Christmas Money Question

Guys I need input. I need to make money like quick, because I just found out that my best friend in the whole world is NOT going to be able to afford any kind of Christmas for her Kids.

I found out when I asked if she wanted my spare tree for her yard and she asked if it could be for indoors too... then she told me that otherwise they wouldn't have a tree. I asked why and she told me that she was laid off a week ago and her husband has no job yet...

Katie has three little little kids... Hannah, 5 months, Gabriel 18 months and Arianna 5 years... Kids too little to 'understand' why santa can't make it but I wont have enough money to cover it... I just want to get them one thing each and some stocking stuffers but I need a way to make money fast, since I can't take a second Job and ebay is out.

Any ideas? I really want to help her, she helps me so so much and I can't let her angels down.

 

Look for local work and offer anything, well within limitations!

You're good with pcs (aren't you??!!!) If so, offer your help for anyone with problems, ask around your neighbours to see if they need any work doing. A lot of shops around my area have ads up requiring people for work. Failing this, I'm sure a few members on here would help if need be via paypal, I for one would.

 

Why not register the family with one or all of the local Churches and/or community organizations that help out during the Holidays? I've gone that route myself when I couldn't 'do' Christmas for my kids and it is nothing to be ashamed of. You do what you gotta do for your kids. These organizations will provide enough food (based on family size) for a complete dinner with all the fixings be it ham or turkey, you just cook everything. They will also provide gifts that have been purchased by others and donated..gifts are usually already wrapped when they are delivered. The gifts are selected for each child based on the information you provide re: sex and age.

 

+1,000,000 Thats what churches do, they support the local community. Plus they may be able to locate jobs for both your friends.

 

Failing the church route, do you have dollar stores there? The ones here have TONS of stuff, so you could easily get a few items for each child for under ten bucks.

 

Toys for Tots is another route for gifts.

New York Contacts http://www.toysfortots.org/coordinators/Ny.html

Contact for the Syracuse area [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1stSgt Robert L. Solano[/font][/font]

 

Well, I wrote to Toys for Tots, and I'm going to try and contact Catholic Charities, I believe they have a yearly Toy drive...

Sigh. I feel so bad... she's my best friend and I love those kids like their mine and I would kill to be rich and just take care of everyone.... even though i know katie works her ass off to take care of herself.

 

We DO... but no that has anything that wont fall apart in an hour... They USED to have nice things... but now they seem to only carry chinsey penny arcade prizes...

 

Yep, we've been down that road before today, too. Not that many years back me and my wife and our son and daughter were as poor as church mice.

No one seemed to care much, or so I thought. When I hit just about rock bottom, out of the blue, a washing basket full of food and goodies was given to us for Christmas. People I didn't even know much, or not at all, were doing busy bees around the house, knocking on the door with casseroles and deserts and all sorts of things. (That was when I was in remission from cancer and was I hospital most of the time and basically couldn't do anything - just trying to live was hard enough, and the wife was just as bad off.)

So there ya go. That's one reason why I spend a fair bit of my income and time helping others and the church, besides being the right thing to do anyway.

I know St. Vincent De Paul Society has helped us in the past, as has Anglicare, which is an Anglican organization. Dunno wether you have he Anglicare one in Syracuse, but I know St. Vincent De Paul is there.

We’ve organised door knocks before today, to collect toys and gifts for kids. Once people realise your not knocking to sell ‘em anything, most of them have toys and clothes from there own children that they are too old for now, and often dig up a few good items. Okay, so it's second hand, but a lot of the items were near-new.

Just an idea.

 

Well, that sucks. Ours actually carry some decent quality made in US stuff.

 

Been there, done that....read your PM`s ...my kids`re grown and gone but we had some really tough years early(don`t ask how early heh heh heh)there`s lotsa options in situations like this one need only look...and I respect you for doing what you`ve done.

 

I sent her an email with the toy bereau info, and wrote for information to toys for tots, and I'm giving her my lighted tree so the kids have Christmas Cheer...

They're such sweet kids, and I think they deserve something... Santa should always come when you're very young...

 

You could also check out ans see if your area has the "Shop with a cop" thing!!

Roger

 

Ok THAT I have to admit I've never heard of, what is it?

I found a friend to send a donation and another who is shipping a gift each from target so plus my gift and if a charity enrolls them, that's a decent Christmas, right? No need to be greedy...

Kay isn't getting much of a Christmas either, but I got her 2 movies and a blanky so far.. so maybe a dolly and a stocking and that should be enough.

I miss being a kid.. its been years since I got anything for Christmas, I miss that excitement But Yay for making my 3 angels and my munchkin happy. See... I officially have 6 kids... Kahlyn Arianna Katrina Rachell Gabriel and Hannah... and I love them all like they're mine. Katrina and Rachell are Kahlyn's sisters, and her dad and their mom got married last wednesday, so their getting all kinds of money and I don't feel like it because they wont go nuts for Kay.

 

We have that where I live also, Wenchie. I don't know much about it save I have donated money to it. Call your local PD and see if they have such a program, how it works and how to sign up for it. You might also check with local department stores - sometimes they have Christmas programs to provide gifts for families down on their luck. That's all I can think of right now.

 

Basically your local police and firemen solicit for donations from area businesses and whoever else is willing...then when the time comes, they go get children of financially challenged families (had to be politically correct) and they get to go christmas shopping with them!!

