Soliciting funds for "learning experience" trips

[Gigi22]

Reminds me of the time one of the "church ladies" told me that her prayer group was going to NYC to pray for its salvation. I asked her why they had to go there, since prayer should work equally well everywhere. Never got an answer.

 

[crisi]

Yeah, I'm not supporting cultural imperialism.

Me either. People in Europe who are atheists have made that choice. It isn't like the Good News is actually "News" to them. It is offensive not to respect it as it is offensive for atheists not to respect the choices made by the religious.

I can see asking for donations for a Service Trip - my church sent adults to New Orleans with hammers and nails to work with Habitat for Humanity. But not for education, not for religion, not for vacation.

 

[jdb in AZ]

UHM, I'll try.

Dear Friends and Family,
As you all know DD is graduating this year. Please send money because she really needs to go to Disney World. Any amount will do as long as it has Ulysses S. Grant on it.

I think you should hold out for a "Benji" (as in Benjamin Franklin.)

I tell people i like green pictures of dead presidents, but it often takes them awhile to figure out what that means.

 

[Julia M]

I'm not a fan of trips where people fundraise to run a race in Hawaii or somewhere outside of where they live. Um, that's a vacation!!!!!

I will admit, the first time dd had an international competition, we asked friends and family if they would be willing to donate items they would have sent to Goodwill to dd instead, to hold a garage sale. We had an amazing response......at least 30 people donated. DD raised what she needed with the garage sale and babysitting and birthday and Christmas money.

I'll donate for car washes, spaghetti dinners, bake sakes, etc.......anything where effort is being put forth.

 

[wilkeliza]

I'm not a fan of trips where people fundraise to run a race in Hawaii or somewhere outside of where they live. Um, that's a vacation!!!!!

I will admit, the first time dd had an international competition, we asked friends and family if they would be willing to donate items they would have sent to Goodwill to dd instead, to hold a garage sale. We had an amazing response......at least 30 people donated. DD raised what she needed with the garage sale and babysitting and birthday and Christmas money.

I'll donate for car washes, spaghetti dinners, bake sakes, etc.......anything where effort is being put forth.

If they are asking for donations for runs elsewhere and not giving the money to the organization then IMO they are lying about where the money is going. I've done walks and races where I had to raise money to be able to participate but always pay my own hotel and airfare. If I make over the minimum it still all goes to the organization because that is what I am raising money for not my fun time outside of the run.

If I ever found out money I gave to others to help their cause went to their hotel and airfare I would ask for it back because that's not why I gave them the money.

 

[manning]

O she has a job! She graduated high school with her beautician license. She works at a salon and now takes part time college classes (paid for by her parents) - she wants to become an ultrasound tech. And yes, her mother works at the hospital and is in fact helping her with that! She still lives at home, so really no expenses, no reason she can't pay for the trip with the help of her parents if they so choose.

What's her name, Minnie the Moocher?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

O, forgot to say the letter stated the total cost of the trip is $6000 and she "couldn't do it without help from all of us". Heck, for 6K my entire family can take one heck of a trip! And no, she didn't ask for any supplies, but there is a website that we can go to to deposit funds directly to her.

I got these from both my niece & nephew who live out of state for "mission trips" they were taking their Sr year of high school (private school). I sent them the $ I was going to send for graduation and if they chose to use it for that purpose, well then that was up to them, but even at that point I thought those letters were so tacky.

There are many, many people who would love to go abroad to "learn and volunteer", but you know what? Most of us can't, so we find ways to help our fellow man right here. There are tons of volunteering opportunities right here at home.

I agree. (Sorry I didn't read all pages yet.)
Whatever the reason behind the trip, she either can afford it or she can't. If she can't right now, she should work for it.
Thank God I've never gotten a letter like this. I think I'd have a hard time staying friends with someone who does this.
Sheesh, it's called LIFE. You work hard to get something you want.
If you're not willing to work extra for it, you probably don't want it bad enough.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I dont mind handing a child a couple bucks who are tagging for a sport, been there done that..But in this case, no I would not send them any money..I think you are being nice enough offering for them to cut grass, babysit to earn extra bucks..if they really want to go bad enough they would do any odd jobs to make money..

