Definitely not
Volunteers pulling people on the streets for donations have, in recent times, become not only more aggressive but also more talk-savvy. This, I believe, comes through experience: after numerous failed attempts to get the public to donate some money to the foundations they represent, they know what the general apathetic public is thinking when they meet someone like them on the streets.
Hence, when I was approached by such a volunteer today in town, his first response wasn't good day sir, but Hello I'm not a salesman selling you any products, as if anticipating my apprehension that he may be a pesky roadside promoter. Despite his stature he nonetheless physically blocked my way so that I was unable to smile, raise up my hand as if in defense from some attack, and smoothly walk away. That could have been done unintentionally though - I give him the benefit of the doubt. Having quite a bit of time in my hands and being in a generally good mood recently, I entertained him. For a while at least.
He let me see an attractive piece of paper, which showed several discount coupons like $6 for a movie at Eng Wah. Immediately and very fluidly he then showed me his certificate of whatever, ostentibly to show that he wasn't a con-man, as if anticipating my suspicion that he is. He then explained what this foundation is all about, homeless girls, sexually abused from a young age, blah blah blah...Help them out...Buy this booklet which includes the coupons for $10. "$10?" I asked. Yes, he said, and then said I know $10 is alot but $10 is what they need...Meals..A home for them...I told him no I am unable to help.
Now it was my turn to do the talking. I told him no $10 is too much, I wouldn't mind donating $2 (just to console a fellow young man doing voluntary work under the hot sun, really), but not $10. I told him that I think the public would be more willing to donate if its smaller in sums, we don't really need booklets or t-shirts or anything like that, maybe they should change their tactics instead? He insisted that $10 isn't really too much and that I would be getting a lot of good stuff in the booklet, and before he could launch into some quasi-passionate speech about how $10 to a young man like me shopping in town shouldn't be too extravagant a sum, think about all those less fortunate than us - I anticipated that - I hurriedly repeated sorry but I am unable to help and he gave way. As a side note, if he had persisted I would have said sorry but I am not willing to help.
Reminds me of another incident when I was still working. During lunch a very friendly female doing similar voluntary work approached me, this time $10 for a polo t shirt which was red in color. I told her politely no thanks.
The next day she approached me again when I was eating in a small open food court, in the same area as the previous day. I wasn't very amused and told her that she approached me the day before, doesn't she remember? She laughed and said no and then continued her tirade of helping the needy with just $10, but I told her no, I didn't donate yesterday, I'm not going to donate today, and I am not going to donate tomorow.
Hence, when I was approached by such a volunteer today in town, his first response wasn't good day sir, but Hello I'm not a salesman selling you any products, as if anticipating my apprehension that he may be a pesky roadside promoter. Despite his stature he nonetheless physically blocked my way so that I was unable to smile, raise up my hand as if in defense from some attack, and smoothly walk away. That could have been done unintentionally though - I give him the benefit of the doubt. Having quite a bit of time in my hands and being in a generally good mood recently, I entertained him. For a while at least.
He let me see an attractive piece of paper, which showed several discount coupons like $6 for a movie at Eng Wah. Immediately and very fluidly he then showed me his certificate of whatever, ostentibly to show that he wasn't a con-man, as if anticipating my suspicion that he is. He then explained what this foundation is all about, homeless girls, sexually abused from a young age, blah blah blah...Help them out...Buy this booklet which includes the coupons for $10. "$10?" I asked. Yes, he said, and then said I know $10 is alot but $10 is what they need...Meals..A home for them...I told him no I am unable to help.
Now it was my turn to do the talking. I told him no $10 is too much, I wouldn't mind donating $2 (just to console a fellow young man doing voluntary work under the hot sun, really), but not $10. I told him that I think the public would be more willing to donate if its smaller in sums, we don't really need booklets or t-shirts or anything like that, maybe they should change their tactics instead? He insisted that $10 isn't really too much and that I would be getting a lot of good stuff in the booklet, and before he could launch into some quasi-passionate speech about how $10 to a young man like me shopping in town shouldn't be too extravagant a sum, think about all those less fortunate than us - I anticipated that - I hurriedly repeated sorry but I am unable to help and he gave way. As a side note, if he had persisted I would have said sorry but I am not willing to help.
Reminds me of another incident when I was still working. During lunch a very friendly female doing similar voluntary work approached me, this time $10 for a polo t shirt which was red in color. I told her politely no thanks.
The next day she approached me again when I was eating in a small open food court, in the same area as the previous day. I wasn't very amused and told her that she approached me the day before, doesn't she remember? She laughed and said no and then continued her tirade of helping the needy with just $10, but I told her no, I didn't donate yesterday, I'm not going to donate today, and I am not going to donate tomorow.
3 Comments:
I feel very pissed off when people ask me to do something for charity and then tell me how much I have to donate. My money is mine, no one has the right to tell me how much of my money I should part with (people who think they are in a position to tell me what to do are the scum of the earth). I especially hate those who give me dirty looks when I say that $10 is too much. My principle is that if you want others to help you, you don't 1) tell them how much help they should render and 2) judge them when they refuse to help you.
Recently on TV I've been seeing this advertisement about an upcoming charity event. In the advertisement MediaCorp artistes encourage TV viewers to “随缘乐捐” (translation: donate as much as you wish, i.e., you get to decide the amount you want to give away). Then the numbers for 3 hotlines are flashed: you can donate $5, $15 or $50.
So if I want to donate, donating $2 would mean that I am insincere and that I am stingy. To show that I am very passionate about extending a helping hand, I must be willing to dig $5, $15 or $50 from my wallet. I wouldn't consider this “随缘乐捐”, would you?
On top of that, we have to pay an additional $0.50 (or $0.20, I don't know) for every call we make too. The $0.50 goes to SingTel for manning the donation hotlines. It seems that the government (which owns Temasek Holdings, which owns a large part of SingTel's shares), with its immense wealth, refuses to waive the operation fees even for the sake of charity. So I think I cannot be blamed for being apathetic (or even hostile); after all, I am only being an obedient Singaporean in following the gah-ment's ways this time.
In my opinion their strategy for picking people off the street is ridiculous too... I often see them going after schooling age teens rather than working adults. It's as if they're intimidated by those who are actually working, and instead want to leech off young people who sometimes will be too uncertain how to shake them off.
I heard that some of these 'volunteers' are actually paid a small 'commission' according to how many tickets they managed to sell. Not that I doubt Singaporeans are willing to spend a weekday (or weekend for that matter) to do social work, some of these 'volunteers' look closer to being salesmen/salesladies than volunteers.
As for the 'volunteer' in your encounter, I wonder how he got there. Did he really volunteer out of his altruism? Or was he volunteering for CIP hours/his friends bugged him to volunteer and he did it grudgingly? Or was there a commission involved? And since its for a girls home, I can't really identify him in much association with the home either.
I miss the older days when charities only ask for donations on flag days.
Aquila
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