Like Natakel said...I'm not 100% sure how the program works but I'm sure that if you called the local PD they would have information!!

Roger

 

Wow...that's an awesome idea. I'd volunteer to be a shopper It would be great watching the joy on the little ones faces as they choose a special gift

 

I don't see any reference to any such program here, which isn't suprising because the cops in this city on the majority are selfish dicks. And i say that in all personal experience.

But hopefully I can get her set up with some services...

Kahlyn's father would not allow me to not PAY him for BABYSITTING his OWN DAUGHTER so that I could help out. I hate that guy...

 

I can honestly say I have never liked police officers, especially when not long ago I had a bogus run in with one.

However, my neighbor works for the sherriff's dept., and I have to say, he is a really nice guy.

Hate the job, not the person I say.

 

Yay I'm so excited! I told my old manager about it? She freaking raided her gift section! 2 bags of stuff all for the kids! It's all little stuff, like stocking stuffers, but it's awesome! I just wanted to share.

 

wenchie, WHY are you paying your ex to babysit?? why not pay your friend to baby sit instead?

 

Because she was working at the time... not it'd take forever to set that up with school and buses, and she needs a job that pays alot more and is permanent. Her husband is disabled so he cant seem to hold a job very long, and she needs a real 9-5, not $100.wk.

 

i see. i still dont understand why you pay a dead beat dad though. isnt there anybody else that could do it for that amount? (not that its any of my business!!)

 

You did good Wenchie. Others had already brought up the charities that give at Christmas time, and you've found at least one other source for them. It's not necessary to do everything in life oneself, but to know who and where to ask, and to be willing to ask.

 

Out of principle I wouldn't pay a child's parent to look after their own child. They either want to spend time with them or they don't.

 

I wish someone would point this out to them! They're living on some other planet but I'm so far screwed I have no choice.

 

wenchie, you ALWAYS have a choice. i know its very easy to believe you don't, (and believe me there have been MANY times in my life that people have convinced me i don't....so no blame, no shame) but you do. sometimes other people can see your choices easier than you can yourself. what do the people close to you say? i have to agree with lev. i would refuse on principle alone. again, i realize that 'principles don't pay bills', and i would not presume to suggest that you are doing anything but your best for your child, but perhaps its something you can reorganize with the idea in mind that you should not be allowing him to view his child as a form of collateral.

 

Laurie said what my thoughts are...you may not be able to change things right this minute, but you can work toward them. You come across not as a shy person, able to vocalize how you feel...so let him know.... if you haven't already

 

no if i dont pay him he wont do it and I can't work. Noone else can do it. I don't have a choice... he's a ****er.

 

A typical and sadly common ploy from the 'absent' parent that is easily resolved at no charge in family court. I've known several people in this situation, including my daughter. They filed papers for modification/violation of child support due to change in circumstances and/or not receiving court ordered support....the court ordered in all cases known in to me (in NY) for the absent parent (in all but 2 cases said absent parent was not gainfully employed) that the absent parent was to provide care for the child(ren) while the custodial parent was at work and could NOT charge the parent. Any fees already paid to the 'absent' parent by the custodial parent had to be reimbursed.

 

OH MY GAWD...let's just kick his ***, and maybe he will wise up!!

Come on...it'll be fun!!!!

Roger

 

Sounds like that's the way to go Wenchie. You have nothing to lose and Kay has everything to gain Let us know how you get on.

 

That's the thing... he is paying child support. I just pay him twice as much to watch Kahlyn as he pays me. He pays me $50/wk I pay him.. or rather her step mom... $100/wk

What I'm going to do is claim it on my taxes even though they asked me not to, so then they'll get Audited, because I kept reciepts. Then they can explain it to both the IRS and welfare, since they also didn't change their case to indicate that they're married...

It works so much better that way...

 

It doesn't solve the issue of you paying him to watch his own child though. The court route does, once and for all. Revenge through the IRS means you have to do it every year...you never get a chance to find closure on it and let it go.

 

it's already been to court. The $50 is court ordered.

 

If that was before you were paying him $100 childcare you need to take it back and get it revised

 

just a thought on yrou friends Christmas problem.
Have you considered making an Amazon wish list for them, then it would be easier for people around here to help out.

 

oh.. that's ok. I don't want anyone to throw their hard earned money into it if I can fix it myself. Besides?? What will you send me??? J/k

 

Wenchie,

I am honestly NOT trying to stick my nose in here, but I am and I am sorry for it.

When you report the money paid to a babysitter on your income taxes, you need a SSN to do so. I’m not sure you can use your ex’s in this case, because he is the father of the child and it use to be that you can’t pay a father or mother to babysit their own child (you can pay the person to do it, but if the person is the father or mother of the child, you could not deduct this from your taxes). I’m not sure if that has changed or not, it’s been 13 years since I have been involved at that detail level, but back then, it wasn’t legal to do.

So, you will have to use the step-mom’s SSN in order for it to be legal on your end (unless, like I said the law has changed). I don’t want to see a single mom get in trouble over something like this. The IRS is not someone who takes kindly to the “I didn’t know it was the law” excuse so make sure whatever you do it is legal.

As it gets closer to income tax time and further from the holidays, I would be more than happy to search out the answer for you, if you need me to.

 

thanks. that's what I was planning to do, since she's supposed to be the babysitter.