by Jack Kemp

A short while ago, I was throwing out some old boxes from electronics items from my closet when I found my old 2003 computer, running Windows XP and decided to donate it to charity today on a Sunday. In NY that is possible because there are a number of Goodwill stores that are open. Goodwill is not legally a 501(c)3 charity, I've been told, and and thus also not church affiliated.

I copied down three addresses, two in Manhattan (at 25th Street and 14th Street) and one in Queens - and I also noted they were near the Salvation Army center on 14th Street that is closed on Sunday because they are a real religious charity.

So after a phone call to Goodwill, I headed down to 25th Street via subway. In the store, was told to put the computer alongside their counter and I also presented them with a DVD from the store I wanted to buy. I paid $4.32 and looked inside the box to see...no DVD. So I asked for a refund. The idiot clerks told me they have a no refund policy (I never got the merchandise but that doesn't matter to them). After mentioning the computer I just gave them cost $400 new years ago, I quickly told them I was taking the computer back and put it on my folding luggage cart. I exchanged the DVD for another which had a disk in the box and I walked down to 14th Street with my computer.

At 14th Street I made a "wrong turn" and found myself walking west and near the closed Salvation Army center where I asked a guard sitting outside if I could make a donation of the item on my cart. He was smart enough to say yes and opened a side door into the building where I left it. I was not looking for a tax receipt because it wouldn't make much difference to me. As I told the guard, "The Good Lord directed me to the Right Place."

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 08:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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