frequent multiple tzedakah collectors at my home

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Household Management

Frequent multiple tzedakah collectors at my home

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

DANSFAN

Wed, Feb 26 2014, 10:07 pm

several times a week a car brings several tzedakah collectors to my home. we are not wealthy people. I do not see the groups knocking at other homes on the block. I find myself annoyed at the intrusion. there are often 4-5 people, each requiring several minutes of my, or my husbands attention. this is often just when we get home from work or during dinner. anyone with ideas on how to handle this?

saw50st8

Wed, Feb 26 2014, 10:12 pm

Is your husband visible when they come?

If not, just say "My husband doesn't let me give money without his permission."

STovah

Wed, Feb 26 2014, 10:12 pm

You do not have to give them several minutes' attention at a time when it is not convenient to your family. You can hand them a check or cash at the door and they will be on their way.

imasinger

Wed, Feb 26 2014, 10:13 pm

Maybe you are more generous?

Maybe try keeping a certain amount (say, $20-30 per week or month, depending on your income) for tzedakah on hand and give each one $2 until the money is gone, then, zehu.

Rutabaga

Wed, Feb 26 2014, 10:14 pm

Don't answer the door.

Notsobusy

Wed, Feb 26 2014, 10:37 pm

My next door neighbor also have carloads of guys knocking on their door, we don't. I think it's because they're known to give. Her husband also spends time talking to them.
We hardly answer the door for them, my husband says he very often gives the same collectors in shul, sometimes more than once and doesn't want to be bothered at home. And when he's not home, I don't open the door to strange men.
The drivers have lists of who it's worth going to, so the ones with drivers get taken to the same houses each time.

amother

Wed, Feb 26 2014, 11:58 pm

I use to make out lots of checks to the "Tsedaka ve Chessed" rebbe. Now I just give a few singles to each one, and cheese graters or salt shakers to the ones who are collecting for their kallas/chossens they are marrying off.

I keep an envelope with ones, and a basket with small housewares near the door for this purpose.

Any tesdaka that I really want to support more, I ask the meshulach for an address, or an envelope.

The driver that brings them to my OOT east coast neigborhood takes 1/3 of what the meshulach collects. At least that is what one of them told me.

amother since I have told friends who asked that this is what I do.

self-actualization

Thu, Feb 27 2014, 12:22 pm

If you write a check to Tzedakah V'Chessed, and your address is on the check, then you will officially be entered into every driver's route. This ensures that you will receive carloads of collectors every week.

We did this when we were newly married and definitely more idealistic and naïve. Then the tzedakah collectors started getting weirder and even somewhat violent and I didn't want them anymore. We did 2 things: (a) only gave $1 bills in cash, and (b) took our home address of our checks.

Once we moved to a new house, we were off the route. Now we get an occasional collector and give cash only, in small amounts.

I don't feel bad about giving small amounts to these collectors. I don't know them or their causes, and from my own experiences a number of them seem to have psychiatric problems. That being said I still give something, because we are Bnei Yisroel and we are known for being rachmonim, etc. Our religion is not an Ayn Rand-ian cruel religion, no matter how strange the needy people are ...

mummiedearest

Thu, Feb 27 2014, 2:31 pm

I've threatened to call the cops on one collector. this one was actually a woman. most of the time, I inform them that I can't open the door right now. that generally works. with this one woman, she refused to leave and was knocking on my door really loudly (my kids had just been put to bed...). I told her that if she did not get off of my property, I would call the cops. she left.

there is one collector I give to, but he actually sells cds and dvds. he used to come to my parents' house every year, now he comes to mine. dealing with him takes at least a half hour, but he's very nice. and his visit is exciting for the kids. I don't give to strange collectors. my dh will give a dollar or two. he used to give collectors in shul, but he stopped when they started interrupting his shmoneh esrei to ask for money.

Jewishmom8

Thu, Feb 27 2014, 3:55 pm

just don't get the door.

Page 1 of 1