Posted on 11/25/2004 5:34:53 AM PST by truthandlife
A pro-family organization has issued an alert to those who may be considering giving to one of the nation's largest charities this holiday season. The group's spokesman is warding donors away from United Way, and he also wants shoppers to know a thing or two about Target stores.
Bob Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute, says the United Way has been crossed off his gift list. That is because the well-known charity refuses to share its money with the Boy Scouts of America while it openly supports numerous pro-homosexual groups with its money.
"I don't know why people still give to United Way," Knight says. He contends that people are already giving to government bureaucrats by paying taxes, so he asks, "why would you give to a group of private bureaucrats who have decided as a group that the Boy Scouts are worthy of being kicked out of various chapters across the country."
The Scouts had been a long-time beneficiary of United Way funding, until pressure from the homosexual community led to the BSA groups nationwide being cut out because their national organization promotes faith and moral values and prohibits homosexuals from serving as scoutmasters. Since then, at least 50 United Way chapters across the U.S. have excluded the Boy Scouts from a share of their fund-raising drives, claiming the BSA's Christian values are discriminatory.
But it is the apparent discrimination against the Scouts by the United Way that has angered Knight. Although not all the nation's United Way chapters have severed ties with the BSA, he points out that "the national headquarters has done nothing to stop the trend." Meanwhile, a major portion of the money the charity collects is being given to pro-homosexual groups.
CFI's director is urging individuals who are seeking out charitable giving opportunities to consider the manner in which the BSA has been treated by the United Way, and the organization's ongoing financial support of the homosexual agenda. Personally, Knight says, "I wouldn't give them a dime."
Unfortunately the United Way is not the only major U.S. organization that is drawing the pro-family leader's ire. In a recent interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network, he mentioned the recent announcement by Target that the retailer would not be allowing non-profit groups to solicit outside its stores this year. This means the familiar Salvation Army bell ringers will not be able to set up their kettles and collect donations at Target locations this shopping season.
Knight feels people of faith should be outraged over the retailer's actions. "Millions of Christians give Target millions of dollars," he says, "and what have they gotten from Target in return? A lump of coal. I think they ought to be ashamed of themselves, and I think consumers ought to take this into account when they do their Christmas shopping."
Salvation Army officials say Target stores nationwide helped raise about nine million dollars through last year's kettle campaign. Major George Hood, a spokesman for the Christian service organization, says the new policy prohibiting nonprofits from soliciting outside the department stores will hit some local communities hard.
"One Salvation Army officer said to me that the Target money that's raised in his community represents 75 percent of the income that he has in that community," Hood says. "When you begin to strip budgets of 75 percent of a revenue stream, it means that some very difficult decisions will have to be made in those local communities about what they will be able to do during the holidays with families, and what they will be able to do all year long once the Christmas season is over."
Still, God is in control, the Salvation Army representative notes. He says he is trusting in that truth, and he also believes many Christians who normally might have contributed at Target will help make up any deficit in the season's collections by increasing their kettle donations at other retail locations.
No, I never get tired of reading it.
Thanks.
May God continue to bless the work of the Salvation Army through those who continue to give.
And God bless us every one.
but when you are in Target complain to the management about the lack of a bell ringer at Christmas, (the squeaky wheel gets the oil).
Better yet,stay out of Target and call management and tell them why,(Money talks,BS walks)
Target lost my business with their stand against the Salvation Army. The United Way lost my patronage YEARS ago when I discovered that they were funding anti-Second Amendment groups with the money they got from donations.
I was even more steamed when I heard that the United Way was funding anti-gun groups with money that had been donated after 9/11. That just burned my biscuits.
Still?
Why?
A viscious rumor that won't die.
Urban Legend.
Everytime someone posts a story on Free Republic about Starbucks supposedly dissin' the troops, it gets pulled within minutes. The stories aren't true, but the e-mails keep being sent, in one version or another, and some uninformed FReeper will keep posting them until the rumor fizzles out.
Target is a private business. They may ban any group, or allow any group they choose. Target has tried to explain that they banned the Salvation Army Christmas bellringers because "too many groups were asking to be able to solicit donations." That's garbage. The Salvation Army is probably the oldest and most credible charity out there. The bulk of their donations IS NOT spent on administration and goes directly to aiding people in crisis. AND, they are traditionally associated with the Christmas shopping season. It's an established TRADITION. What the customer relations person won't tell you is that Target has been the target of a concerted smear campaign against the Salvation Army by radical homosexual activists because the Salvation Army is a lone Christian organization which has not buckled under pressure to change its hiring policies and hire openly avowed homosexuals.
BTTT
You nailed it!
Thanks for the links.
Within a week, one of the Red Cross' 'disaster relief vans' had broadsided my car, and totalled it. (they failed to yield the right of way and were doing 50 or better in a 25 mph zone). Their insurance people didn't even want to pay for my car.
