Saturday Six

(Link in blogroll)

1. What was the last organization you gave a monetary donation to?

I'm sure it was our church. It gets darsch outta my wallet almost every week for something or other.

2. What was the last charitable thing you volunteered to do?

Well, technically, tonight's picnic was for church, though I was attending it, not hosting it. I'm going on a youth mission trip in two weeks. I do my share of volunteering, but I'm recently coming to the realization that I need to find some outlet other than church.

It dawns on me that I spent almost 6 hours this week at a local school on a panel listening to 14-year-olds present their projects. That, my friend, is charity! (I had an absolute blast!)

3. Someone you know comes to you in a bad situation and asks to borrow $10. Do you give them the money even if you think they might not give it back?

At $10, I would give it to them with strings clearly unattached; in fact, I might tell them to pay it forward, rather than paying me back. For $100, I wouldn't necessarily do so. For $1000, I'd ask for a promissory note, just as my parents when I was in college and needed a little extra money for a trip. And all this totally depends on the friend, the need, and our history.

4. Take the quiz: How Charitable Are You?

I scored a 19.

19-37 = Faithful Contributor. Your sense of charity and social justice is very tied to your faith. Your charitable actions spring from both your strong sense of compassion and your religious obligations. You look toward religious leaders for guidance in where to contribute and likely participate in church or house of worship fundraisers and volunteer activities.

5. Do you agree with the quiz’s results?

I italicized the parts I agree with. My major problem with the test is that with virtually every question, my response was way more complex than the answers allowed. In at least three, NONE of the answers were even close. For instance, I never give money to people on the street. I fear swarming, for one thing, and for another I usually don't HAVE money with me. Normally, when I know I'm going to be in an area where there may be panhandlers, I bring no more than what I need, if anything. However, if someone were to ask me for help, for a place to stay, for directions, etc., I'll pony up time and energy in a heartbeat! Beast always asks panhandlers if they're looking for food and offers to take them to McDonald's or the grocery store. I don't think he's had any takers yet.

6. Should the United States do more to help its own citizens before helping people in other countries?

I think the people in this country could do more to help each other. I do believe that there should be some kind of mandatory service time in every person's life, similar to AmeriCorps so that we could all have a chance to see the real world.

I think the United States needs to do it's part in leading the world in positive ways--in being the country we like to think we are--rather than leading so many countries (and people) into economic despair and war. Ahem.