Members TownsendPLocke Posted December 8, 2008 Members Posted December 8, 2008 I was at The Grove in LA yesterday and I sure noticed the decline in business.No trouble finding parking and the shoppers were much fewer than on normal weekends-let alone holiday weekends. The avaerage price for my gift has gone down from $60 to $45 including shipping.The retailers are only selling if they are discounting so almost all are discounting. So---are you cutting back this Holiday season? Quote
Guest Conway Posted December 8, 2008 Posted December 8, 2008 No doubt. For the most part, my friends and family have opted for a group donation to charity to help those less fortunate over lavishing gifts upon one another. This year, to my surprise (where my conservative southern family is concerned at least), the group opted to support Vital Bridges, a food bank that serves the HIV infected community here in Chicago. Next Sunday, we will go grocery shopping at Costco with our budget and deliver our donation to the organization the following week. For the few immediate family members that I still buy gifts for, we have agreed to lower our threshold from $150 per gift to $50 per gift. Quote
caeron Posted December 10, 2008 Posted December 10, 2008 Last year I took a dream trip to SE asia. Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. This year is a weekend at Yosemite. My portfolio's in the tank, and I have no hope of a bonus next year to cover all my special needs. What's a girl to do? Fortunately, my family and friends have gotten out of the habit of gifts for each other. I'll give my nieces and nephews a donation to Heifer international http://www.heifer.org/ this year. I think it's a good thing to remind kids growing up in the land of plenty how good they've got it. Quote
Members TownsendPLocke Posted December 11, 2008 Author Members Posted December 11, 2008 I did look into the Hiefer.org organization-as that is a charity my boss approves of. It seems to be a "teach a man to fish"type charity=which while good and honorable is not going to do anything to fill the bellies of folks that are hungry today.And teaching folks to farm?Well I think that will work in some third world countries-but this year we have folks at home(here in the USA)that are going to be hungry this season. So I am giving(cash-they need that more than your cans of creamed corn ) to the local food bank as well as to Heifer.org . I also will be giving regular gifts and cash as well-have to keep the economy moving Quote
Guest Conway Posted December 11, 2008 Posted December 11, 2008 Townie, I volunteer to help out an organization here in Chicago that both feeds the hungry and provides a restaurant industry job training program to its participants. It is called Inspiration Cafe. I encourage you to find something like that in your home town where donations are spent on food and training programs versus a big administrative platform. Quote
caeron Posted December 11, 2008 Posted December 11, 2008 So I am giving(cash-they need that more than your cans of creamed corn ) to the local food bank as well as to Heifer.org . I also will be giving regular gifts and cash as well-have to keep the economy moving There is need everywhere. I guess I tend to support international charities more because I was a military brat and grew up in travelling the world. When you're an 8 year old boy living in Izmir Turkey, you get to see a form of poverty you just don't see in the US. It was a valuable experience for me. Another charity I support is Doctors without Borders. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/ These brave folks go places I wouldn't dare go to help folks in need. So what are other people's favorite charities? Quote
