Someone recently handed me a crisp, new $100 bill. It was "payment" for my part in a recent wedding.
The truth of the matter is, you can't pay me enough to do the sound for a wedding. If it was on a commercial basis I would do the wedding for free but charge $100 a minute for the rehearsal. So since no one I know can afford to pay me on that basis, I just do them for nothing. It's my gift to the happy couple.
So here I am with $100 of "found" money. There's a lot I could do with $100 - night out with the wife at a fancy restaurant and a movie (but we're Chuy's kind of people, and we would never agree on a movie); buy a fancy new gadget (I splurged recently and paid $19 for a wireless mouse); down payment on an iPhone (but I'm getting off the grid, remember?).
So I figure the best use of this bill is to give it to someone who needs it and can put it to far better use. But who? There is no end of deserving charities and organizations. We currently contribute to several on a regular basis. We spent a week in Peru at our expense working in a medical clinic for one. Everyone of them needs substantial, on-going support. But who needs $100?
I know there are organizations that buy cows or goats or such on your behalf. There are groups that loan money to men and women in third world countries to get a small business started. I know $100 would furnish a number of meals for impoverished people. Where do I send this crisp, new bill?
Help me out here. Give me some specifics and a plug for where you think the $100 should go. I'll use some semi-scientific method for evaluating them (like drawing one out of a hat) and if it is your recommendation, I'll send them the money in the name of your choice.
And we'll all be the better for it.
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3 comments:
Would it make you feel any better to know that I sometimes think about my own wedding rehearsal and cringe? Thank you for your kind service and lack of grimace.
My personal choice would be the Nathan Dodd memorial scholarship at Westover. While he was alive, he personally paid the way for kids to go to church camp and in his memory that work continues.
Amy's suggestion sounds good.
I have been thinking it over and my suggestion is to divide it up and give generous tips to the people who wait on you - at Chuys or other places. You know the economy is putting a strain on these people who work for such minimal wages.
Great ideas, both. And reading them has made me change my mind about my suggestion. I would ask your youth minister who may not be able to attend one of the four bazillion activities the youth do that require $30-$50 to register and/ or for 'spending money'. Help some poor struggling family go to one of those -- OR the church camp idea is great. But so is tipping generously. I really think that is a wonderful mission for all of us.
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