Thoughts on Charity Collecting.

I spent some hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday taking part in a charity bag-pack at Tesco, Navan for the charity Zest4Kidz. I chose the task of standing at the exit with the collection bucket actually collecting the money while others packed shopping for shoppers who in theory at least contributed money at the exit. Plenty of time to watch people and to think.

It is actually a very positive experience because so many people give money. Many apologise as they contribute - "Sorry it's not more". There is no way of forecasting who will contribute and who won't, stereotypes of age, dress, gender etc count for nothing. As I noted the last time I blogged on this a common practice is for parents to give money to children to put in the bucket. This is somehow heart warming, something to do with wanting to pass on the giving attitude I suppose.

And you meet interesting people. Most just contribute and keep going. Some pause and chat. I met a man who lived in East Africa for forty years. His children were born in the shade of Mount Kilimanjaro which he climbed in the late sixties. Much less snow on it nowadays. Another lady said "I was going to buy a bottle of wine but decided to give the money to the needy instead". In spite of recession the spirit of giving still appears to be strong.

Items about the snow on Kilimanjaro here and here.

Article "Recession Begins to Bite the Irish Charity Sector" here.