May 24, 2006 7:38 AM
Locks of Love - pros and cons
I've come across a few blogs with stories and pictures of little girls who cut their hair to donate to Locks of Love, an organization that claims to "provide hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18 years and younger suffering from long-term medical hair loss."
That's what I wanted to write about this morning - with visions of spreading the good news of a wonderful charity and the opportunity to teach children the spirit of sacrificial giving.
However, I came across this entry in Hannah's Blog. I don't know Hannah, but appreciate her checking further into the finances of Locks of Love and sharing the information that they are making a profit from much of the donated hair they receive.
This seems similar to the "Donate Your Car" scammers who advertise on the radio about the good you will do by donating your car to their organization. Many of them give as little as 10% to the charity they advertise. For more information on this, see Car Donation Scams.
I'm disappointed. I set out to write an uplifting piece on the generosity of children and ended up with enough doubt to feel I can't unreservedly recommend Locks of Love. There's a lesson here for all of us that no matter how noble a charity sounds, it's our responsibility to check thoroughly before donating.
Here are some resources for intelligent giving:
Please understand that this in no way takes away from the generosity of people who have sacrifced their hair for a cause they believed in. In God's economy, these lessons are not wasted.
Your comments and further research are welcome.
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