Grumpy Old Chook

Part of my work as leader of a Christian ministry organisation is to do Appeal Days. This means that I spend a day sitting in a shopping centre with information about our current project, and ask for donations. Whilst some people might find this either daunting or boring (maybe even both), it is a part of my work that I really love (come to think of it, I really love most of my work, which means that I am greatly blessed.) When it comes to Appeal Days, I really enjoy the interaction with people, I love knowing that what I am doing will make a real difference in the lives of needy people (and because I head up the organisation, I know that every cent that I collect goes to the project for which it is collected) and I love knowing that those who give, even if it is only their small change, will be blessed for having done so.

I fully understand that not everyone is able to give, or wants to give. There are literally hundreds of charities out there, each one of them a worthy cause, and nobody can give to all of them. We ourselves, as an organisation, cannot give to all the projects that are presented to us. Because we are only a small organisation, we pick one project at a time to support. Likewise, some people have their pet charities that they support on a regular basis, and they don’t give to anything else; others just have a limit on how much they can give away. None of that bothers me: I am quite happy for people to simply walk by with a smile and a nod.

What does get to me, though, is the ones who feel it is necessary for them to give an excuse for their not giving.

Firstly, there are those whose excuse rambles on over 10 to 15 minutes, while I sit there thinking, “Please go away. I could be dealing with half a dozen people who DO want to give in the time you are taking to tell me why you DON’T.”

Some just walk past, suddenly finding something VERY interesting to look at on the other side of the centre. Others seem to be totally unable to see what is right in front of them. One woman asked, “But what organisation is it?” I only had an A3 poster, an A4 poster, four different brochures and a collection tin, all with the name of the organisation plastered across them, on the table where she was looking.

Then there are the “I gave yesterday”s. No, you didn’t. I am the only person collecting for us at this time, and I wasn’t collecting yesterday.

Related to them are the “I already bought a ticket in that”s. No, you didn’t. It’s not a raffle: I am just collecting donations.

Also related, the “I’m a Christian. I don’t buy raffle tickets.” Now, as you know, I am a Christian, and the organisation I head up is a Christian ministry. Personally, I don’t have a problem with raffles: for a start, I have yet to find the Bible verse that says “thou shalt not gamble” (I’ve read the Bible cover-to-cover many times: believe me, it just isn’t in there.) Secondly, the factors that make gambling a problem (the adrenalin factor: instant win or loss, immediate opportunity to re-invest and high stakes) are simply not present with a raffle. However, because some Christians would be offended, we do not use raffles as part of our fundraising. However, some years ago I worked as a professional fundraiser selling Art Union tickets (an Art Union is sort of a major raffle, with prizes like houses, boats or holidays – nothing to do with either art or unions) for a major charity, and this excuse was quite regularly thrown at me. Interestingly, in all the years that I was doing it, only once did the speaker go on to say, “But I’ll give you a donation for the same amount as a ticket!”

Another one that comes up regularly these days is, “I won’t give to a religious organisation.” Excuse me, but are you really saying that you would prefer to see children starve than to have food provided for them by a church?

Perhaps the most annoying of all, though, is “Why aren’t you helping people here in Australia?” Now, I know that there are people doing it tough here, but we have a social welfare system and there is no reason why any needy person in Australia should not be getting some level of financial help. There are also quite a few organisations set up specifically to provide that kind of help, above and beyond what is available from the government. The fact remains that the very poorest person here in Aus is rich in comparison to people in developing nations.

Now, if you want to give to one of the charities that helps needy Aussies, and not to us, that is fine. Just don’t take up half an hour of my precious time berating me for having the nerve to collect donations for overseas projects. Remember, the people who do give do so freely and willingly, knowing what they are giving to. They are giving their money, not yours, and they have as much right to give their money to something overseas as you do to give your money to something in Australia – or to keep it in your pocket.

This became a particular issue last Friday, when a “gentleman” (believe me, I use the term VERY loosely!) verbally attacked me while I was collecting at a local centre. He came over as if he was going to make a donation, and asked what it was about. Then he started demanding to know why we weren’t working with the Sudanese refugees here in Australia. He said I was only a “do good” Christian – even though he knew absolutely nothing about either me personally or the ministry I lead. (If I had been thinking a little more quickly on my feet, I could have asked whether he would prefer me to be a “do bad” Christian, or perhaps a “do nothing” one.) He got more and more aggressive, at one point walking off then shouting at me from ten feet away and calling me the devil – this from a bloke who claimed to be a Christian.

Got news for you, Buddy, and it’s all bad: if I had not been a Christian, your behaviour would certainly not have done anything to draw me to Jesus. Rather, it would have seen me running in the opposite direction. My advice? Get back on your medication, and don’t even mention to anyone that you are a Christian until you are able to actually behave like one!

For the rest, if you should ever see me out collecting in a shopping centre somewhere, I’ll give you a smile for free. If you choose to donate to whatever project we are supporting at the time, your donation will be greatly appreciated, even if it is only “shrapnel.” If you can’t or don’t want to donate, don’t give me excuses, just return my smile and move on – and I will be free to deal with the next person, who might actually want to give.

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