Each year, our club chooses a "Christmas family" - a family in need that is recommended by the local school system. We run raffles & so forth all year to raise money and then at Christmas, we do our best to fill their wish lists/needs. Last year, it was a family of SIX who claimed to need pretty much everything. Y'all, we even bought them beds, mattresses, bedding, cookware, a TV, clothes for all 6 members, tons of toys for the kids. I don't even want to know how many thousands of dollars we spent on them. It took THREE PICKUPS to deliver everything.

The mom of the brood had the nerve to call the club president yesterday to find out "when this year's stuff will be delivered." How entitled is THAT?!?!?!?!?!?

WE DON'T DO THE SAME FAMILY - WE ALWAYS PICK A NEW ONE.

When he told her that the families we provide for are chosen by the school system, she cussed him out and hung up on him.

Classy, huh???

That's as bad as a few years ago, John's office did a Christmas family that was provided to them from one of the local service organizations. One of the requirements for participation was that the family was not being served by any other group. AGain, thousands of dollars we donated & all kinds of gifts given. Only to find out from an employee in another division that the SAME FAMILY had received even more stuff from their church.

And here in town, there's a guy who is ALWAYS begging out in front of the local Kroger. He makes a killing because he only has one leg & wears shorts even in the winter to make sure people can see his prosthetic & he always has a sign claiming he's a wounded veteran. a) He's not a veteran. b) People have offered him jobs & he's cussed them out & told them he can make better money begging. c) He has a nice apartment not far from there along with a newer model Jeep Cherokee. c) Folks have taken him food & stuff and had him throw it back at them.

There was a local community group that included a "pay it forward" section where if you had anything you didn't need, you could post it up and it could be claimed by whoever NEEDED it. Emphasis on NEEDED. It finally shut down because so many people who were claiming anything good and then listing it for sale on Facebook Marketplace...

Another lady went to one of those pallet sales & sorted the stuff she got & put it out in her front yard for anyone who NEEDED it, complete with signs stating that her tables & bins were not to be taken. Someone waited for her to leave the house, moved in with several pickups, and took everything. Every item plus all of her tables & bins, etc.

I know there are people out there who need help but how do you weed thru all the con artists out there to find them??!?