Grinches and the Good Guys
Every week, we like to bring you stories about the great ways people are giving back to non-profits and charities. But this week, we start with a warning for you.
The holidays are the most beautiful time of year, but there are some grinches out there who want to try and ruin the season for us. The Better Business Bureau has kindly highlighted the 12 Schemes of Christmas as a heads-up to consumers. Here are a few warnings we found most helpful:
Wrong Type of Cards: Open greeting cards from friends and family, but don’t bother opening mailings about high-interest credit cards, costly layaway programs and payday loan traps.
Suspicious Santa: He knows if you’ve been naughty or nice and he already knows where you live, so be careful if cute Santa sites ask for too much personal information.
Deceiving Deliveries: Don't accept notices about delivery delays or confirmations on unordered packages; phishers often pose as well-known retailers or shipping companies to gain false credibility.
We’ve talked enough about the bad guys. Let’s talk about the good ones. Since 1956, Globe Santa has been The Boston Globe's annual appeal for needy children in Greater Boston. The Globe Santa Fund collects donations to purchase holiday gifts for underprivileged children. This year, they also have some great auctions items for you to check out. By buying these gifts, you will not only be crossing someone off your shopping list, but also you’ll be donating to this wonderful cause.
Last but certainly not least, you may have a Secret Santa game going on in your office or with you family, but we have a story of one very generous Secret Santa that we found on MSNBC. A mystery shopper in Plainfield Towship in Michigan, walked into Kmart and paid off three lay-away bills for people. The families were surprised and overwhelmed by this real life Santa’s generosity. We were too. It’s nice to know that there are grinches out there, but there is true kindness to make up for it.