This isn't about any specific interaction with an EP but about a general experience with many. My dad had me and my two younger brothers volunteer at the Salvation Army for Christmas when I was in 6th grade. It was in one of the biggest and most crime-filled/ poorest cities in my state. He got us there because he was friends with the person running it.
I thought it was extremely fun and exciting. My dad's friend, the woman who ran it, let's say Mrs. C, had a giant like 5" binder, each page had the profile of a kid and gave their age and interests. She would turn a page, me and my brothers would see the profile, then we would all go into one of the rooms filled wall-to-wall with thousands of toys, then fill up a large brown paper bag with them. I'm not sure what kids ask for nowadays but this was in like 2007 and a lot of kids genuinely wanted specific board games and dolls and baby things (like the dolls that are like newborn babies you have to take care of), cute girly things, and boys always wanted action figures and just games or toys with specific themes. So we generally got to give kids pretty much exactly what they wanted.
There was a secret closet there that had a couple bikes and some iPods, and iTunes gift cards, Nintendo DS-related things, etc. The bikes were meant for specific kids that had prior agreements with Mrs. C, and the technology things were for older kids. Mrs. C, who had run the business for many years, said she only gave those things to children who she was very familiar with and who had been coming here for years. She told me, "When I first started here, I gave an iPod to a mother for her fourteen-year-old daughter. After I gave it to her I watched her walk across the street, and sell it to someone random for cash to buy drugs. I never made that mistake again."
Then came the day that all the parents would arrive and pick up their bags. My dad let us all skip school so we could be there helping. The parents all lined up at the entrance in front of Mrs. C and my dad. They gave their name, Mrs. C flipped to their page in the binder, yelled out a number, and me and my brothers ran and got the bag with the corresponding number on it. Kids who were receiving bikes and iPods/DS had to go through a side entrance so that no other parents would see that they are getting these things. In previous years, parents would get into actual physical fights with other parents when they believe that they are getting better items than their kid.
Imm
... keep reading on reddit ➡With this mass hoarding & hysteria going around, it is more worrisome than the virus itself.
For a recent comment, I was drawing a comparison between the LDS church and the Salvation Army, and I found that the two are much more comparable than I had previously realized. They are approximately the same size, been around for the same amount of time, experience similar growth rates, and have very similar incomes.
However, the two churches have dramatically different mission statements, which is clearly reflected in their finances, both in terms of numbers and transparency. The Salvation Army mission statement is to "preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination." The LDS mission statement is to "help us meet the challenges of this life and to help us follow Jesus Christ, so that we will be worthy of the temporal and spiritual blessings God wants for us."
I thought the comparison highlights the radically different philosophies behind the two organizations, and was interesting enough to share.
| Salvation Army | LDS Church | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership (2019) | 1.82 Million ^([1]) | 16.5 Million |
| Active Membership (2019) | 1.82 Million ^([1]) | < 6.2 Million (estimated) ^([2]) |
| Years as a church (2019) | 154 | 189 |
| Avg growth % (since 2011) | 1.5% ^([3]) | 0.66% ^([3]) |
| Yearly Income | $4.1 Billion ^([4]) | > $7 Billion ^([5]) |
| % Yearly Administrative Expenditures (including any surplus saved) | 18% ^([4]) | 90% - 99.43% ^([6]) |
| % Yearly Charitable Expenditures | 82% ^([4]) | 0.57% - 10% ^([6]) |
| Financial Transparency | Good ^([7]) | Very Poor ^([8]) |
| Number of Employees | 112,203 ^([9]) | 33,355 ^([10]) |
| Hospitals | 59 ^([9]) | 0 (though $10 Million was donated to SLC) ^([11]) |
| Homeless Shelters, Children's Homes, Elderly Homes, etc. | 1044 ^([9]) | 0 |
Footnotes:
[1] Since the Salvation Army makes a strong attempt to be transparent, there is no reason to doubt that the membership numbers reflect actual membership.
[2] Since the LDS church includes individuals who no longer consider themselves Mormon, the membership numbers are widely considered to be inflated. For this estimate, I used 40% as the number who are active, but this is likely an overestimate.
[3] This growth rate is calculated using the equation r = ln(P/P_o)/t, which is derived from P = P_o * e^(rt). I am also estimating the growth of active membership only.
[4] [https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2015/12/what-exactly-is-the-salv
... keep reading on reddit ➡
The Salvation Army helps nearly 2 million Canadian a year. However, this is their position statement on abortion:
> The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of human life because hum>an beings are made in the image of God. Each person is of eternal value and each life a gift from God worth cherishing, nurturing, and preserving.
> The Salvation Army therefore takes seriously the needs, rights and responsibilities of parents and unborn children when considering the matter of abortion. We are committed to the protection and care of the unborn, and to the promotion of societal systems that promote wholeness, freedom, quality of life and the development of the potential of all persons.
> The Salvation Army supports responsible measures necessary to avoid unwanted pregnancy and is opposed to abortion as a means of birth control. We are concerned about a growing social acceptance of abortions and believe that a genetic abnormality in the unborn child is not generally sufficient to warrant a termination of pregnancy.
> When an unwanted pregnancy occurs, The Salvation Army counsels that the parents receive caring support for their emotional, physical, social and spiritual needs, and that the unborn child be carried to term.
> The Salvation Army recognizes tragic and perplexing circumstances that require difficult decisions regarding a pregnancy. Such decisions should be made only after prayerful and thoughtful consideration, with appropriate involvement of the woman’s family and pastoral, medical and other counsel.
> Women who have had an abortion deserve care and respect, and The Salvation Army will offer them its services in a loving and compassionate manner without discrimination.hat promote wholeness, freedom, quality of life and the development of the potential of all persons.
https://salvationist.ca/ethics-centre/position-statements/abortion/
So in light of the government's recent position on funding for the student jobs program is the government going to stop giving millions and revoke the charitable status of the Salvation Army? Or are they hypocrites?
After three weeks into my stay at a Salvation Army's 30 day program, and here's how it's shaping up:
*At my job, my manager will sign off that I'm an above average employee.
*I get along with just about all my (also homeless) peers in the program.
*The Director of the shelter/program and her assistant can't stand me, they have the date my stay ends (Sep 3rd) circled of the calendar and it can't get here soon enough.
Oh well, two out of three ain't bad!
These charities do great things for people. Let that not be misunderstood here. And as of now, we definitely need organizations that help those who cannot afford their basic needs. But it logically makes sense to me that if a nation such as the USA’s leaders truly valued their people, these charities would go extinct. Why? Because tax money would be funding the proper programs such as education, housing, and healthcare that would be preventing the less fortunate from becoming the less fortunate to begin with. Now I’m sure that a few Ben Shapiro types will jump on here (because there seems to be a flood of them on this sub lately) and give me the tired old “you should pull yourself up by your boot straps” argument. All I can say to that is that if you’re making that argument in the first place, you’re either entitled and have never had to truly worry about any of your basic needs being met, or you are not honestly considering this argument. But fire away.
Does that make me an Organ Donor?
