Rachel Peterson is community engagement coordinator for a domestic and sexual violence crisis services organization. Her work involves requesting, sorting and transporting physical donations. She sent me a column to consider running in CITYVIEW. The timing didn’t work, but her thoughts do, as she made me rethink how and why I donate. She said she has learned quite a bit.

“I learned that heat kills bedbugs,” she shared. “I learned that our shelter goes through 400 rolls of toilet paper annually, and, most importantly, I learned that we, as a society, desperately need to reassess how and why we donate.”

She claims “proof of privilege” is found in the things people donate to the shelter, and it has become clear that many donors do not understand the difference between need and want.

“A hotdog toaster — yes, they’re real, look it up — is not going to help a person who is moving out of a shelter into an apartment where they don’t even have forks. A yoga ball — deflated, no pump — isn’t going to do anything for women who have to rely on donations to get tampons.”

She wrote how she now understands that some people use donation bins as a way to unload their clutter, all while feeling good about their seemingly charitable act.

“Stained clothes. Broken toys. Half-empty body wash. The haunted-looking clown doll —initially amusing, then infuriating. Why did anyone think that this was something a domestic violence survivor might need?”

Peterson “lost it” when she got a call asking if the shelter had any use for puppets.

“No, our clients don’t need puppets. They need things like deodorant and shampoo. Unopened, unused deodorant and shampoo. Items that can help them rebuild after a crisis. And yet, people are donating items that have no place in the reality of the people we serve.”

The reality is that not all donations are helpful, she said, and in many cases, they create additional burdens for the organizations receiving them.

“For those who dislike throwing things away, I understand. I’m the same way. But nonprofits don’t have the time, resources or staff to fix a broken blender or scrub a stain out of a sweater.”

Peterson said, when these items are donated, volunteers are tasked with throwing them away. Even so, she understands, better than most, how thoughtful giving can be inspiring.

“Church groups and small businesses have come together to collect new toys and pajamas around the holidays… Quilting clubs donate handmade quilts… A young woman comes by like clockwork to drop off a box of diapers or a few tubes of toothpaste. These acts of giving stand out because they show empathy, respect and an understanding of the value these items bring to survivors’ lives.”

Those are honest words that may make us all rethink how and why we donate. Thank you, Rachel.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

STRAY THOUGHTS
Encouraging mercy is not un-American

By Randy Evans

I was in Eagle Grove last week. Like many travelers in Iowa, I stopped at Casey’s before leaving town.

Eagle Grove is a meatpacking community, and many jobs are held by Hispanic men and women. As I waited with my coffee in the check-out line, I was behind a Hispanic man whose hands showed his labors had taken a rougher toll than my life’s work at a computer has taken on mine.

A convenience store in the middle of America is not a place where one typically pauses to reflect on a church sermon given three days earlier at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday Touts
• Steak ‘n Shake announced that it’s going to start frying its french fries in 100% beef tallow by the end of February. That change comes a week after the chain posted a poll on X asking whether it should switch to beef tallow, and 91% of the votes were yes. McDonalds ended beef tallow as a frying oil in 1990 after a lawsuit by Hindus. Popeye's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Outback Steakhouse, and Smashburger all now  include some beef tallow in french fries oil. (Cheapism)
 
Steak 'n Shake also announced a new store just north of Alice and University in Waukee to open in September. I never understood why this chain doesn't get the kind of love that In-N-Out does. It's got more history and a better seared burger. Their stores in West Des Moines and Coralville do brisk business, in our opinion, by offering the best fast food burger bargains: a double steakburger with cheese and fries was priced under $6 last week. Onion lovers are seduced by their butter burgers (pictured).

Meet Aja Baskerville
Music teacher eager to help others.

Helping kids learn music by making it fun is one way Aja Baskerville keeps young students engaged. Baskerville is the North Polk Central Elementary’s music teacher for kindergarten through fifth grade and is in her third year of teaching music.

Students take music every three days and perform in both winter and spring concerts.
“We picked lighthearted songs with mittens, snowmen and always sing Jingle Bells,” she says of the winter concert.

Happy Birthday Kurt Mumm!

These celebrities were born on this date:  Edvin Ryding, Savannah Liles, Alice Cooper, Bug Hall, Lewis Tan, Natalie Imbruglia, Gavin DeGraw, Krept, Lauren Ash, Dallas Lovato

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to the last riddle:  How do you know pigeons are wealthy? THEY MAKE DEPOSITS ON EXPENSIVE CARS! - Randy Lagerblade

Today's riddle: What was the bartender charged with after taking liquor home?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or West Des Moines/Jordan Creek, Waukee or Norwalk  Living magazines, contact:

Martha Munro
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 314
Mobile: 515-321-5246
martha@iowalivingmagazines.com

Add webmaster@dmcityview.com to your address book to ensure delivery. 

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here to get it delivered to your inbox for FREE!