Hey, don't look at me, after our yardsale flopped, I drug an entire pickup load of decent clothes, computer monitors, tvs, and random knick knacks to goodwill, this summer.

I donate stuff to Salv. Army & Goodwill at least every 2-3 months. I can't shop there though. It always smells so gross.

When the salvation army stops discriminating against homosexuals, I will consider donating more.
Til then, it's whatever change is in my pocket when I see a bell ringer.
Maybe.

Still a better deal than unemployment, social security, or disability!

/paid into the Salvation Army "system" pretty heavily

@ConroyCotta: It depends on the store. I entered one store, and it smelled gross, too. When I visited Charlottetown, their Salvation Army was the cleanest store I've ever seen. So I guess it depends on the local management.

@dentedvw: i think this is one of those issues where you have to pick your battles. i'm a homo but it still donate to them when i am able to (clothing, change for the bell ringers--that's about all i can give). they do a lot of good work for homeless people, people who can't buy groceries, etc etc. it's worth it, to me, to donate to them--despite their anti-gay policies.

@Meltdown: Agreed. The store where we used to live was beyond gross. But the one we visit now is absolutely massive, in a very nice looking building, clean inside, with friendly staff. We check it out for deals usually once a week. :-)

@sockrockinbeats: Surely there are other charities you could give to that accomplish the same work for the poor without your donations directly funding bigotry.

I know that I'm not giving another red cent to those bell-ringing bigots, and I'm not even gay. I used to give to the red kettles, but now I'm finding local charities to donate to, instead.

When I had just run away from a very abusive relationship and was briefly homeless and destitute (about a week before my mom finally returned my phone calls and picked me up), I stayed in a Salvation Army shelter. They shoved us out the door every morning and wouldn't let us return until evening, and I literally knew nobody and had no place to go and the shelter was in a bad part of town, so I just sat outside the front door and cried (I was in pretty bad shape, sorry). They had their security people run me off anyway. No thanks to them I wasn't raped or killed. Some Christian charity.

Well, now it's years later and I have a good job and I'm in a good relationship. I guess the Salvation Army do good work for some needy people. But I no longer think of them as a worthy place to send my charity dollars.

I give to the Salvation Army. In fact my back seat is packed with stuff that I'll drop off on my way home.

I've also shopped there, and may pop inside the store after leaving the stuff with the donations guy. You can get good kitchen stuff for a song.

Let's hope their new clients aren't gay.....or any other type of social "Undesireable".

@dentedvw: When the US government stops subsidizing abortions, I'll start paying my taxes.

You can't expect faith based organizations to change their beliefs in order to get your donations. If you agree with their mission, donate. If you don't, don't.

Unfortunately I can't choose to not pay my taxes, despite all the despicable things the government does with my money.

I'd hate for somebody to go hungry because you're making a stand against some sort of policy that doesn't directly affect Salvation Army's mission.

@Saboth:

hmmm... I thought in this kind of economy, yard sales would BOOM....
maybe you were selling the wrong things?

don't feel bad- my yard sale flopped too. (but it pretty much consisted of sex toys, leather whips and bloody bedsheets...)

@speedwell:

That was a hard story to read - I'm glad things are better for you now.

@crashfrog:

bell-ringing bigots

How, again, does feeding and providing shelter fuel bigotry?

@speedwell: That is AWFUL.

@speedwell: They're running a shelter, not a flophouse. This is standard policy at most homeless shelters.

I had an argument with a friend last night about this very topic. I told him I got a nice evening gown at Salvation Army for less than $10 yesterday. He got very mad and said that Salvation Army is for people who can't afford regular stores, and that me shopping there when I have the money to shop elsewhere is offensive. I thought the whole point of shopping there was that the money you spent would go toward helping the less fortunate. What does everyone here think?

@dentedvw: Local charities are always better. They don't get bogged down with all of the bureaucracy that burdens a large one.

@chatterboxwriting: I'm kinda torn on that issue. Ultimately, the point of the store is to use the sale PROCEEDS to fund their operations, not to simply provide a cheap retail outlet for the underprivileged.

So I'm mostly on your side here. But there's still a little part of me that thinks "I probably should leave these items for people who need the deal more than I do." It used to be that the store locations were sort of self-filtering (fancy folks didn't go into that part of town), but the stores are popping up in wealthy suburbia around here, too.

@sockrockinbeats: It's worth it to me to find a charity that doesn't discriminate and donate to them instead. The Salvation Army isn't the only charity that helps the homeless or feeds the hungry.

One thing I do like about donating to the SA is that I can easily redirect my donations to meet a need anywhere in the world. While most of my donations to them stay within the local command, I've also re-directed my donations to go to the Asian Tsunami, Katrina, the tornado that hit the Alabama high school 2 years ago, and other things like that. I try to keep it local or regional, but it's nice to have a single organization (with an impeccable efficiency record) that can direct funds on request.