 

[angwill]

Ugh, just got another one of these letters from a friend's 21 year old daughter yesterday. She's going to India for 3 weeks this summer for a "learning and volunteer" experience, not for college credit or anything, through an organization similar to People to People but for adults. She "can't do this without our help", blah, blah. I told DH I'll be more than happy to pay her to wash my car or baby sit for me if she really needs to earn funds, but I'm not sending someone a check when I can't even afford to take the trip to Scotland we've been dreaming of for years.

Am I just a crotchety old biddy? Do you hand out money for stuff like this? I'm so over the school fundraisers and I thought it would end after high school, but apparently not.

Well if your a crotchety old biddy you are not alone and in good company. lol That stuff gets shredded. I rarely order from fundraisers either. It has to be something I need and is worth the money to me. I gave my share in my lifetime and I am now done.

I never even allowed my son to sell stuff for fundraisers. We would instead make a nice order from us or pay the cash if it was funraising or cash. I just never believed in it. I will however give to charity that I believe in, directly to them from me not through a third party.

 

[xxcourt]

My brother went on a trip like this once, and he did send out letters but they were a little different. He asked if there were any chores he could do (mostly outside stuff - mowing the lawn, cleaning pools, etc) or if he could babysit in return for funds for his trip. He also did a little bit of tutoring. He raised almost all the funds he needed and he felt really great because he put in effort to get the money.

 

[Darcy03231]

My brother went on a trip like this once, and he did send out letters but they were a little different. He asked if there were any chores he could do (mostly outside stuff - mowing the lawn, cleaning pools, etc) or if he could babysit in return for funds for his trip. He also did a little bit of tutoring. He raised almost all the funds he needed and he felt really great because he put in effort to get the money.

To me this is different than the please donate to my trip letters. If I got a letter like this I would definitely find things around my house for the person to do to earn money. Completely different type of letter in my mind.

 

[robsmom]

As an ironic side note...my DH and I recently ran into Australian missionaries who had come to our city to start a church. So Australian Christians are supporting them as they start a church to reach Texans! Really?? There are 4 churches within walking distance of my house in Texas where we don't walk, we drive. Seriously this is the Bible Belt where church people still knock on your door on Saturday and invite you to church.

I guess they have been watching too much of the new Dallas and think all Texans are like that!

 

[writersblock42]

Interesting thread. I have been hit up by all of this as well and when I was living in teeny tiny apartment barely able to buy food and people with huge amounts of money asked me for money it got under my skin, but I have also sent out a couple of letters for support in my time-we also raised some money for a mission trip to China. I will agree that a lot of it is a vacation but there is also a lot of work that goes into it. In our case, it was working in orphanages.
I guess I am in the minority but I HATE the stuff fundraisers. I would rather send money directly to the organization.

 

[madge]

I'm getting ready to face this with one of my kids ... a slightly different scenario. not sure how we're going to approach just yet.

My child is in high school and has been invited/accepted to participate in a week-long service project in several different locations across the state. Each student is expected to fundraise the $500 for the trip & they are encouraged not to get the money from mom & dad. The fundraising is considered part of the process. Suggestions are given on how to approach local organizations such as the Lion's Club for donations. It's a good program and great opportunity. I'm at a loss on how to guide him on the fundraising, though. I have a strict rule that we don't ask friends who have kids in school ... they're dealing with the same kinds of stuff we are. We have contacts in a couple of the local service organizations, so he is going to go that route. But I don't think he'll be able to raise what he needs simply by going to those groups.

