McDonald's Heir Leaves Salvation Army $1.5B+

[Loonman]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4006823/

WASHINGTON - The Salvation Army is receiving a donation likely to exceed $1.5 billion from the estate of Joan B. Kroc, the late widow of the founder of McDonald’s Corp., the charity announced Tuesday.

[emad]

1. Let's hope it's not in the form of left-over Xmas stock after the

deepfreeze broke down...

[Bronco69]

2. More money for the salvation army to

promote their anti-gay agenda. And the freepers complain about Soros? This is f@$*king insane!

[JanMichael]

3. That's what I was thinking. G.B. Shaw would be appalled...

...but not surprised.

The SA is one of the tools of the wealthy conservatives to keep people confused.

[Sparkle]

8. What's this about their anti-gay agenda?

Can you give me more information? I didn't realize the SA was connected with the military.

[trotsky]

10. Check this link.

http://speakout.com/activism/apstories/9932-1.html

Or do a Google search for "Bush Salvation Army".

[shrike]

4. the army does do some good

My grandmother was a widow during the Great Depression and she was trying to raise five sons on very little money. Bottles of milk kept mysteriously showing up at her door and one night she waited up to find out who was bringing them to her. Turns out it was the army: they'd heard about her situation and taken it upon themselves to supply her with milk. For that reason I always contribute to the kettle campaign each year.

[Bronco69]

5. I'm sure that during the depression

the s.a. did a lot of good. Times have changed alot since then and they are nothing more than a propaganda tool. Like so many other organizations they have been hijacked by the religious right.

[Nihil]

9. Not everywhere

It might be different in some places but that's just too wide a brush
to be using.

I've written elsewhere about some of the good that the Salvation Army
has done in the UK and in the US (post-9/11 NY for one damn big example).

There may well be some nuts around - you get them everywhere - but
there are also some true Christians, not the "be seen in church for
an hour a week" hypocrits but the ones who dedicate their life to
helping others, really helping them. For every crooked SA person
you can find, I'll bet there are hundreds in your own church, temple,
synagogue or other religious group.

Some of the money might get spent on new books to irritate the people
walking by but I can think of far more organisations that are less
worthy of the donation.

(And no, I'm not a member, affiliated or whatever, I just admire the
integrity of the ones I've met.)

Nihil

[bubblesby2002]

28. The SA on Vancouver Island...

...runs extended care homes/old folks homes. They are so charitable that they just broke the contracts of the care workers, and the cleaners, and gave them all 6 months notice that they would be laid off. However, they could apply for the jobs when the new management company took over. Yeah the new/old jobs were about $6.00 an hour less than previously, with no benefits.

The residents have been as affected as the staff because they're old and fearful.

So I don't have a lot of regard for the Salvation Army at the moment.

[The Stranger]

15. Then hijack it back

from the religious right.

[leftyandproud]

20. The army does GREAT WORK!!

They has major help for the firefighters and police families after 9-11...They also had a 24/7 buffet set up with hot drinks for the rescue workers...They also do lots of good charity for poor families around the holidays...buying them turkeys and helping them pay their bills when times are tight...a very worthy organization despite its flaws.

[Kat 333]

25. She was a fascinating, incredibly generous lady

and gave large amounts of money for democratic causes. "The army does GREAT WORK!!" - Yes they do !

[trotsky]

6. Didn't she also leave millions to NPR?

I thought I read about that awhile back.

[blurp]

7. Yeah, about $200 million to NPR

[ElsewheresDaughter]

11. she also left $250 million to NPR.... heard this last month

[UTUSN]

12. So the S.A. Can Sponsor More Oliver NORTH Tours

Whatever good the S.A. does is compartmentalized and is its own thing. That said, the wingnut political agenda is crap.

[LeftHander]

13. Live two blocks away from SA

They have a shelter for homeless families...

If 1.5 billion means more facilities for homeless children then this is a positive. In a time when we are all filled with hate and fear the Salvation Army (at least in my town) is the least of our worries. be much more afraid of the MegaMart Churches in your suburbs if you are concerned about brainwashing....

The SA is more focused on putting a roof over someones head, some food in thier belly and the steps to making thier lives better with drug and acohol rehab and counseling.

ON Edit:

With this money going to feds for funds will not be needed. thus the changes in rules Bush wants to push through allowing discrimination in hiring practices. Let SA do what it wants now as long as they keep helping those who the Republicans have left behind

[EllieDem]

14. Hey the Salvation Army does great work

I've been a volunteer there for years. They feed, clothe and house thousands of homeless people

[Stuckinthebush]

16. I have some issues with SA

Around here, they disallow families to stay together in shelters. Also, the strange para-military set up for a religious organization is quite unnerving. But, doing something for the homeless is almost always good work.

[kath]

17. But do the people have to listen to a sermon or profess a belief in Christ

in order to receive help??? That's the kind of crap I object to. That, plus their discriminatory hiring.

[noonwitch]

19. They also run free detox programs for uninsured people

Hardly anyone does that. They opened a new family shelter not far from me recently, too. It's pretty impressive, compared to their previous location.

It is possible to fundamentally disagree with some of their practices as regards hiring gay people, yet still support their underlying mission of helping the poor and reaching out to street people who have no one else. Expecting an evangelical group to accept homosexuality is like expecting the next pope will support the ordination of women, it just isn't going to happen. This doesn't make the SA or the Catholic Church bad, they're just not very progressive on some issues.

[truthisfreedom]

18. nifty!

[Robb]

21. You know who's gotta be pissed off about this...

Ronald McDonald House.

[Braden]

22. they got $60mm from the foundation

$1.5 bn would be more than RMCD House could handle.

not to mention that the Crocs created the Ronald Mcdonald house and through their franchisees support it very well annually.

My father is a McDonalds franchisee and is very generous to RCMD House.

[drb]

23. Well, when the Bush* economic miracle has fully...

...completed moving all of the decent jobs overseas, at least we'll be able to line up at the Salvation Army for a crust of bread and a bowl of soup.

[Khephra]

24. I have mixed feelings about the SA

I think they do good work, but I was in their 30 day detox program.

It shouldn't have been called a detox program. If they were open with the public it would have been called "Get Clean By Finding Jesus".

[arikara]

26. I won't donate a plugged nickel to them

Their donations are way down here. And its no wonder.

They fired all the long-time workers of an old folks home so that they could rehire non-union workers and pay them minimum wage. Some of those fired workers are now clients of the local food bank.

They go head to head with the local food bank for donations, always bragging about their Christmas hamper. The fact is that the SA give out one hamper a year; where the local food bank gives out a hamper of food a month. The food bank is trying to increase hampers to 2 a month because of extreme need in the community.

They advertise their thrift stores like they're antique stores, and they've jacked up the prices so high that you think your shopping in an antique store. They are asking more in some cases than the new price. The stuff is all donated and meant to help people in need. Another agency sent a man down to the SA to pick up a pair of shoes - they did call first. The poor man walked back without his shoes, they wanted to charge him for them and he had no money.

[Avalon Sparks]

27. I have mixed feelings about them - SA

I have mixed feelings about them, but I do participate in their "Angel Tree" program in Texas each year - mainly because the things we purchase go straight to the kids we pick from the tree.

I'm against their stance on benefits for partners, so I don't put money in their kettles anymore because of that.

Joan B. Kroc sounds like an amazing, caring and wonderful woman. The world will probably be a better place for some because of her.
Thank you Joan.