@chatterboxwriting: The Salvation Army thrift stores are open to the public. In many cases they would have more goods than they would be able to sell if they only allowed low-income shoppers. Unless there is some kind of shortage, they need and welcome everyone's patronage.

The point of the store is both to help provide income to the S.A. and to provide bargain clothing to the entire community, not just a certain income level.

@Saboth: but goodwill resells the items and the salvation army provides them to people in need. salvation army is still slightly better in my book.

@Shadowman615: @The Name's Ash78, Housewares: Thanks for your input. I do mostly shop at "regular" stores, but used the Salvation Army a lot this holiday season. I "adopted" a needy family who has no money to buy their kids gifts - Salvation Army in my town has three big racks of brand new clothes with the tags still on them. I was able to get each of the four daughters 10-12 pieces of clothing and then I went to other stores to get them makeup, board games, etc. I was able to give them a lot nicer a Christmas by using the Salvation Army, so I don't feel like I am taking advantage as much as my friend might suggest.

I've only donated to them once, but I didn't like the idea that they'll be selling the stuff I donated. And from what I saw, they don't sell them for cheap.

@chatterboxwriting:

I wouldn't worry about that at all. We are a two-income professional couple, but I refuse to waste money on overpriced goods if there is a decent alternative. When my kids were little, I bought most of their clothes at Sal's and Goodwill. Such organizations get PLENTY of clothing donations, way more than they can put into their retail outlets. They ship a lot of them overseas in huge bales for distribution in less developed countries. What they need is MONEY to fund their programs (such as fuel assistance etc.), and that's where the thrift stores come in. SHOP WITHOUT GUILT!

@chatterboxwriting: Don't torture yourself. Goodwill, SA, St. Vincent's, etc-- all thrift stores-- need people buying things. You're doing more good by helping them clear out stock and infusing them with cash, than letting an item rot on the shelves. Cash pays the electric bill to keep the store open and make it available for other (including low-income) persons, not evening gowns.

We could have afforded the $30+ kid's halloween outfits at Target, but instead picked up 2 whole outfits for $8 total at our local GoodWill. I don't feel one bit bad about it, that's $8 that will pay the clerks, gas up the trucks to deliver more goods, whatever.

You, the buyers, are a needed part of the thrift system.

@InfiniTrent: Err, so there's no difference whatsoever between the Salvation Army and the Federal gov't? At all?!
And, for yucks, when was the last time YOU needed an abortion? (I'm assuming you're male, btw)

@dentedvw: I agree. I refuse to donate to discriminatory organizations like them. --Some (probably a lot, to be honest) of the money people donates goes towards paying salaries and donating to them is too much like supporting their policies.

That bit about adopting a family is cool, can you hook me up with that?

You never want to be in a situation where you need the help of the Salvation Army. But, if you are, they are wonderful.

The day after the Pentagon was attacked, the Salvation Army had its response team set up in the South parking lot. They (along with other groups) provided food, snacks, and other services for the relief workers and those who were in critical positions and required to be in the building.

That week, I had cashed a large rebate check from Microsoft and had the money with me. I tried to give it to the Red Cross, but they refused it because they were not "equipped" to take donations (WTF?). So, I went to the Salvation Army table and asked if they were taking donations. They said yes, but they did not have any receipts. I said they could just write it on a napkin, so they did! In a strange sort of way, I hoped that the IRS would challenge the donation just so I could pull out a napkin to support my claim ;)

Responding to the comment on the desperate need of food pantries...

Our local food pantry was so empty around Thanksgiving, they were turning away volunteers that came to sort cans - there was nothing to sort! My friend was one of them. She threw a party and invited a ton of our close friends, all of whom were informed of a contest on their invite:

"If you bring X number of cans, you get to pull 1 ticket out of the Prize Hat. If you bring X number, you get three pulls. If you bring X number or more, you get five pulls and the record donator of the night receives a special Uber Prize. All donations go to the Norwich Food Pantry."

The party pulled in 500 cans. As she put it, "Greed Works". The prizes were all modest things, the grand prize being the treasured and highly coveted recipe to these fantastic bar cookies she makes. She said the pantry was ecstatic!

@tinmanx: Are you in NYC by any chance? I noticed when I lived in NY that Goodwill and SA resold items for prices that seemed high. Here, I get a lot of good deals. When I was buying Christmas gifts, I got a Ralph Lauren sweater for $2.49 ($4.99 and then 50% for Black Friday) and a lot of other deals. I ended up buying 29 shirts for less than $50 (all brand names).

@Cat_In_A_Hat: Salvation Army re-sells them too.

@chatterboxwriting: My advice, as a fellow thrift store shopper: don't feel guilty at all. Stores like SA and Goodwill take the money you give them and use it for some pretty good stuff. I'd rather Goodwill get part of my clothing budget than a store at the mall.

If they didn't want to be open to the public, they would require you show a food stamp card or something to get in.

@crashfrog: This is my view, as well. It's not so much that they don't do any good things so much as that there are better charities to donate to. There are plenty of groups that help the homeless without spreading bigotry.

