Ban on charity bell ringers makes shoppers think twice Boycotts threatened; Westlake kettle OKd

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 12/2/4 | Tanya Schevitz

[SmithL]

I think I'll avoid Target and Mervyns this year.

[devane617]

I called my local stores already and told them I would not be shopping at their stores. If enough people stop shopping, the policy will change.

[hushpad]

In response to the ban by Target and Mervyn's, other retailers have called to offer their storefront locations to the kettle ringers.<<<

Message to those other retailers "I'll be seeing you this Christmas".

[xJones]

I think I'll avoid Target and Mervyns this year.

I know I will and I'll also let them know why.

The Salvation Army is truly worthy charity. Their overhead is minimal, and their good works really make the bureaucratic Red Cross look shabby.

[escapefromboston]

What the heck is Mervyns????

I am on a boycott of target also and everytime I see a bell ringer I make sure to give them money.

I would lodge a complaint but I don't even know who to talk to. I'll check out Targets website later

[Coop]

My wife and I, my sister, and my neighbor will not be shopping at Target in the future. There are too many good stores out there to worry about one owned by a French consortium that would be stupid enough to pull this nonsense.

[marty60]

Yep, on my list, including Best buy, which I had intended to make a big purchase. To many retailers to frequent that aren't anti-Salvation Army. Including (gasp) Wal-Mart.

[dennisw]

Yep, on my list, including Best buy......
_______________

Salvation Army could do great at Best Buy. I did not know they were excluded.

[conservativecorner]

A site called don't shop target has a petition you can sign by going to the website.

[Coop]

I am on a boycott of target also and everytime I see a bell ringer I make sure to give them money. I would lodge a complaint but I don't even know who to talk to. I'll check out Targets website later

I wrote Target via its website. They even wrote me back a nice personal message, along with the corporate boilerplate response. I appreciated the personal touch, but it didn't change my mind. They've lost our business over a very foolish decision.

[Mike Bates]

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I'm not a huge fan of the Salvation Army. In the mid-80s the Chicago Tribune ran a piece on the SA that included a quote from a Lieutenant Colonel:
"On the other hand, it`s all the army can do anymore to keep up with the demand for their social services, which has increased by well over 100 percent since the early 1980s. 'Our funding is steady, but we`re finding it extremely difficult to deal with the increased volume of people who need our help in times of government cutbacks,' Cheyne says."

Yep, those terrible Reagan budget cuts. To my knowledge, no SA official ever corrected this partisan and misleading statement.

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[Moral Hazard]

I've always found those bell ringers annoying. Looks like I may have to start shopping at Target and Mervyns, since that seems to be a good way to avoid them.

[marty60]

Yep.

[cspackler]

I was a bell ringer at a local mall on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was a great experience, I'm going to sign up again and take my daughter.

The little ones are priceless to watch as they come up with their coins, and I can almost guarantee a surprise or two. My biggest surprise was the number of teens that went out of their way to drop some cash, but the most fun was the Fedex driver who stopped his truck and ran over to drop some money, then jumped back into his truck and sped off.

Try it at http://www.ringbells.org/

[cspackler]

I'm sorry that I annoyed you.

[showme_the_Glory]

I can remember several years ago when Fred Meyer had to drop "one stop shopping center" from their banner. The lawyers said "shopping center" was in effect implying a public place and as such they needed to allow access to the marijuana initiative group and any other.

[housewife101]

If I am not mistaken, bell-ringers aren't the only way to donate to the salvation army. I think they take checks!

[Getready]

I think Target and Mervyns are owned by Dayton-Hudson...
I think Dayton Hudson also owns Marshall Fields...but they
may have spun them off recently not sure...anyone know?
I say 99 cent store or bust!
Target is starting to get a bit expensive anyway....
Mervyns....not bad, but same products can be had at
other stores....no compelling reason to go there...

[L98Fiero]

I only think it's fair to note that this "no-solicitation policy" is not just aimed at the Salvation Army. These businesess are NOT anti-Slavation Army. Target donates a lot of money to the SA. No organization is allowed to solicit dotaions outside these businesses.

While I find it inconvienient that the SA has to follow the same rules as everyone else, I think the policy overall is a sound one.

Exclusive of the SA, I am sick and tired of getting hit-up by 5 different groups begging for money outside my local retailers. It would be discriminatory to allow the SA and not every hole-in-the-wall "charity" and local organization that wants harass shppers into giving them cash.

[jwalsh07]

I think I'll avoid Target and Mervyns this year.

Undoubtedly. No bell ringers, no shopping.