Charitable giving

I spent ten years as a fund raiser for a non-profit, although it was never a labor of love. So I am not completely naive about giving. Our own contributions are primarily earmarked for cancer rsearch since both my parents and my wife's favorite aunt succombed it the Big C. I dopn't respond to telephone solicitations and certaily not to unsolicited requests at my door. So it is surprising to me that I contributed to an African American lady who rang our doorbell to solicit a magazine subscription to a shelter for the homeless.

She herself was a resident of one, she said. Her husband shot her, she explained. She was earning points earn tuition to study criminal justice and become a police officer. The materials she produced were shopworn and suspect. The magazines offered did not seem relevant to homeless and abused people. Why would they benefit from Psychology Today? It was something about her manner, I suppose. She seemed genuine, sincere. I wrote the check to some magazine distributer and designated a local depressed area for the target of my gift. I chose Parent and Child magazine. There was a hefty surcharge that significantly increased the subscription price she originally mentioned. My charitable giving has turned to charitable misgiving. I hope she was what she presented herself to be. "I'll be back to see you next year," she called over her shoulder as she started for the next house.