Wednesday 1 September 2010

The Importance Of Being Authentic

We are all used to seeing logos like this

pink ribbon

This week I heard of a friend who has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. My thought and prayers are with her, and her family.

Then on the same day, a collection bag came through the letterbox, bearing the pink ribbon, and saying it is to help prevent breast cancer in Lithuania. But there was no UK registered charity number. I did not recognise the name of the organisation. I checked it out online. THIS came up. This outfit has nothing to do with authentic breast cancer charities such as THIS one.

It saddens me to think that some organisations are making profits out of the generosity of others, who believe they are genuinely helping. I could so easily have been ‘caught out’ by this one, and I suspect many others will be.

My current pile of ‘stuff for charity’ will just have to stay here a few more days, until I can get into Leicester to a bona fide charity shop.

5 comments:

  1. I can't say this is the same thing Angela - BUT there was a Lithuanian company on our local news one night last week being investigated for giving out these breast Cancer logo bags and the charity said they had received not one penny. An undercover camera man filmed them stealing bags from other charities left outside peopl's homes - British Heart Foundation etc.
    Sadly, most of the bags pushed through my letterbox now are binned because they look suspicious or are donating just a small percentage to the charity they claim to support - sad times.
    Lynn.

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  2. Thanks for posting about this.

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  3. Hi Angela, thanks for highlighting this. I had one through my door too and went straight to our neighbourhood watch co-ordinator. I read it and knew it was a business, with nothing to do with Breast cancer awareness of cancer reseach, we managed between us to do a door to door of the entire estate, telling people to put the plastic bag in the recycling and ignore it.

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  4. Good for you for being so thorough. We lived this disease two years ago as we did what we could to support my mother- who continues now, thank you Father, in wonderful health. Horrible to think of such experiences being exploited by the ruthless.

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  5. So sorry to hear about your friend! And that's infuriating about the fake charity. Good for you for checking up on it!

    xfrances

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