If you had $1,000

I was just watching Oprah - she had given everyone in her audience $1,000 to give to someone in need, to help out someone who needed it in their community.

There were people that gave to random people in grocery stores, single mothers in toy stores for Christmas for their children, there were a ton of wonderful stories that people did for someone else.

Now, if you were in that audience and were given that money to help someone, what would you do with it? Who would YOU help in your community?

There is a client my co-worker has who's living conditions are deplorable by our standards today in America. I'd probably have his roof fixed. If there were money left after that....well there is a long list of things that need fixing. #1 is make his home dry and warm though.

Seriously? I would give it to my local animal shelter, not only because it's the charity closest to my heart, but also because it is the most in need.

If it had to be people, I would give it to Adapt House in Limerick (like Vera House in the States).

Originally Posted by Satai

Seriously? I would give it to my local animal shelter, not only because it's the charity closest to my heart, but also because it is the most in need.

If it had to be people, I would give it to Adapt House in Limerick (like Vera House in the States).

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I'd love to give the money to the local HS here in town as well, I know they would definately put it to good use.

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

There is a client my co-worker has who's living conditions are deplorable by our standards today in America. I'd probably have his roof fixed. If there were money left after that....well there is a long list of things that need fixing. #1 is make his home dry and warm though.

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Thats so horrible that he has to be living in conditions such as that It always breaks my heart to see people live like that.

Were there rules about how the money had to be distributed?

I would have a couple of options in mind...

1. The Animal Shelters in the area can always use it.
2. Buy $1000 worth of food for the food banks, or see if the $1000 would go farther in cash for them.
3. Talk to the people who run a homeless shelter, looking for a specific type of need. Specifically, a family that is trying to get on their feet, have a source of income but not enough for a deposit on a home of their own (apartment or rental of some sort). Depending on the amount of the deposit, perhaps a couple of families could be helped in this way.

I'd probably give it to a single mom. I'm a mom and couldn't imagine how much it costs to raise a baby alone. Brent and I are very lucky.

I'd give it to the woman in the town near us who feeds all the feral cats. She goes without, and spends her money to feed them. We give her cat food already and contribute to her fund through our local Vet office, but she's always destitude because she'd starve herself before she lets a cat go hungry. Thankfully our Vet gives her huge discounts on all treatments/spay/neuter for her ferals when she brings them in.
She's either a saint or crazy....either way the cats are better off and she/they would deserve the money.

Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

I'd give it to the woman in the town near us who feeds all the feral cats. She goes without, and spends her money to feed them. We give her cat food already and contribute to her fund through our local Vet office, but she's always destitude because she'd starve herself before she lets a cat go hungry. Thankfully our Vet gives her huge discounts on all treatments/spay/neuter for her ferals when she brings them in.
She's either a saint or crazy....either way the cats are better off and she/they would deserve the money.

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Wow, that woman is definately amazing, I'd call her a Saint!

Originally Posted by goosehazel

I'd probably give it to a single mom. I'm a mom and couldn't imagine how much it costs to raise a baby alone. Brent and I are very lucky.

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There was a woman who gave $500 to a single mother who was in Toys R Us Christmas Shopping for her 2 children. I'd love to be the person to give that kind of money to an unsuspecting shopper!

Originally Posted by valanhb

Were there rules about how the money had to be distributed?

I would have a couple of options in mind...

1. The Animal Shelters in the area can always use it.
2. Buy $1000 worth of food for the food banks, or see if the $1000 would go farther in cash for them.
3. Talk to the people who run a homeless shelter, looking for a specific type of need. Specifically, a family that is trying to get on their feet, have a source of income but not enough for a deposit on a home of their own (apartment or rental of some sort). Depending on the amount of the deposit, perhaps a couple of families could be helped in this way.

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I'm not 100% sure on the rules- I started watching the show in the middle.

I thought it was just wonderful of her to do this. Especially this time of year, when there really are a lot of people out there who could use the help.

Well, there is no animal shelter in my county but I'd give half to my neighbor...her and I feed the stray kitties in the neighborhood.
It would help buy food and make their shelters better.

I'd give the other half to another neighbor, she's told me differnt times that she sometimes doesn't have money for food for herself...at the end of the month when she runs out she makes sure her two cats have food and she goes without...I have left her grocery bags of food for her and her cats before...just ring the bell and walk away.
Maybe that's stupid, but I don't want her to think that I pity her I just want to help her.

There isn't many animal shelters where I live in Nebraska. I would give the 1k to The Cat Care Society in lakewood Colorado. I used to give all my goodwill things to their thrift shop.

How about the cat shelters? Gee, I am not against giving it to humans, but why not giving some to the cats?

Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

I'd give it to the woman in the town near us who feeds all the feral cats. She goes without, and spends her money to feed them. We give her cat food already and contribute to her fund through our local Vet office, but she's always destitude because she'd starve herself before she lets a cat go hungry. Thankfully our Vet gives her huge discounts on all treatments/spay/neuter for her ferals when she brings them in.
She's either a saint or crazy....either way the cats are better off and she/they would deserve the money.

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Part of being a Saint is having people call you crazy and not careing!

I'd give $1000.00 to Child's Play. http://www.childsplaycharity.org/ . They provide games and activities to kids who are stuck in hospitals. If I can let a child forget about their illness for one moment and remember what it's like to play, then I've done my job in life.

The women's shelters are always in need. Don't forget them when you have household stuff to donate!

I would give it to Bobbi (Trixtersmomma) who has feral cats where she lives and is having a hard time finding anyone to help her. She needs traps, spay/neyter fees. She feeds them everyday and trying to figure out how to give them shelter for winter

Originally Posted by Pami

I would give it to Bobbi (Trixtersmomma) who has feral cats where she lives and is having a hard time finding anyone to help her. She needs traps, spay/neyter fees. She feeds them everyday and trying to figure out how to give them shelter for winter

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Oh my, what a wonderful woman she is. I'd definately give to her as well!!

Originally Posted by Phat Locani

The women's shelters are always in need. Don't forget them when you have household stuff to donate!

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Thats so true. There are so many women out there in shelters that are trying to make a new life for themselves and their children.

Originally Posted by lookingglass

Part of being a Saint is having people call you crazy and not careing!

I'd give $1000.00 to Child's Play. http://www.childsplaycharity.org/ . They provide games and activities to kids who are stuck in hospitals. If I can let a child forget about their illness for one moment and remember what it's like to play, then I've done my job in life.

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I'd love to give to the Ronald McDonald house thats located near me in Rochester. I know many children that have gone thru there with cancer, we did a fundraiser for him and his family to help with their finances, but I'd love to help out so many children who fall sick with deadly illnesses

Originally Posted by Persi

How about the cat shelters? Gee, I am not against giving it to humans, but why not giving some to the cats?

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I hope that there were some people on the show that gave to the shelters! I know there has to be a few that did!

Originally Posted by abbycats

There isn't many animal shelters where I live in Nebraska. I would give the 1k to The Cat Care Society in lakewood Colorado. I used to give all my goodwill things to their thrift shop.

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There aren't many here, but one - I know I'd help them too, if I could!

Originally Posted by Graciecat

Well, there is no animal shelter in my county but I'd give half to my neighbor...her and I feed the stray kitties in the neighborhood.
It would help buy food and make their shelters better.

I'd give the other half to another neighbor, she's told me differnt times that she sometimes doesn't have money for food for herself...at the end of the month when she runs out she makes sure her two cats have food and she goes without...I have left her grocery bags of food for her and her cats before...just ring the bell and walk away.
Maybe that's stupid, but I don't want her to think that I pity her I just want to help her.

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I wish I could help her out - she sounds like an amazing woman. There are so many wonderful people out there who go unrecognized like this lady, who do so much for the homeless cats in the area! How kind of you to help her out when you can, I know that it must mean the world to her!!

It would go straight to Tree House, it would not pass go and it would not collect 200 more dollars.

I would help a couple of folks who are struggleing to take care of there Ferals, it's not an easy job and they don't do it for pats on the back, I feel so much gratitude for what they do And if they don't do it who will? I have a very hard time still seeing this issue still so huge.. People still don't get it. It's cold here even and I just got home from petsmart and all the way home I kept thinking I know there out here and they shouldn't be.
They can't ask for help they need someone to care

I would probably give to this charity, Heifer International, that I recently found out about.

You can send families in need livestock and animals that will provide them with things like milk and eggs. Enough for their family to eat, and to sell and make money for themselves. You can even send a family who wants it a hive of honeybees so that they can raise honey for a living. Check out the website. Its a really interesting charity.

They operate based on the proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

some to my town food bank ( it has nearly closes 3 times in the last yr )... some to local shelters ....
the rest I would buy toys from the sharing trees

I would probably use the money to give to needy police officer's families on the squad that Colin works for. Although Colin is well off (thankfully he was in the navy 8 yrs before becomming a cop- and invested his $$ wisely)....many of the other officers are not that fortunate. There are a lot of them struggling just to make ends meet- and the new ones are not allowed to have a second job on the side for the first year and a half on the force. (i still think that's a crummy rule.) At the moment, several of the officer's wives are expecting babies any month now. The wives are working several jobs just to make ends meet and help their hubbies out. I would love to help them out by using the money to buy supplies for them and help them set up a nursery and whatever else they need- i would also love to get people in my local area to donate to the cause and possible start a mutual fund or some form of investment for the officers and their families.