Needy? Or Greedy?

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There's a new gig in town. The politically correct call them "Personal Funding Sites". 

I call them internet tin cups.

I saw my first Pledgie on tumblr. A blogger claiming he hit hard times - couldn't buy groceries - didn't have a suitable living space to visit his daughter.

People gave.

The blogger disappeared.

I thought it was odd that people were so willing to give to a virtual friend stranger, and even more odd that they were so surprised when the guy disappeared from tumblr.

tumblr seems writhe with these types of "fundraisers". I've seen requests for everything from airfare and hotel accommodations to SNARK NYC, to requests for first/last month rent so that someone who claimed to be in an abusive relationship could move.

Lately, I've been seeing more of these "personal funding requests" on facebook and on personal blogs. Hell! I even set one up a couple of years ago for former HNT-er Boo when she lost two of her children in a house fire. 

I get it.

Catastrophic events happen.

Sometimes people need a little help.

I don't take issue with that.

What I do take issue with is people who use these "personal funding sites" for  less-than necessary expenses, like a tattoo or paying for a ticket so they can avoid a parole violation. 

What happened to saving up for for the things you want?

Or accepting the consequences for your choices?

What is this sense of entitlement that seems to be running rampant these days?

You can't finish up your tattoo because you don't have the money? I guess you'll be running around with a half-done tattoo until saving up for it becomes a priority.

Going to jail for a parole violation if you don't pay your ticket for soliciting? Guess you shouldn't have been soliciting!

We see it from famous people too - The George Zimmerman Defense Fund, and Octomom seeking donations to fund a new home.

Maybe I'd have a little more empathy if I hadn't moved out of a half-million dollar home with little more than a bed for my son, a sofa I bought before marrying husband, a futon, and 3 boxes containing plates, silverware and a few random pots and pans.

I had to get an emergency food disbursement from the local food bank because I had no money left over after paying for the moving truck. I went weeks without television or internet because I just didn't have the money to have those luxuries turned on. I shopped at Goodwill - exclusively - for 2 years.

I didn't put a PayPal link on my blog hoping y'all would bail me out. I scrapped through the tough times because the tough times were a result of my poor decisions.

That's how it works ... or should work.

Accountability. It's one of the things that keep us from making same mistake over and over again.

Of course, if I don't want to donate to a personal funding site, I don't have to. No one is forcing me to donate. It's not my place to tell other people what to do. Blah ... blah ... blah ...

I have to wonder what ever happened to qualities like pride, personal integrity, and working hard/saving for the things you want in life.

It seems these days people expect to be taken care of - to have their wants instantly fulfilled. Few people seem willing to sacrifice a little while for the bigger payoff.

Judgmental?

Hell yes, but c'mon ...

Do you ever donate money to personal funding sites? If you do, do you only donate to people you think you know?

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What You See Is What You Get?

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I'm over at Lynn's place today!

Click the pic to find me today and every Tuesday ...

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Please consider making a donation to help support blogger Boo and her children after the tragic house fire that took the lives of two of her children.

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One Of Our Own

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Thursday's HNT was an emotional one for me. One of our own, Boo (formerly Boo(duh)) - a fellow parent, blogger and HNT-er - a dear friend of mine years before I started blogging - shared some shattering news.

Her short, but poignant post read:

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On Monday July 19, there was a fire at my ex's home. We lost Moo and D'oh. Deedles is my hero, because she got Ganigan, Beans, and herself out of the house. She did everything right. I'll tell the full story later. Right now, I have too much to do and think about.

I lost my babies.

~*~

This is Boo's family. This will always be Boo's family.

However two of these children are no longer physically with the family.

Moo (age 9)

And D'oh (age 3)

Boo shared with me that, although they have received an outpouring of support and donations, as I'm sure you can imagine, their needs are many. Donations received to date have been split between Boo (the primary residence of the children) and her ex (where the fire took place).

Boo is not currently working and is not sure when she'll be emotionally ready to return to work. In addition to the overwhelming emotional tragedy of this loss, the financial impact is a very real concern every day.

I have set up a PayPal account in Boo's name for donations for her children. If you have a PayPal account - or would like to donate using a credit or debit card - just click on the button below. 100% of what you give goes directly to Boo. I realize these are difficult economic times for many of us. I ask that you give what you can - no donation is too small - to ease one stressor from this family's list of many.

PayPal Button Removed

If you are not comfortable with a cash donation, but would still like to help out in some other way, please email me at dana.luann@gmail.com and we will work out the logistics of your donation.

If you have a blog and would like to link to this post, I encourage you to do so.

If there is one thing I know, it's that the blogging community has amazing strength during times like these. Let's remind Boo that although she is not yet in a place where she is ready to talk about this in a public forum, we stand strong - holding her up - during this unimaginable time in her life.

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