A family on the Upper West Side of New York has placed an ad in New York magazine pleading for $1 million to buy an apartment so they can stay in their wealthy neighborhood. Gawker spotted the ad and posted it here; it reads: "WE NEED HELP BUYING AN APARTMENT on the UWS, 3bd 2 bath. YOU are a philanthropic, wealthy person who would not miss a million bucks and would be interested in donating (or even investing) in a highly targeted manner: to my family. WE are a wonderful, hard working middle class family who contributes to our UWS community, is entrenched, happy and desperately wants to remain on the UWS (lest the city lose yet another wonderful family to the burbs). We can afford 600-700K, so you see the predicament. Can you help us??"
We're not going to reprint their email address (Gawker has it), because we don't want any of you millionaires being tempted to help these horrid people. As charities that serve, I don't know, POOR PEOPLE, make their holiday pleas for donations, this rich family has the GALL to imply that they with their 700K budget are needy. We WISH we had their problems.
Oh wait, we DO. That's why we live in a teensy apartment in Brooklyn, where our 100-square-foot home office is also our son's nursery. And still, we're donating to actual charities this year, like the Red Cross. We also ran a list here on Babble's holiday gift guide of some smaller, family-friendly do-gooding organizations, like Modest Needs, where you can help a genuinely struggling family with an unexpectedly high electric bill or transportation to work.
Are you donating to charities this year? What are your favorite ones? Please don't say the Upper West Side Whiners Society.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 65)
1. I am contributing this year to 2 organizations. The first is SKIP, or Special Kindness In Packages. SKIP collects donations of items on the wish lists of service members in war zones and ships them to indivual soldiers. The organization is made up of volunteers and has no overhead. 100% of your donation goes to postage for mailing packages. http://www.specialkindness.org/
The other oranization is sponsored by my local newspaper to help needy families in my community.
Cyndi at 1:17PM on Dec 7th 2007
2. Here's who I donate to: Heifer International (typically 3 bee hives to Eastern Europe and 3 goats to South America); Save The Children (sponsor 2 children in Africa and 2 in South America); Ducks Unlimited (wet lands preservation); UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) for Hurricane Katrina victims; Pop Corn Park and a small music foundation that promotes traditonal Blue Grass music.
The radicals in my family (which are all of them but me) donate to Green Peace and PETA and don't eat meat of any kind. I really like a good steak, but the ear static from all around the dinner table makes it hard to enjoy.
Willet at 1:27PM on Dec 7th 2007
3. My favorite worthy causes at Christmas time and throughout the year:
Operation Christmas Child
Angel Trees
Salvation Army - support your local bell ringers, serving those in poverty and need from disasters.
Compassion - adopting children in desperate need with a monthly contribution
KJ at 1:30PM on Dec 7th 2007
4. It still seems sad to me that a family is being forced out of their home because of the ridiculous cost of actually living in the city.
Laurel at 1:54PM on Dec 7th 2007
5. I make homeless wash-up kits and bring them to the local homeless shelter. The kits include: a bottle of shampoo; a bottle of conditioner; a bottle of lotion; a bar of soap (get on sale or at your local dollar store); a comb (dollar store); a washcloth (dollar store); a toothbrush (dollar store); and toothpaste (buy on sale at your regular supermarket due to concerns with dollar store toothpaste). Put in a Ziplock baggie. This is a good way to make use of the little toiletries you get a hotels, as well.
Diva at 2:09PM on Dec 7th 2007
6. I like KJ's idea of adopting kids on a monthly basis, but hey, go one better and just adopt kids in general. Yes, that is a forever "giving" not just at Christmas. I work in social services in a large city and we have hundred of kids up for adoption. This time of year is especially tough for those who do not have a pemanent home; most are older kids.
Having had good parents myself (I'm lucky) I cannot imagine not knowing where I am going to be when I turn 18 (some kids are just turned out on their own). Some foster parents are saints, to be sure, but kids need permanency, I don't care if you are 16 or 17. It matters to those kids.
David S. at 3:05PM on Dec 7th 2007
7. So you mean to tell me all I had to do was place an ad on the paper to get my BMW?? Here I've been comin up with all kind of good reasons to convince my husband!
LPB at 3:57PM on Dec 7th 2007
8. This year, we're contributing to three: The first is the adoption services agency that facilitated our daughter's adoption. The second is the Heart and Lung Association, in remembrance of my mother. And the third was my little daughter's choice: she chose Heifer, International, and dug into her piggy bank to donate a couple of hives of bees to a family who could start a business with them.
That family asking for a million dollar apartment is in a quandary; What to do if they can't afford to stay in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the U.S... Hmmm. Poor, poor little well-to-do people.
How about:
moving to a condo in a (slightly less) expensive area in Westchester? What about Downtown somewhere? If they live on the UWS, chances are they are already sending their children to private schools. There are those everywhere you look in the NYC area. Brooklyn is a great resource, as is Queens. And then there is Jersey, which used to carry a (deserved) stigma but has blossomed in past years into a great place for the upwardly mobile.
Really, guys. Put some perspective into your lives.
Lionruby at 4:19PM on Dec 7th 2007
9. Well it just go's to show what the world is comeing to. People want what they cant afford.
Brad K at 4:49PM on Dec 7th 2007
10. Who cares about this family's plea? People can ask for whatever they want... the question is, how do you feel about someone who gives to this rather well-off family instead of to, say, the homeless or to AIDS research?
Sara at 4:48PM on Dec 7th 2007
11. PLEASE POST THEIR E_MAIL !
Harry Asmen at 4:48PM on Dec 7th 2007
12. The Clinton's have taken their request for money to magazine's now.
Loopersdin at 4:55PM on Dec 7th 2007
13. Gee - I hadn't thought of asking for a million bucks... I'm currently between places, with no money whatsoever to get my own. A friend is graciously letting me stay in her office. I'm not whining, though, because I begin a new job next week. These folks really need to reassess their priorities - perhaps their kids could learn something positive about living within their income !
Linda Jacquot at 4:51PM on Dec 7th 2007
14. This is the worse thing I have ever read. I am just making it by being a single mother I work 60 hrs a wk and am just making it...........for these people to ask for 1 mil so they can stay in uws ,oh lets not forget the can afford 700k a month,Its sicking to me. In me eyes the rich a greedy selfish people. I dont have much but if someone needed the last $20 I had in my pocket i would give it to them and not even ask for it back ,the rich would give it to you but add intrest. I always say greed is whats going to bring the world to an end an thats a shame.
Tamyct28 at 4:55PM on Dec 7th 2007
15. They have alot of nerve. I am a single person with 2 cats - I lost my job two months ago and can't seem to find a job within my field. I am not going online or putting an ad in the paper for someone to help me out to pay my rent or car payment so I can get to a job. There are people out there less fortunate then me and definitely more unfortunate then this upper west side family. They should be ashamed of themselves for being so selfish.
CHill at 2:18PM on Dec 9th 2007