I'm stressed over $500 for a trip that I know will be worthwhile. I couldn't imagine asking people to help pay for anything larger.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

To me this is different than the please donate to my trip letters. If I got a letter like this I would definitely find things around my house for the person to do to earn money. Completely different type of letter in my mind.

So true. People tend to better appreciate things they worked really hard for. If things are all just handed over it's often taken for granted.

I paid for all my own college with 80% of my take home pay of my little part time job & busted my butt for good grades. A year before graduation, the hospital where we spent our clinical time offered a $2K bonus if we agreed to work for 1 yr after graduation. Two of us invested our $ and did a 14 day Perillo tour of Italy the day after graduation. (The rest just blew theirs shopping.)
OTOH, I have a cousin who was given a full 4 yr academic scholarship to a good engineering college & he partied his butt off & dropped out his 1st year.

 

[PaulaSue]

LOL. I think letters like are very rude. Heck I had my 12 yr old earn the money she wanted to raise/ donate to her schools mini thon instead of asking for donations. I would be so embarrassed if one of my kids asked for money for a trip. If we cant afford it we / they don't go.

 

[aubriee]

That is when I get the name of the school and call AND call the manager at Target and say that unless this stops I will no longer go to that Target to shop.

I do not wish to be harassed when I am going shopping. I don't mind sales outside as much, but I do expect that when I say no they back off.
Dawn

I agree! Our local Wal Mart allows stuff like that and it's really irritating. You can't even get into the store without someone approaching you with their hand out asking for money to go to camp or to enter some tournament. I have complained to the manager and when I was approaching him at the service desk, saw others doing the same thing. He just says we need to support our youth. No our youth need to get jobs and leave shoppers alone.

As an ironic side note...my DH and I recently ran into Australian missionaries who had come to our city to start a church. So Australian Christians are supporting them as they start a church to reach Texans! Really?? There are 4 churches within walking distance of my house in Texas where we don't walk, we drive. Seriously this is the Bible Belt where church people still knock on your door on Saturday and invite you to church.

Do what! Are we not in the middle of the Bible belt? I live in a fairly small Texas town, but there are many, many churches. You can't drive five minutes without seeing a church and many are within walking distance.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

I can't stand those letters. I especially won't support it for a church mission trip. I'm sorry I won't support you pushing your religion down a foreigners throat. There's definitely no place for it in the work place.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

I fully agree with your response on principal and in action,

Just wanted to share with you, though, that Europe is mostly unchurched these days.

Most of those gorgeous cathedrals and lovely stone country churches are "mostly museums" (a quote from a Hillsong Church- London worship leader on KLOVE radio yesterday ), not actual functioning congregations sharing the Gospel- more a political presence than evangelical.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/u...ual-state-says-mission-group-spokesman-26757/

But, yes, there is a great problem of vacations that are somewhat mission-related in nature.

That being said, I gave a little money (because a little is all I have )
to my son's college room mate (Liberty University) who is a Youth Ministry student
on an eight month mission trip ministering to the people of the Maela refugee camp,
which houses nearly 50,000 displaced people from Burma in the border area of Mae Sot, Thailand.

Now THAT is a real mission trip...[/QUOTE

I lived in England for five years and you are right, they are mostly unchurched. That isn't because the Christian message hasn't been spread in Europe, it is because people have fallen away from the church.

I agree with you about the Burma mission trip, I'll support you to go there and help out. That is a mission trip! Haiti? Sure. Africa? Yep. European tour? Not so much.

 

[crisi]

I lived in England for five years and you are right, they are mostly unchurched. That isn't because the Christian message hasn't been spread in Europe, it is because people have fallen away from the church.

Fallen? Really?, that sort of implies that they unintentionally tripped over a shoe and forgot to start going to church. They jumped. They made an intentional choice, which deserves respect. Just as Christians and people of other faiths deserve respect for their beliefs (unless, maybe you are a Scientologist - I try, but I have a really hard time with respect for that one).