Dougmas Jar 2009

It's December. That means that Dougmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in an old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny a ha' penny will do. If you haven't got a ha' penny then I'm not terribly surprised. I don't think the American mint ever made such niggling small change.

The point I wanted to make was that it's time you put out your Dougmas jar. From December 1 through December 31 all good Dougintologists have a jar set by where you empty your pockets. Each evening when you empty your pockets you're supposed to dump your change into this jar. Then, on New Year's Day, you count up the change and send a check for that amount to your favorite charity.

I had been putting off this post for a few days because I was trying to pretty up my jar a bit. But, the best laid plans of mice and men... well, I'm led to understand that they don't work out. That's a guess as people tend not to use the rest of this cliché. Not surprising really. Mice aren't really known for plans at all, let alone well laid plans. And clearly this line of thought went about as well as the plans of a mouse might.

Dougintology has a short list of preferred charities.
• Solar Electric Light Fund (http://self.org)
• Trees for the Future (http://treesftf.org/)

SELF is an organization that provides loans to people in remote areas so they can buy solar equipment. The loan is paid back over several years by using what they normally would have spent on generator fuel for three years. It helps to improve their education, their productivity, their health, and many other aspects of their lives.

Trees for the Future plants trees in areas where there's enough rain to support life, but poor soil management has made it a desert. This includes areas bordering the Sahara desert and clear cut rain forest. The trees break up the soil so native plants can take root, the leaves are edible, and eventually the tree can be used as fuel. It helps make an area better able to support the population rather than helping feed a population in an area that can't support them.

We also have a Do-Not-Give list.
The Dougmas Jar was started because the Salvation Army tends to use their money to further their own religious bigotry. So they make the Do-Not-Give list.
The Christian Children's Fund makes the list because they refused money raised by Dungeons and Dragons fans in memory of Gary Gygax. Apparently hungry children are picky about the kind of people whose money feeds them.
And this year we're adding Catholic Charities to the list. The Salvation Army may hate the fact that they're required to obey equal opportunity employment laws, but they still feel the moral obligation to provide aid to the poor. Catholic Charities have no such compunctions. Their cultural biases override Biblical instructions.

For our patron saint, Douglas Adams, I include:
• Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation (http://www.dianfossey.org/home/)
• Save the Rhino (http://www.savetherhino.org/)

You may also want to consider...
Operation Foxhole creates care packages for soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. There are religious groups that create care packages but they're mostly religious DVDs and books. Operation Foxhole is run by soldiers. Their care packages include things that deployed soldiers actually want. Things like fresh socks, Skittles, and whatnot. They accept donations of money, goods, or letters. You can use the link above to find out more.

The Fisher House Foundation creates Ronald McDonald style housing for wounded soldiers. While the soldier is in the hospital his family gets to stay in the Fisher Houses for free. But I think there may be some arrangement about who does the cooking in the house. They were happy to have the money that the Christian Children's Fund didn't want.