Reply to East Africa safari…donating clothes and toys along the way?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Cringe.  Just give them money, don't fly your junk half way around the world.

Anecdote:  About 18 years ago my wife and I spent the winter in Kenya.  We were based at an orphanage where we volunteered, and I also volunteered with an engineering NGO.  After a few months we realized that ALL of the things we were doing at the orphanage could be done better by locals who needed jobs.  So I asked the orphanage director point blank:  Is it more effective for us to stay, or to just go and leave you the money we would otherwise spend to stay at the orphanage cottage, meals, etc.  He squirmed a bit, but answered me honestly:  the money would be more effective.

So we made a donation and went home.  It is often selfish to do good in a way that feels good.  It is much truer to do good in a way that IS good.  Anonymous is best if you can.[/quote]

This ^^.

I volunteer at a shelter in NOVA cooking and serving meals, usually once a month, and I also make bag lunches and donate them a couple times per month (that's a real job, it's usually for 40-50 people). We have a very hard time getting the help we need. But every Thanksgiving, everyone wants to come cook and serve the Thanksgiving meal with little Larla or Larlo to "give back." The amount of staff time that it takes to answer this inquiries, which come in via emails and calls, is a problem. The last thing I need in the shelter kitchen on Thanksgiving is new volunteers who don't know the kitchen and how we serve, standing around and getting in the way or, worse, being condescending or anxious with the (wonderful) residents. If you are wanting to volunteer with little Larlo for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but not in June when we actually need the help? Well, like you said PP --  "It is often selfish to do good in a way that feels good" and harder to do it in the way that is good. [/quote]

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