When Welfare Goes Wrong...

[monster]

So, just to take a slightly different tack (but not much), there is a program run by a local newspaper here called "Warm The Children". Families in need are referred by social workers, teachers etc, and they are given up to $90 per child to spend on new winter clothing at a local store. To ensure this happens, each family is assigned a volunteer shopper who has to sign off on the purchase order that the money was spent on appropriate clothing. They find it hard to find volunteers because it's a "police" job. But they have a lot of money to spend because people like to buy new winter coats for poor kids. It seems to me that they could "do so much more good" If they gave twice as many families $50/child gift certificates (non-transferable) for alocal nice second hand store. Possibly the Salvation Army. And then the families wouldn't need volunteer shoppers -the nicest things those places sell are the clothes.

But no, apparently people want to buy new winter coats for poor children, so more money if raised if this is the plan. and more families get helped, despite the product being five times more expensive. So the nice used clothes stay in the thrift stores to be bought by skinflints like me.

I am a volunteer shopper for the first time this year (they're desperate, nobody wants to play shopping police) and I'm thinking it might feel weird spending more on one child than I do on all of mine together, when they're the ones who can't afford the clothes and I could if I chose to? But perhaps because thriftiness is not my primary reason for buying second-hand, I can take pride in finding a bargain and being environmentally friendly and supporting a good cause. Maybe if second-hand shopping was a necessity for me, and I needed charity to clothe my kids for winter, getting nice new clothes would sweeten the pill?

OK having typed it out and though about it some more, it probably won't feel weird. Just sad that it's the way it has to be to get those kids into warm clothing. but at least when they outgrow them, maybe they'll get recycled through a second-hand store and bought by people like me.