Recently on several sites and in the press my family and myself have read and seen a lot about the Christmas spirit and the season of giving. At this time of year more than any other we open our hearts and our checkbooks to those who for whatever reason are less fortunate than ourselves. In the best holiday tradition Americans donate money, toys and time to help the needy. This is a tradition for some families and a way of helping for others. It is a spirit that, given our national economy, I hope will carry over into the year to come.
I must admit that I was disturbed to read that one of the major international charity organizations, The Salvation Army, has been accused of practices that would discriminate against many needy and worthy people in our country. I had seen more than one report online that The Salvation Army was asking for identification and proof of residency from those who sought to get Christmas toys for their children this holiday.
I decided to contact The Salvation Army for their policy on this issue and was surprised not only at how little runaround I received from such a large organization but also at the speed of their response. With only two phone calls I received a statement from The Salvation Army national office media relations department. It reads as follows:
Dear Brian, Attached is some information that will address your inquiry: The Salvation Army follows a strict non-discrimination policy in all of its social service programs, as clearly stated in our organizational Mission statement. In some areas, The Salvation Army does request documents including social security numbers, driver’s licenses, school registration or other forms of ID for its Christmas gift programs as a way to prevent fraud. The Salvation Army’s resources are limited and checks like this may be needed to ensure that we serve as many children and families as possible at Christmas. Requesting this information has nothing to do with determining legal status of immigrants and is only done to ensure that as many people as possible are served at Christmas. In cases where The Salvation Army is unable to provide Christmas gifts to a family due to this requirement, The Salvation Army will typically work to help the family in other ways or refer them to other agencies. The Salvation Army continually reviews policies and procedures to best meet the needs of local communities. Trust this is helpful. Best, Jaime Jaime Joswick Public Relations Specialist The Salvation Army National Headquarters 615 Slaters Lane Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703.647.4784 Fax: 703.302.8687 Salvation Army USA Website Follow us on Twitter. Facebook: Become a fan Read our blog DOING THE MOST GOOD
So The Salvation Army is asking for identification from some people in some areas to avoid fraud and avoid those who would take advantage of the season of giving through the act of collecting more than one toy for a child.
This attitude, in my opinion, is a double edge sword to say the least.
For a charity organization to implement such a policy allows the very few who would take advantage of this organization to harm far more people. I do applaud The Salvation Army in finding other ways to help those that cannot produce identification through other means. I am left wondering if the solution is worse than the problem for those who are in need.
I know the good works that groups like The Salvation Army and The American Red Cross do from first hand experience. When wildfires, floods and earthquakes struck Southern California while I lived there, these were among the first organizations to respond. They helped those who needed it with food, clothes, shoes and hotel vouchers to put a temporary roof over the victims heads.
I also saw people who I knew and respected seem to go insane because there were free things to be had. People who had not been burned out of their homes in line for the shiny, new, free shoes that were being handed out. They stood in line for a free meal while they had food back at home and hit clothing giveaways more than once.
However, there were very few who took advantage of the charity efforts. Many would not have been able to produce identification if asked for it. Lets face it, when you wake to the cops pounding on your door because your house is on fire, you grab the kids and pets and take the offered ride in the squad car. You do not pause to grab your paperwork. Though not as urgent as disaster relief I feel the need to help people during the holidays is no less important.
Bottom line is that I find it sad that groups such as The Salvation Army are forced to take these steps. I admire and respect the work they do. The fact is that a very few dishonest people are making it necessary for The Salvation Army to take these measures.
The only question I am left with is what carries the higher cost. Verifying identification to prevent fraud from happening or letting those few dishonest people take advantage of the system. I do not know nor did I ask for specific figures on this situation but I am left to wonder how many people will find themselves with no Christmas at all due to the delays of seeking help from other sources.
There is no easy answer to these questions and I would like my readers to note that determining citizenship or legal status is not the motivating factor behind the measures taken by The Salvation Army. I am left wishing that our nation was to the point that Christmas toy drives for the needy were no longer needed.
Hopefully soon there will no longer be those that break into peoples homes to steal Christmas presents, mug the Santa ringing his bell, or exploit the system.
Until then we must remember that the act of giving is in and of itself the reward.
If you wish to donate money to The Salvation Army or find a location where you can donate toys for Christmas click here:
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org
If there is not a Salvation Army location convenient for you, I would also recommend the United States Marine Corps, Toys For Tots program by clicking here:
I wish you all a safe and joyous holiday season.
It would be good if everyone could remember Christmas is the season for giving not getting.
