Foo - No Salvation Army at Target

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2386435

This is kind of old news, but the first time I heard about it. I can understand their position, let one not-profit solicitor in and you have to let them all but I think Target needs to get a spine. Pretty soon you will have all stores banning the Salvation Army. I know I can just mail a check to my local Salvation Army, but it isn't the same. It wouldn't seem like Christmas if you don't hear the bells while you are shopping. I rang bells in college and had a lot of fun. People were always friendly and they laughed as my buddy and I would do our best at singing Christmas carols. Kind of sad if this is the direction that corporate America is going.

Yeah tell me about it...between Target and the Mall, I must drop $20 a year in their little bucket. I would miss the bells too!! Isn't that what we sing about...I Heard the Bells? Oh wait, maybe it's something else!!

Whenever I hear those Santas ring a bell, it makes me wanna shoot someone.

Who flunked PR 101 at Target? The Salvation Army is probably, IMO, the most beloved charity in the world. Abiet Britsh in origin, the red kettles and bell ringers at Christmas are part of American culture.

Now, if you ban the Shriners, you really piss me off.

they had to do this to avoid a lawsuit so it's a blanket policy now. can't blame them there.

We are a litigious society. That sucks.

Still, if I were Target, I'd fight it. It's not my plan to shop at Target this year, so that'll be my contribution to my eye rolling about this issue. I'll go to Walmart or Sears and stick some money in the Salvation Army bucket instead.

what was the law suti about?

We are a litigious society. That sucks.

Still, if I were Target, I'd fight it. It's not my plan to shop at Target this year, so that'll be my contribution to my eye rolling about this issue. I'll go to Walmart or Sears and stick some money in the Salvation Army bucket instead.Couldn't pay me to shop at Walmart

^ ditto

what happened to my other posts here?

what was the law suti about?

I imagine some non-profit organization was suing Target over the rights to solicit in front of their store. Their claim was probably that if the Salvation Army can do it, so can they.

Koffee, it's a shame that our society is so litigious. It is hurting a lot of areas especially doctors. But that's another topic.

Good! Those guys annoy me.

Wall-Mart fired back matching Salvation Army donations in the kettles in front of their stores until December 24th. There was a full page ad in USA Today and the following article: Wal-Mart matches donations (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041216/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_salvation_army_1)

Home Depot is also banning Salvation Army from standing in front of their stores. Another major store is also, but I can't remember which store chain. I've donated more money this year to the Salvation Army than I've ever done before. I can't stand Target.

Koffee

I don't shop WalMart. Ordinarily, I'd shop Target but to have them turn their backs on the Salvation Army turns me cold.

In many cities the SA is the only place willing and able to help indigent travelers and the homeless.

As well as be one of the first charities on the scene of the natural disasters (like the hurricanes in Florida) to offer aid.

I won't go to Target at all. I'll be more likely to step my foot in a WalMart before I step my foot in a Target.

Koffee

I used to work a store where the salvation army rang their bells. Yeah, it's for a good cause, but being right outside the front doors you could always, I'm mean always, hear the damn bells if you worked in the front end. It just about drove every worker nuts. I will still do some of my shopping at Target. And I do shop at Walmart. There's a big sign when you walk into the local Walmart that they donate $5 per second to local charities. I belong to a local non-profit group that depends on a certain amount of donations. This year hasn't been very good in that respect so it's nice that major chains help out.

Lots of music major friends -- some of 'em used to be Salvation Army bell-ringers, minus the bells. Just Christmas carols. I don't think bell-ringers are allowed to do anything different anymore, just the bells.

(Kinda sad -- some of 'em were good.)

geez some people really don't have a clue do they. oh no the salvation army can't collect donations there, well like it's been stated it's a blanket policy and it was wrong for them to allow the Salvation Army to solicit and no one else such as Toys for Tots. Why should the SA be allowed to do so and no one else eh?
It's called being fair, and Target is one of the most generous corps in the U.S. and have been at the top of Forbes "America's Most Philanthropic Companies." Also did you know Target actually donates clearance clothing items to the SA!?
But of course you people would rather shop at good 'ol walmart, a company in which 2/3’s of it's workers can’t afford to participate in the company health insurance plan, which costs about 20% of a worker’s paycheck. In fact since 1993 WM has increased the premium cost for its workers by 200%, well above the rise in cost of health insurance.

geez some people really don't have a clue do they.

But of course you people would rather shop at good 'ol walmart, a company in which 2/3’s of it's workers can’t afford to participate in the company health insurance plan, which costs about 20% of a worker’s paycheck. In fact since 1993 WM has increased the premium cost for its workers by 200%, well above the rise in cost of health insurance.

I know some people at Walmart. I've seen what they have to pay for health insurance. If $30 each two weeks for health insurance, short term and long term disability and dental included is expensive for you then I guess it is. But you have the option of keeping the cost lower. At $30 every two weeks that's not even 10% of their paychecks and they're not management.
But I worked for a company where at one point I was in charge of getting the best health insurance we could for a "reasonable" price. The info I gathered was disheartening. Our average health insurance premium cost increase was high. When I first started with the company, my health insurance cost was $20 a week for a family. Fifteen years later it was $174 a week for a couple. We had over 100 employees and only about 12 could afford it at the end.

Meanwhile, back on the topic Walmart just kicked our asres when it came to local donations. And we really tried to donate as much as we could.

