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My reasons for not supporting the UW really has nothing to do with their collection practices. Thankfully giving to charity isn't something that I've ever been pressured to do at any job up here in Canada, and I can tell you if any job place did try that I would refuse outright. I do give to charity on my own terms, and one of them will NEVER be UW.
Why?
Well, my sister was one of their poster kids several years back. But we didn't know it. In fact, we didn't know about it until my mother spotted one of their posters in a local store...with my sister's face on it. It was a picture of her in her standing/walking brace and walker - a picture taken at the Variety Center pre-school she was attending. A picture that nobody knew had been given out for use. And one of many that the local UW had in their hands of my sister for use in advertising.
Understandably, my mother freaked the hell out. She had never given permission for pictures of my sister to be used in any shape or form. And my sister had no idea that her picture was being taken for anything other than the pre-school yearbook/newsletter. The family was given no notice that any pictures taken at pre-school would find their way into the hands of a charity we were in no way affiliated with.
My mother explained the situation to the store manager who was hesitant to remove the poster at first but then handed the poster over to my mother, apologizing because he had no idea there was anything wrong. My mother conceded that it wasn't his fault. She took the poster home and called up the United Way. She ended up speaking to the local head of PR and made it quite clear that she was less than impressed with having never been even asked if my sister could be on their posters, especially in such a prominent, obvious way.
The lady my mother was speaking to tried to say that there was nothing wrong with them using pictures of my sister - despite the fact she was all of 5 years old at the time - and displaying them to the public. Oh, and that we should be grateful for everything the UW does for our family!
WTF?! My mother proceeded to tear a strip off of the lady at that point and proceeded to inform this UW lady that our family has NEVER made use of their charity. The only reason my sister was even at the Variety Center daycare was because she is special needs and this particular daycare provided her with all her OT and PT needs, and that my parents were not getting these services subsidized in any way.
Not once did my parents ever get an apology from the UW. We did get all the pictures they had of my sister, including the negatives (in the days before digital cameras, folks), and we were shocked at how many they had of her in different situations! We found out later that they were using these pictures as a means to get other businesses on board with them for charity-giving purposes, claiming that this 'poor, needy little girl would not be getting the services she needs if not for the UW.'
Bull-fucking-shit. Both my parents worked damn good jobs at that time and paid for everything my sister needed - including therapy and special equipment. Not the UW.
Now whenever I am approached to give donations to the UW I politely decline. If I am pushed I will tell them that the more a charity pushes for donations the less I am inclined to donate, and then I walk away.
There are very few charities I will donate to. I will donate to the Salvation Army and I shop at their thrift stores. I will donate to local churches, both money, food, and time if I have it. The large national charities? Very, very rarely because I am pretty damn sure that most of that money does NOT go to the people that need it.
Why?
Well, my sister was one of their poster kids several years back. But we didn't know it. In fact, we didn't know about it until my mother spotted one of their posters in a local store...with my sister's face on it. It was a picture of her in her standing/walking brace and walker - a picture taken at the Variety Center pre-school she was attending. A picture that nobody knew had been given out for use. And one of many that the local UW had in their hands of my sister for use in advertising.
Understandably, my mother freaked the hell out. She had never given permission for pictures of my sister to be used in any shape or form. And my sister had no idea that her picture was being taken for anything other than the pre-school yearbook/newsletter. The family was given no notice that any pictures taken at pre-school would find their way into the hands of a charity we were in no way affiliated with.
My mother explained the situation to the store manager who was hesitant to remove the poster at first but then handed the poster over to my mother, apologizing because he had no idea there was anything wrong. My mother conceded that it wasn't his fault. She took the poster home and called up the United Way. She ended up speaking to the local head of PR and made it quite clear that she was less than impressed with having never been even asked if my sister could be on their posters, especially in such a prominent, obvious way.
The lady my mother was speaking to tried to say that there was nothing wrong with them using pictures of my sister - despite the fact she was all of 5 years old at the time - and displaying them to the public. Oh, and that we should be grateful for everything the UW does for our family!
WTF?! My mother proceeded to tear a strip off of the lady at that point and proceeded to inform this UW lady that our family has NEVER made use of their charity. The only reason my sister was even at the Variety Center daycare was because she is special needs and this particular daycare provided her with all her OT and PT needs, and that my parents were not getting these services subsidized in any way.
Not once did my parents ever get an apology from the UW. We did get all the pictures they had of my sister, including the negatives (in the days before digital cameras, folks), and we were shocked at how many they had of her in different situations! We found out later that they were using these pictures as a means to get other businesses on board with them for charity-giving purposes, claiming that this 'poor, needy little girl would not be getting the services she needs if not for the UW.'
Bull-fucking-shit. Both my parents worked damn good jobs at that time and paid for everything my sister needed - including therapy and special equipment. Not the UW.
Now whenever I am approached to give donations to the UW I politely decline. If I am pushed I will tell them that the more a charity pushes for donations the less I am inclined to donate, and then I walk away.
There are very few charities I will donate to. I will donate to the Salvation Army and I shop at their thrift stores. I will donate to local churches, both money, food, and time if I have it. The large national charities? Very, very rarely because I am pretty damn sure that most of that money does NOT go to the people that need it.
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