TRICK OR TREAT FOR UNICEF ... PLEASE DON'T

TRICK OR TREAT FOR UNICEF ... PLEASE DON'T

Yesterday we had a caller tell us that her government school was promoting a "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" program for Halloween. She asked me what I though. I told her that UNICEF was definitely NOT one of my favorite charities.

Now I'm certainly not an expert on charities, though there are several that I personally support. My wife, however, has made herself somewhat of an expert through her own tax-exempt charitable foundation. Not meaning to brag, but Donna is so serious about the ethics of charitable giving that she personally shoulders all of the expenses of her foundation, donating 100% of foundation funds to charitable institutions and causes.

Now, as for UNICEF. The reason that I so strongly oppose donations to UNICEF is that when that money is spent on children's programs, these children are told that the money comes from the United Nations, not the people of the United States.

When a hungry child in Africa receives a meal from UNICEF, it's the United Nations doing the giving. When a sick child in Central America gets medical treatment from UNICEF .. once again, it's the UN doing the giving, not the United States.

I consider the UN to be an avowed enemy of our country and our sovereignty. Since the formation of the United Nations in 1945 – with few exceptions – the UN has worked against the best interests of the free world in general and the United States in particular. I think that it is foolhardy at best to have our children out there wandering door to door in their little costumes asking for money that will end up benign used to build loyalty not to the country that did the giving, but to the entity that actually distributes the funds, the United Nations.

If you're going to give money to needy children around the world, at least try to see to it that your country gets the credit.

I promised the caller yesterday that I would try to come up with some alternatives for her if she wanted to do something for a children's charity. I turned Donna loose last night with the assignment to research some children's charities. Her standards are tough, and she recommends you start with a charity that gets an "A" from the American Institute of Philanthropy.

So .. if you're of a mind to give to some charitable groups that does nice and wonderful things for children ... here's a list. Every one of these organizations gets an "A". Some of them only work domestically, some internationally ... none will give credit to the insipid United Nations for the work that they do.

The list is in no particular order.

Save the Children. This group is working right now with the American Red Cross to respond to the special needs of children who are victims of the California wild fires.

Doctors Without Borders. This group provides urgent medical care to hundreds of thousands of people, children included, in over 70 countries around the world every year. Now this is an international charity, so the U.S. isn't necessarily going to get the credit for the generosity of its citizens, but they do get an "A", they do good work, and they certainly aren't the United Nations.

America's Second Harvest . This organization feeds our country's hungry through a nationwide network of food banks. Charity begins at home, they say.

UNCF .. The United Negro College Fund. This is another "charity begins at home" suggestion. UNCH distributes more funds to help minorities attend school than any other entity outside government. It's hard to think of a more worthy cause. If you really want to fight poverty ... begin with education.

The Child Welfare League of America. Donna tells me that this organization has a vision that every child will grow up in a safe, loving and stable family. They are advocates for child protection, domestic violence prevention, adoption, solutions to baby abandonment and many more programs.