I personally find the bell ringers to be ridiculously annoying. I don't have a problem with them standing outside collecting donations, but I find the bells to be nothing short of a nuisance. I'd rather listen to a train rumble by @ 35mph over and over again than listen to that stupid bell. As far as the wal-mart vs target debate, I shop whichever is closest to where I am and whichever has the best prices. I don't care what Wal-Mart pays their workers or how much their workers pay for health insurance. It's the workers' decision to work there, so I have no pity for them or any hatred for wal-mart. It doesn't directly effect me in a negative way. Heck, it saves me money!

worse than the target issue is that the salvation army can't get enough volunteers around here to man the kettles. i suspect that issue is nationwide which means there are sites where the SA could be but due to lack of volunteers they don't have a presence. though i suppose we could do more both my wife and i did 4 hours each at separate sites one weekend.

I'll shop elsewhere. I love the salvation army and what they do.

SA Bell Ringers are paid employees, not volunteers.
And like I said, Target themselves donate to the SA.

SA Bell Ringers are paid employees, not volunteers.
And like I said, Target themselves donate to the SA.

Uniformed SA bell ringers may very well be paid, however, my and my wife's time ringing bells was donated and I do believe that is the case with 'civilian' bell ringers.

SA Bell Ringers are paid employees, not volunteers.
And like I said, Target themselves donate to the SA.

That hasn't been my experience. I've rung the bells many times. Never got a penny. The most I ever got was a cup of hot chocolate.

Uniformed SA bell ringers may very well be paid, however, my and my wife's time ringing bells was donated and I do believe that is the case with 'civilian' bell ringers.

Most people don't know that the Salvation Army is first and foremost a church. Its charity work is done so that it can bring the word of God to the poor and downtrodden. Most people who wear the uniform are members of the church. They don't get paid for playing an instrument, visiting prisons and nursing homes, or giving out disaster relief. I would say that less than 10% of the people wearing the uniform get paid anything at all.

Too bad some of you weren't in South Carolina after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The Salvation Army was the ONLY charity to serve small towns. The Red Cross only went to Charleston and Myrtle Beach where they could get the most TV time. Those bell ringers mean something to me and many of of friends and family.

Too bad some of you weren't in South Carolina after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The Salvation Army was the ONLY charity to serve small towns.
Where they prostlytizing?

I've got mixed feelings about it. I think it sucks that the Salvation Army may miss out on some much needed money (dunno how certain this is will all the other businesses and retailers stepping up), but I'm really happy that someone (Target) finally had the guts to enforce their policies equally. If an organization has a rule against solicitors, fliers, or donation boxes it should apply to every person and/or group equally. It seems as though everyone has been looking the other way for the Salvation Army for years and years now, and IMHO that isn't right. If it's ok for them to solicit donations, it should be ok for anyone to do so. I've been refused permission by WalMart before (a church youth organization raising money for mission projects), and I'm certain many other groups have too.

I heard an interview with the CEOs of Target and the Salvation Army the day this change was announced, and the Salvation Army rep kept trying to spin the situation as if Target was denying there bell ringers because they were poor and/or homeless. The Target CEO was saying "we're sorry, but you need to follow the rules" and the gentleman from the Salvation Army kept cutting him off. "We're so sorry that these poor, unfortunate people don't fit your hip image." Sigh.

There's a Walmart around here(that I used to work at for 2 weeks--that job sucked) that did the same thing as Target. They were ostensibly enforcing an existing policy against solicitors, but in reality, management told us they kept the SA off the premises because some customers complained about them(as I'm sure they would have done about anyone in front of the store). None of the other customers who didn't mind or, perhaps, wanted the SA there were vocal enough about it. Squeaky wheel gets the grease and all.

I find them annoying... no need for the bells. I won't miss hearing them, that's for sure. Actually might even give me a reason to shop at Target. No idiots ringing bells all day long with a stupid kettle beside them. Why can't they just have the person sit there next to the kettle and maybe say hi or something to a few people now and again?

If you cannot find a Salvation Army Kettle at your local <insert megalomart name here>, then why not donate to the kettle online (http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/)? I found this after I got into this same discussion at another board. The allowing of SA in front of stores seems to vary from location to location and how busy the street is in front of the store.

Wall-Mart fired back matching Salvation Army donations in the kettles in front of their stores until December 24th. There was a full page ad in USA Today and the following article: Wal-Mart matches donations (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041216/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_salvation_army_1)
Now, all the minimum wage earners who work at Wal-Mart can go to Salvation Army to get plenty to eat! God bless us, everyone!

I hear that Target actually donates 2 Million dollars per week to local charities. I have also heard that they asked SA for an alternative plan to the kettles and bells but none was forthcoming. SA is one of my favorite charities. However, if the courts were to declare that retail establishments could not be selective in whom they allow to solicit we would see either: a. A gauntlet of solicitors around every store entrance, or b. No solicitation at all. If the lawyers were to force the choice, I'd opt for "b". I think Target knows that and responded correctly.

All I know is that when our organization asks Target for donations, they are always more than willing to give. We have put together care packages for troops overseas and Target has always contributed in a big way. I will continue to shop at Target.

Besides, Walmart is always too crowded and the clientele tend to lack in common manners.

...the clientele tend to lack in common manners.

That's everywhere I go nowadays.:( Not everybody, but some everywhere. Common courtesy is dying off at an alarming rate....