.  Both parents are skilled in something that people want - for the sake of the post, let's say he decorates cakes and she can change the oil in your car.  They sold raffle tickets for $10, and the winner would get either 10 custom made cakes or a couple years' worth of oil changes.  I bought a ticket.  I didn't win, but I felt better about doing that, rather than handing over $10.

A friend of a friend funded her mission trips by purchasing cloth from the native women.  She sewed them into cute little purses, sold them individually and paid for her next trip.  I bought a little purse, and it's perfect for those days when you need to carry your money and an ID, but you don't want to haul a purse.

[Visiting Crazy Town]

The homeless woman who wanted me to buy something for her rash.     Ummm.....yuck?

I declined.

I would have bought her something for her rash, I  find myself feeling sad for her.

[GlitterIsMyDrug]

Got a card today! From my friend's son (he's 9 now), nice little thank you for his birthday gift (giftcard to a video game store), hand written (and made), except on the bottom there was a typed bit. "So, I asked for an iPad for my birthday, mom said no. I've put in the letter to Santa, but boy the elves have a hard time building those just right. So I'm asking for donations so I can buy one of my very own!", wait...did a 9 year old, who doesn't believe in Santa and hasn't since he was 6 (long story, drunk grandpa) just hit me up for cash to get an iPad? Seriously?

I called mom. According to mom he's been bugging her for an iPad for some time now and she's been saying no. Finally, sick of it, she decided he could "raise" the money by begging friends and family to give him "donations" so he can buy it himself. She was so proud of this plan! Apparenlty this will teach him budgeting skills. I think it teaches him begging skills.