Guess who gets my donations?
I had heard this from some lady while I was at the mechanics last Saturday. I didn't think it was right because I had heard that Starbucks does support the troops by furnishing coffee. I am relieved though since I do love their coffee and hate to add it to my list of things to boycott.
Do community-based United Ways provide funds to Planned Parenthood?
"Nationally in 1999, local United Ways distributed an estimated $3 million to Planned Parenthood agencies.
In 2000-2001, United Way organizations collectively raised $3.91 billion. Less than one percent of total funds
are distributed to Planned Parenthood. Of that total, approximately one third of these dollars were donor
designated to the agency by individuals."
But they claim not one cent of their contributions went toward abortions.
Accounting BS is all it is.
I gave to the UW last year and had the donation sent to the Boise Rescue Mission. This year, it became much clearer the company means what it says when they don't require you to give to UW, so I chose not to give and we'll Bill Pay the Boise Rescue Mission with my home computer.
I was scratching my head over that one. But I was glad the Salvation Army rescued him from a fool.
Might be real hard to do in our PC world. Discrimination and all ya know.
Do you have a reference for that?
I agree, it is not the fault of Target that the ACLU would be all over their butts for allowing SA but not allowing NMBLA. Blame PCism and it's advocate the ACLU. Instead of writing nasty letter to ACLU 's victim (Target) try writing nasty letters (US Postal) to the ACLU instead and send a copy to your representatives in Congress.
LINK: http://www.sovo.com/2004/11-19/view/actionalert/army.cfm
Salvation scrooge
Annual Salvation Army red kettle campaign protested by PFLAG, dumped by Target
By VAN GOWER
Nov. 19, 2004
Bell-ringers and red kettles are a familiar site around retail centers each holiday season. But some activists hope to put a dent in the collections of the Salvation Army for what they say are the religious charity's anti-gay policies.
For the fourth consecutive year, the PFLAG chapter in Genesee County, Mich., will protest the Salvation Army red kettle program, hoping their supporters will drop enough dollar bill-sized protest notes in the kettles to make an impact in the fund-raising, which brought in $93 million last year.
This isn't a project the national office is sponsoring, but we're happy to direct people to chapters that are participating, says Ron Schlittler, interim executive director of PFLAG's national office in Washington, D.C.
The Salvation Army's red kettle campaign officially begins Thanksgiving Day, but local chapters may start earlier, according to the organization. In Atlanta, the effort kicked off Wednesday.
The Genesee County PFLAG chapter, which started the protest campaign in 2001, will again distribute the notes on its web site. The bills read, I would have donated ____ Dollar(s), BUT the Salvation Army decision to discriminate against gay and lesbian employees prevents my donation now and in the future. Other PFLAG chapters have joined the effort.
Schlittler says the grassroots nature of the campaign prevents PFLAG from tallying the amount of participants.
The Salvation Army says the protest has little, if any, impact, according to Maj. George Hood, national community relations and development secretary for Salvation Army.
I'm not even aware of any protests that took place last year, Hood says. Nobody reported any significant impact at all.
But the charity took a significant hit this week when gay-friendly retailer Target banned the Salvation Army from soliciting at its stores across the country, although store officials said they are only bringing the organization inline with its corporate policy banning soliciting at stores.
The discount chain granted an exception to the Salvation Army in the past, but decided to revoke it this year after receiving multiple requests from other non-profits that wanted to solicit funds at Target stores, according to company officials.
The Salvation Army offers health benefits to married heterosexual employees, their spouses, and children. Single employees are also covered, but no coverage is extended to domestic partners, regardless of sexual orientation, according to Hood.
Because the Salvation Army is a church and charitable organization, Hood says, it stands firm in its fundamental belief that homosexuality is not condoned in Biblical scripture.
We have no stance against the gay community whatsoever, Hood says. There is a misinterpretation about what we are doing or what we are not doing.
In 2001, the Salvation Army revoked an earlier decision to offer DP benefits in its West Coast division. Prior to reversing the decision, the nation's largest charity was inundated with complaints from outraged supporters who equated the policy with an endorsement of same-sex marriage.
That same year, the Washington Post leaked a 79-page internal memo from the Salvation Army that claimed President Bush made a firm commitment to honor the organization's request to be exempt under Bush's faith-based initiative from state and local laws banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
They're entitled to their position, but I think the issue becomes when it's a matter of employment or public service, Schlittler says. Then the question [arises] about discrimination in employment practices.
Since 2001, Soulforce, a national interfaith group that supports gays, took part in a similar protest-voucher campaign, but does not plan to take part this year, according to Laura Montgomery Rutt, Soulforce communications director
Thanks for the link and the post. That makes Target's actions even more egregious.
i've been anti-United Way for fourteen years now... Target is on my boycott list... we donate to the Salvation Army--i like it more than Good Will...
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