Calling Bones (again) mission of mercy

[Arby]

Bones

Thought (hope)you might have some answers for my question.

You know these requests for money that we all get in the mail, showing these children in foreign countrys with horrible birth defects?

I'm sure some of us want to help these people, but don't want our money to go to some fat cat, or some Somalian warlord or a Shining Pathist in Peru or something.

Normally I give thru my church, or thru the Salvation Army. But in your professional capacity, do you know of any charities where the donations received go completely toward helping the affected? That is, directly to surgury, post -op and other directly related cost?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Bob

[arkline]

I'm not Bones, nor do I play him on TV, but...

Here's a good place to look if you want to make a big difference in the lives of children in less developed countries.

http://www.operationsmile.org/

I really don't think the money you give to this organization will end up in the hands of asswholes.

[BobFV1]

I'm not Bones, nor do I play him on TV, but...

Here's a good place to look if you want to make a big difference in the lives of children in less developed countries.

http://www.operationsmile.org/

I really don't think the money you give to this organization will end up in the hands of asswholes.

Castrol on Operation Smile - excellent group and an excellent cause. Two years ago I had the occasion to accompany one of their principal benefactors on a trip to India - very enlightening and heartening trip.

[Bones]

Great question.
Operation Smile is, indeed, a good organization. They do a lot of good. I don't donate to them, despite the fact that they do a lot of what I do, specifically, in my surgical specialty. Why? For a bunch of reasons I won't bore you with here, some of those reasons having to do with politics and administrative "things." I have traveled to third world countries and donated my time and experience in operating on underprivledged kids and adults. It is an admirable thing to do, but I have had a lot of conflicting feelings about how a lot of those "missions" are handled......that is for another thread.

As an M.D., I feel strongly that docs have not only a responsibility but also an obligation to give back in some tangible way. I also believe that not only are all politics local, but also that all charitable activities start locally, as well.

So for me, I decided years ago that my "pet" charitable activities would be with an organization that has immediate, tangible results in doing good for people who really need it, NOW. I also decided to do it with an organization that has nothing to do with my own area of expertise in medicine. So the organization I chose was Hospicare.

Most cities have a Hospicare organization. Ours does most of the work in people's own homes, but they also have a small "campus" which is like a modern bed and breakfast (not hospital) where folks who are dying of terminal illness can be taken care of with dignity and comfort in their last days. I helped with some fund raising so they could pay off the mortgage in a few years, and each year I help raise and donate a bunch of money to help keep them going.

In my opinion, the dignified managament and help provided to the terminally ill is one of medicine's greatest failings of this last 50 years. So I feel good about helping this organization. If you ever spent any time at one of these places, it will lift your heart, not bring it down. We all die eventually. It should be with dignity and comfort.

Our place here is called Hospicare of Ithaca. But they do have a network and if it is something you are interested in, send me an email and I can track down info. for you that applies more locally.

Just an idea, if you are itching to find a charitable organization that does tangible good.

Thanks for asking!


Jeff

[jamming]

Hospicare is an excellent place. 2 weeks a ago I lost a friend to cancer. He was in a Hospicare house for 2 weeks. They treated him with dignity, the nurses are special, to see this everyday and still maintain the attitude thay have is truly amazing.
9 years ago I lost my father and we had Hospice at the house, again, they were wonderful! Its a tuff thing to lose someone special, and they help during those difficult times.
Thanks Bones, for your service.
Roger

[Arby]

Bones
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

Both my in laws received in home hospice care. We're very aware and appreciative of the service those folks provide. Thank you for your service in that area.

And Roger, I'm glad that hospice was there when your friend and your dad needed them.

I believe in "Christian charity". And I think most Christian missions understand that you've got to show that you care about what's happening to people in this life, before they'll believe that you care about what happens to them in the next life.
So,I feel comfortable with the organizations I now support.

But not all organizations can cover all the bases. And it is those children with untreated birth defects that are, I believe, outside of the scope of anything I'm involved in.

It is the "local politics" and "administrative things" that concern me when giving outside my comfort zone. But sometimes you just gotta have faith. If I give what I've decided to give, and to whom I decided to give, then it's outta my hands after that.

Arkline & BobVF1, thanks for the recommendation. I'll look into it.

Bob

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