Comments on: A Simple Request

By: Georgia

Georgia — Sat, 07 May 2011 15:18:47 +0000

I had a dear brother with Downs Syndrome. I was so glad when he was put into a home where they could work for Sheltered Workshop. They do a similar work with those unable to function on their own.

I just had a large wardrobe refurbished by them and they did excellent work. They may be a little slow on the job, but with such great results, who cares? My wardrobe was taken apart, cleaned up, stained and put back together, all for about $85. Great for them – great for me.

Thanks for the reminder, Trent, of all the ways we can better the world.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 07 May 2011 05:21:09 +0000

Very cool. I have been a reader for years now and live near Tacoma. I have even volunteered here once in the past…not knowing the connection you have with the them…small world. What a great organization, very worth while and meaningful.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sat, 07 May 2011 02:57:39 +0000

Are you kidding me?? Some people will find the negative in ANYTHING. Thanks for letting us know of this charity; I hope they benefit as a result of this post (and I bet they will!).

By: Bay

Bay — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:51:16 +0000

I’m another long-time reader/rare comment-er, but I wanted to also say kudos for turning down the monetary contributions & then writing such a thought-out response. Some of these comments are outrageous, but I’m sure most readers do understand that yes, there are people who feel led to give you a contribution and you thought of a way to make this money have maximum impact.
Good on you for choosing a small charity that could truly benefit from your potential donations.

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:01:04 +0000

I’ve never heard of L’arche Tahoma Hope before, but it definitely seems like they’re doing some great stuff.

Thanks for letting us know about em!

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:06:02 +0000

L’Arche is a wonderful organization. As the writer in comment #3 noted, there are many communities all over the world. The founder, Jean Vanier, was the son of one of Canada’s governor-generals. He still lives in France, and has written several books about L’Arche, and about his philosophy and life. He’s strongly influenced by his Christian faith. What I find interesting and moving about his books is the way he writes about service, and the way he talks about living with people of many different abilities. Highly recommended reading.

By: Raghu Bilhana

Raghu Bilhana — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:54:04 +0000

Trent

That is really an honourable thing to do. Keep up the good work man. Don’t let mean comments get to you. I myself felt bad when I read some other comments on this post, I can understand how you would have felt.

Dont let such comments get to you.

By: Pat S

Pat S — Fri, 06 May 2011 01:05:42 +0000

Yeah… I think some of your readers missed the joke. Good on you for pointing them in the direction of charity however.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 06 May 2011 00:51:40 +0000

Long-time lurker, but not much of a poster.

But I had to post today for this topic, since I thought it was a worthwhile gift and I was happy to donate. I had never heard of this charity (I’m somewhat nearby in Seattle), but visiting their website made me proud to live in a country where good people are willing to help those who are less fortunate.

It’s hard to read comments #1, 2, and 4 – bloggers must have ways to insulate themselves. But if ever I need an example of missing the forest for the trees, I can simply return to this post!

Thanks for the great website, and the thought-provoking articles that span personal finance AND personal “life” (like this one). Keep up the great work.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 05 May 2011 23:22:55 +0000

That is very kind and generous of you, Trent. Kudos!

By: Luke G.

Luke G. — Thu, 05 May 2011 22:29:18 +0000

I’ve worked with (and lived with) persons with the same disabilities you have described here. I think it’s great that you have given this otherwise perhaps unsung charity some props. I’d never heard of them…but…that doesn’t say much! :)

I can’t speak for whether or not anyone will donate to it, but I can totally see why you would want to mention their work and at least let others know.

By: leslie

leslie — Thu, 05 May 2011 22:04:15 +0000

I suspect you are missing the point. People are not saying that they want to give you money. They are saying that they are willing (and happy to) pay you for your financial seminar. They appreciate and value you as a person with status and respect in the field of personal finance. They want to pay to see you in person and hear more/additional/the same information in a different format.

No matter how great the charity is (and I have no doubt that they do fantastic and worthwhile work that deserves to be supported) that is not what people are looking to do (donate to a charity).

It is fine if this is not an avenue that you want to pursue right now. Please don’t confuse people wanting to pay for your expertise though with people just wanting to give you money.

BTW – you might want to reconsider your stance on this. I would think it is an amazing opportunity to stretch yourself and do some personal and professional growth.

By: done that

done that — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:02:37 +0000

L’arche really is an amazing community. They are all over the world. Thanks for posting where more people can find out about them

I wasn’t actually going to send you any money but I might send some to them!

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:46:38 +0000

I really doubt there were many people offering to pay for the so called seminar. I also thought one of the main objectives here was to maximize your income?

If you want to ask for money for a charity then just ask.

By: John

John — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:31:11 +0000

You really think it’s prudent to turn down all that money?