Cold Cash

Freezin for a Reason

I spent a large part of the holiday weekend freezing my bunting off at the New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet in Hampton, New Hampshire. I had volunteered to fundraise for the Alzheimer’s Association, not counting on numbing single-digit temperatures and arctic gales.

Standing outside of a liquor store asking for spare change was a few degrees out of my comfort zone. As I drove there the first day, I questioned my commitment and soundness of mind. Ten hours, hundreds of dollars, and dozens of stories later, I have been reformed.

Here are five things I learned from the experience:

1. New Englanders are generous people.

Most people stopped and gave me a dollar or two without hesitating. Some gave a lot more. More than a few said they felt sorry for me standing out in the cold. One guy offered to buy me some nips. Another woman watched my table while I used the restroom and warmed up for a few moments.

2. Alzheimer’s is an all-too-common affliction.

Many that donated mentioned a loved one who has or had Alzheimer’s. One woman was on her way to see her ailing mom. She became emotional as she talked with me. Another told me how her mom had prepared dinner for her the last time she visited. “She set the table with plates of canned cat food,” she said. I gave her a hug and said I understood, because I did. I’d been there with my mom.

3. Men donate more often than women.

This was my observation—not at all scientific—but men seemed to pull out their wallet before I even said anything. To be fair, some men were with their spouses, so they were donating as a couple. But generally the guys gave more cash. Sorry ladies, but that’s what I observed.

4. Some reasons not to donate sound better than others.

I cringe with regret for all the times I’ve made pithy excuses like, “I already give to other causes,” or “Not today!” or “I don’t have any cash…”  I’ll be honest, they sound really lame when you’re on the asking side. My advice is, if you don’t want to donate, just say, “No thanks.” It’s completely voluntary—you don’t need an excuse.

5. People around here buy a lot of alcohol.

There’s no slow day at the State Liquor Store. There was a steady flow of people even on Sunday. There’s a reason why they provide those grocery-size shopping carts. One guy gave me a dollar and said, “I’m about to buy hundreds of dollars of liquor. I just can’t walk by you – I’d feel guilty.”

“No need to feel guilty, thanks so much!” I responded, smiling.

What about you? Do you throw a dollar into the Salvation Army kettle or look the other way?  Do you say, “Not today!” as if you plan on donating a dollar tomorrow? Have you ever just given a few bucks without expecting a car wash or box of cookies in return?

After my experience this weekend, I’ve decided I’m going to chill out and change my charitable ways. I’m going to be much more thoughtless in my donations in 2012. By that I mean I’m not going to list off in my head all the logical reasons why I won’t donate a dollar to the person in my path that’s asking for help. It’s a small gesture from me and makes a big difference to the person collecting for the cause. In fact, I’m going to pull out my wallet before they even see me coming.

I know firsthand how much it’s appreciated.