Most of us are familiar with the Salvation Army bell ringers who stand outside in the freezing cold collecting money for charity. I know that I always appreciate the fact that these people are giving their time and braving the cold to help others.
However, what I didn't realize, was that this was a paid position, not a volunteer based community service. I read an article which talked about the current state of the economy's effect on the Salvation Army. The positions of a bell ringer (which requires an application and then pays about minimal wage - $7.25 an hour) are extremely sought-after. According to the article, more and more people are applying for this job because of the economic downturn.
At first, I was a little bit outraged - getting paid to do charity?!
But then my friend Sophie brought up a good point: The Salvation army's mission is to help others, especially during the holiday season. By giving jobs to these people who otherwise wouldn't have work, they are helping those people who are in turn helping a huge number of people. When I look at it that way, I can see the good in the situation. However, this also means that everytime you drop some spare change into the collection jars, the money may be going to someone's paycheck, as opposed to 100% going to charity.
What do you think about this situation? Is it wrong to be paid for volunteer work in your opinion?
I like the argument you present in this post, and it made me think a lot about the purpose of charity. But I think you're overlooking something really important. The "someone" who is receiving the paycheck from the Salvation Army is employed because they don't have a job. If that person was not employed by the Salvation Army, they would be eligible to get the money being donated, just not in the form of a paycheck. I'm going to make the argument that the money is 100% going to charity, and it's maybe even more charitable than if the person shaking the bell on the side of the street was someone that had a home and a secure job. Not only does this "someone" get money, but they also get a job, and with that job, they get a sense of purpose. However, if the Salvation Army made a profit from these donations, it would be a different story..
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Katie! I agree with Sophie- especially in an economic downturn, jobs are really needed across the board. Also, although we can't say for sure, it's possible that some of the bell ringers have not had the same economic or educational opportunities that we have grown up with, and these jobs offer them tremendous opportunities to help both themselves and others.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem unfair that not all of the donations actually go to charity, however I understand why. Not only are the jobs, which Sophie talked about, a contributing factor, but that fact that whenever you donate to a charity you have the chance to have deductions on your taxes. Although not everyone chooses this option they have it so that more people will find a benefit for themselves in donating, making them more likely to help out (in some cases). Of course there are some charities that are strictly volunteer, but a bell ringers job is not exactly pleasant so I believe for a small price they can get alot more ringers which will help increase their profits for the Salvation Army.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's wrong to pay people to do volunteer work if there aren't people willing to do it for free. Like your friend said, the Salvation Army providing jobs in a time of economic hardship is kind of doing two kinds of good. Better to pay some to do charity than have no one to do it at all.
ReplyDeleteI also don't think its inherently wrong to be paid for work generally convceived as "volunteer work". But you must think that if it wasn't paid would as many people be bell ringers? I think that might be true, and as a result, unfortunately there might be less money that actually goes to charity. I also think the fact that by paying workers, the Salvation Army is helping boost the economy, and in a way that might be just as important as charity.
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