Quote:
Originally Posted by davem4616
There's lots of ways that we can reach out and help those in the area around us that may be in need...every community is in need it's not limited to Wildwood
The Salvation Army in Bushnell and Leesburg are our favorite charities. A good portion of our stimulus check went to those in need. We donate to both SA locations monthly....the SA takes the least amount off the top of donations....they live their motto "doing the most good". Money is best for them as they buy the food in bulk...we use a credit card and cover the cost of the 'merchant fee' on the card
When hurricane season approaches we stock up on non-perishable foods that we personally like...when the season is over we drop off all the provisions that we had stockpiled at a local food pantry. Not only does that help others, it frees up the space where we had stored these items.
clothing that we buy online that just isn't the color or size that we expected or wanted no longer gets exchanged...it goes to a local thrift shop
We know that we're blessed.
But I also take exception to the OP's reference to 'white privilege'
The only 'white privilege' I had was a couple of parents that taught me the difference between right and wrong, punished me when I did wrong...that worked their butts off to provide for their kids...the only vacations we went on were with borrowed camping equipment until they had enough S&H Green Stamps to buy their own camping gear. Regardless of which campground we were staying at on the weekend or for the week on Sunday mornings we'd all come out of the tent in 'our Sunday Best' and off to church we'd go as a family.
When there was 'snow day' growing up, we didn't go sledding, we shoveled as many neighbors out that we could to make some spending money. When the kid that had the paper route went on vacation we took over for him. In high school I worked as a part time janitor in the schools...school vacations I stripped the floors and waxed them while my buddies played. I worked 40 hours a week while going to college and double that when on semester break to help earn my keep and help pay my way through school...no trips to Cancun or Ft Lauderdale. I went to grad school at night and we paid off my wife's student loans.
If having parents that cared about me, instilled sound values in me to live life by and worked hard to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table represents 'white privilege', then yeah, I guess I did grow up having 'white privilege'.
It's funny, at the time I just didn't recognize it as being privileged.
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You sound like we had same childhood. Liked your post but you struck a nerve
Shoveled snow when I could duringthe winter and in the summer went to a free day camp as a little kid and remember one or two vacations in my younger years that were pretty inexpensive..
My dad was a taxi driver working over 70 hours a week to support us.
Parents could not afford to send us to college so we all went to the City University of NY which was free back than.
We had almost nothing in the bank when we got married and we worked for what we had now.
Went to grad school at night while working full time during the day.
I do not understand why people keep telling us we were privileged growing up.