Bake Sale Angst

[semperfiona]

The office is having a bake sale on Valentine's Day, to benefit Mercy Ministries International. It's a group home, "for girls 13-28 who are experiencing life-controlling disorders". (Quoted from the website.)

I am of several minds about this. I'm disturbed because they're clearly and unabashedly a Christian charity--they require church attendance and bible study from their residents and declare that Jesus will save girls from all of their problems--and direct support of religious organizations by a company strikes me as inappropriate. I can downplay this reaction by reminding myself that employee participation is voluntary, if difficult to resist.

But the other things that are troubling me are harder to counter. One of the "life-controlling disorders" they treat is "unwed pregnancy", and there's an adoption agency attached to the home. Pregnant girls are apparently given only two choices: keep the baby or give it up for adoption, and "pregnant girls are given priority because there is such a brief window to make the decision for life" (this is a paraphrase--to the best of my recollection--from an interview with founder Nancy Alcorn in Christianity Today). It leaves me with a flavor of Magdalene Laundry or adoption mill. They do state that girls must make the application themselves and choose for themselves to go there, but it seems to me that it would be easy to coerce a frightened teenager into applying. I can't tell how stringent the checks are that might prevent coercion.

And then there's the concern that same-sex attraction might also be one of the "life-controlling disorders" they treat. This is purely out of my head, and nothing I could find supports it, but on the other hand there's very little to indicate that if, for example, a girl's self-injury is due to inability to reconcile her suppressed lesbian desires with her religion that she'd be encouraged--or even allowed--to come out. I did find one blog that stated that Mercy Ministries has no position one way or the other on homosexuality, but no information directly from the source to corroborate or disprove that.

Also there's the emphasis placed on abstinence from sex (again from the Christianity Today interview). Maybe that makes some sense for teenagers--maybe--but for adult women it's ridiculous. Alcorn talks about having dated a man who lived in another city, and when he came to visit she didn't even let him sleep on her couch, because proximity might be too tempting.

Lastly, and maybe this is stupid, but calling women up to age 28 "girls" is offensive.

On the other hand, chocolate. But seriously. There is probably a need for places like this, and most of my concerns are purely guilt-by-association and what-if. So is it a decent-enough charity to give a couple bucks to for the immediate gratification of a sugar rush, or even the value of a cake or plate of brownies?

I've spent a fair amount of time googling in hopes of finding something concrete, but there's nothing. Does anyone have any other information on this organization, good or bad?

1. Should I bake/buy something to donate to the sale?
2. Should I buy anything from the sale?

Comments

[sistercoyote.livejournal.com]

I would ask the person/s or department/s sponsoring this event (or HR) if they have or can provide you with any of the organization's materials; that should answer most of your questions.

That said, I would neither buy from nor donate to the sale, but I won't eat Dominos, either.

[sistercoyote.livejournal.com]

There should have been a "YMMV, opinion not valid in South Dakota" disclaimer on that last sentence.

[lightning-rose.livejournal.com]

I can't answer for you, but...

1) I wouldn't.
2) I wouldn't.

[gasslight.livejournal.com]

IMO, you should not buy or bake something to donate. It's an easy one to bow out of...I'm a horrible cook, not enough time, family obligations, whatever.

If you have pressure to participate, I'd buy a brownie. Because those're just delicious.

Seriously, a purchase you can treat as a purchase - "I bought this THING with my money".

OTOH, if you are so opposed to the charity that you're not willing to purchase anything that will support them, you can still gracefully extricate yourself - sorry, I'm dieting, goodness I have no cash on me, etc.

Good luck. Fundraisers in the workplace are SUCH a bitch!

[lil-mischif.livejournal.com]

Oh my!!
I agree with pretty much everything you said. I don't know what I would do in your situation.
I guess it boils down to this; do you think this organization helps the girls it houses. If so, give.
Good luck. I don't envy you your decision.

[scottak.livejournal.com]

I have a strict rule about not making any kind of contribution, monetary or otherwise, that would benefit a religious organization of any kind. So, I would definitely not buy or bake anything for or from the sale. If it will help you resist the temptation I will pledge to bake you a whole plate of whatever kind of cookie you desire.

[ona-tangent.livejournal.com]

No and No. I'll elaborate more tonight. Lurve!

[munin.livejournal.com]

Going on just what you've posted here, no. Unequivocally no. My squick factor body shivers were going off all over the place.

[bradhicks.livejournal.com]

It pushes too many of my buttons, too. By and large I don't contribute money to people who'd like to see me and my friends dead or thrown out of the country. I'd find a polite excuse not to.

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

On the one hand, I respect those who are against abortion because of their religious convictions who don't protest abortion without providing alternatives. This organization appears to actually help young women who are pregnant, teach them how to be good mothers, and help them with the adoption process if that is what they choose.

However, I read their website and I don't like it. I understand that some girls really would benefit from all that structure. (And I'm deliberately using the word "girls", since it's the youngest ones who would probably benefit the most.) They don't appear to be running a Magdalene Laundry; there's no required work and the clients leave after six months. But with more Bible study than counseling, I wonder how effective it truly is at providing longterm benefit to its clients? Yes, the girls have to fill out the applications themselves. But it could be easy to pressure a teen into doing that.

So I certainly would not bake for them.

I might buy a brownie, though.

[faedrake.livejournal.com]

Buy a brownie for workplace cohesion, and donate an equal or greater amount to an organization of your choice if it makes you feel icky. That's what I would do.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

I would do neither. And I'd seriously consider (but never get around to writing) a letter to HR or the office's equivalent protesting the choice of charity.

[jilly-bear.livejournal.com]

I just saw the sign myself this morning and my first reaction - WHY DO THEY ALWAYS GIVE TO CHRISTIAN CHARITIES AROUND HERE!!!! uh hum... (under control now.)

They did something similar last year - don't remember the charity but I'm pretty certain it was, again, a Christian charity - so I didn't participate at all. Pretty easy if you never go to the lunch room that day.

We should plan on going out for lunch that day together - to Joe's - havn't been there since the last time. Then we can avoid the lunch room altogether. :)

I certainly wouldn't ...

[the-geoffrey.livejournal.com]

either bake or buy baked goods for/from these folks.

Charity is a mitzvah. This charity comes at too high a price. Besides, that 28-year-old "girl" thing awakened my mother's second-wave feminist ghost.

[kinzokutaka.livejournal.com]

I'm with the "wouldn't bake for or buy from" contingent. If you want to bake brownies or cookies, do it for your friends and lovers. I don't think you need excuses not to buy from them, either, truthful or otherwise.

Of course, I'm the guy who boycotts all the "Support the Boy Scouts" stuff here at work, so maybe it's just me. B^)

[leduck.livejournal.com]

I don't eat Dominoes, either, but that's just habit. Tom Monahan gave his interest up in the comany about 15 years ago and they are no longer involved with anti-abortion organizations.

[sistercoyote.livejournal.com]

Not that it's going to change my Dominoes stance (their pizza is probably still crap and I can get much better locally), but that's good to know. Thanks.