There’s nothing wrong with supporting a good cause, but there is most definitely a problem with being rude and obnoxious about it. An employee in San Francisco, California, was on their back from a 15-minute break when a non-profit worker tried to stop them on the street. As expected, he was attempting to get donations by persuading passersby to support a cause. In a hurry to get back to their job, the employee declined and kept walking, after which the charity worker angrily shouted, “I GUESS YOU DON’T CARE ENOUGH ABOUT PREGNANT BLACK WOMEN THEN!!“
“Who says something like that to someone?” questions the baffled San Francisco employee, who posted their story to Reddit’s r/mildlyinfuriating. They continue, “You don’t know them. You don’t know if they’re already late, [and] you don’t know their financial situation.” All of which is true — both parties are complete strangers who know nothing about each other, yet one has the audacity to scold the other for not giving them attention or money. “Why waste their time and mine if I know with absolute certainty that I can’t help out?” OP remarks.
The post’s comments were filled with others saying that they had a similar experience with some random non-profit worker on the street being excessively rude to them. For instance, the top commenter wrote, “This happened to me a month or two ago as well. ‘THANKS FOR NOT STOPPING TO HELP ABUSED KIDS,'” was what they were told. They later contacted the charity to report that one of their members yelled at them.
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter what cause you’re working for that. That’s not how you deal with it,” remarks a user. Another person points out how very aggressive fundraisers who get mad when they can’t get someone’s donations are actually scammers who are simply frustrated it’s not working. Whatever the case, the reaction that these non-profit workers have just makes people want to support their so-called causes even less. If anyone was there to see that San Francisco charity worker shouting, they’d probably tell their friends and family to avoid such people.
Before you, too, get approached or even yelled at by such fundraisers, a commenter suggests that you consider several things. First, you don’t know whether the charity is legitimate, nor is there any way to prove if most or all of your donations actually go towards the cause or organization. Also, those who put their emails or phone numbers on a list will be forever inundated with possible soliciting calls or texts.
With all the above in mind, it’s almost best to avoid street fundraisers altogether and instead only donate to causes via online websites after you’ve checked their legitimacy, of course.