BTW, the anti-gay thing is not the only issue I have with the Salvation Army. They also have some cultish aspects that I find a bit disturbing, like their insistence that their "officers" only marry other "officers", and the fact that they have military-style ranks in the first place while pushing religion. Also I find the bell-ringers annoying and would rather give to someone who doesn't annoy me all the time.

@InfiniTrent: Oh really? I can't expect them to change their beliefs in order to get their donations? Yes I can. It's my money and I can put whatever condition on it I want if it's a voluntary donation.

@InfiniTrent: Oh, and I have to add that if anyone goes hungry because someone didn't donate to the Salvation Army over their anti-gay stance, that is the fault of the Salvation Army, not the person who didn't donate. Maybe they shouldn't have policies that turn people off of donating to them if they actually care about the homeless.

(I've never quite understood the emotional support that the SA gets whenever I criticize them).

@cmdrsass: Yeah, and it's a great piece of Christian charity that scared, lonely 21-year-old girls get shoved out on the streets in a part of town known more for hookers and blow than for Starbucks and libraries, isn't it?

But we must keep up our standards. (Not to mention our noses in the air.)

@chatterboxwriting: If your friend feels so strongly about the stores being there for low-income people, then how does he justify them selling things at all (as opposed to giving them away)? If he really wanted to put his money where his mouth was, he would go buy a lot of stuff from the thrift store and give it out to the needy.

Thrift is a virtue practiced by people who are doing their best to take care of their money and prevent themselves from becoming Salvation Army "clients."

I know a lot of people who had Xmas as kids because of the SA, and I used to donate heavily...but when Bush took office and they got all crazy with the religious discrimination (making people sign pledges of faith in Jesus in order to keep their jobs, etc.), I quit. And I'm not giving them a penny until they stop with the intolerance and discrimination. I happen to like Xtians for the most part, and these people are giving them a bad name.

Also, as an aside...There's only one food bank left open in the Greater Detroit area, and that one is so short on donations that it's limiting everyone to 10lbs (which is not a lot).

Also, The Salvation Army closed ALL of their Detroit homeless shelters a while ago. Wasn't that nice?

We only donate to local charities and shelters. More help, less bureaucracy. I know a girl who used to work at our SA thrift store and she told me that most of the good items that are donated to that location go home with the upper-level employees. They don't see a single thing from me any more.

@sockrockinbeats: I'm a very, very big believer in gay rights and I donate to the salvation army regularly as well.

Just about every charity I have looked in to has had some practices or values I disagree with. That doesn't mean it isn't worth giving.

@InfiniTrent: I'm not so open-minded that my brains have fallen out. If a bigot is a bigot there's no virtue in ignoring it.

I am sorry but I do not donate to the salvation army, I gave huge bags of toys to Toys for Tots as usual this year since I know the product will actually be going to the kids. Over the summer I loaded up huge bags of stuff and gave it to St. Vincents because the people who worked there were extremely friendly and helpful and plus I got a lot of good stuff for REASONABLE prices from their store. The Salvation Army here is extremely overpriced and the workers are extremely rude. They charge 10$ for a pair of used, faded, from the early 90s jeans. I don't think thats charity, overcharging for extremely ugly clothing. I can get clothes cheaper than that at the retail store. Our city is beyond poor and there are plenty of other places who can take donations, until the overpricing stops, the SA is not seeing a dime from me. Gouging the poor is not cool in my book. I actually go out of my way to give my donations directly to other people who need them instead of just dumping everything in the SA bin so the SA doesn't see anything from me. While its easier to dump everything in the bin its not the best solution.

When I donate I try to do something where the product I am giving will actually get to the recipient instead of just donating a bunch of money that is going to line the pockets of some charity CEO.

Freecycle is a good place to give away your extras as you know its going to someone who will use it and its going directly to them.

The Salvation Army isn't the only charity that is suffering from less funding and donations. If you refuse or can't donate to them for any reason, please consider giving to another charity instead.

@speedwell: Yeah, because that's probably the reason. "We must keep up our standards" was probably the exact phrase they used at the board meeting, right before dumping ink and kittens into the ocean.

Seriously, they have their reasons. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking that there'd be a number of people who'd want to stay there all day as well as all night, not get a job, be at all productive, etc. Plus, I'd guess the needed the daytime to clean, reorganize, get set up for that evening, etc.

All sympathy to you, don't get me wrong. I just have a hard time attributing that policy to snobbishness and elitism. Did they strike you as uptight during the time you were actually able to be there?

@speedwell: It sounds cruel, but the reason most shelters have strict policies about kicking people out is because the don't want anyone getting too comfortable there. The idea is that if you keep them too comfortable with free housing, then they won't be motivated to go out and better themselves through work or education. Anyone who doesn't understand why they have a tough love approach has clearly never volunteered at a homeless shelter.

And I'm still wondering why you think you deserve special treatment from the charity just because you were young and female.