« Tookie Williams - Atonement and Redemption | Main | Timber! »
December 18, 2005
God and Taxes
It's that time of year again, when some mysterious combination of the season and fiscal year-end evokes the normally shy spirit of giving. If you've got the urge but are unsure where to give, let me recommend two worthy causes:
San Francisco Network Ministries, led by the aptly named Glenda Hope, offers badly needed services in the Tenderloin neighborhood. These include computer training, housing, and a safehouse for women leaving prostitution. I've worked with this organization for many years, and endorse it with all my heart. They are good people doing seriously important work.
OTX West, led by an old IBM colleague of mine Bruce Buckelew, offers free computers to students in Oakland Public Schools, as well as heavily discounted ones to schools. They receive donated equipment from business and government, tune 'em up and install a clean build, then offer them along with training and tech support to people in need. I've seen his operation in action, and the passion and efficiency of his team are inspiring. I'll post some photos soon, but in the meantime they could use your support.
If you'd rather give llamas and goats to people around the world, that's cool too. The main thing is just to give.
"As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.yeaton.net/cgi-bin/mt/mtb.cgi/13
Comments
I like giving too, but I prefer targeted giving like passing a book to someone who will cherish it. Either way, we seem to have a progressive, humane point of view. Some others follow a "strict father" family (and then national) organization. That leads to right wing positions in the USA these days. ...............
There is a cognitive linguist, George Lakoff, who clarifies this in a fat book, "Moral Politics", and the more partisan "don't think of an elephant" which is pretty thin. Fascinating reading. ...............
Dick
Posted by: Dick Karpinski at February 28, 2006 04:30 PM
