I’m on a very tight fixed income. The last time in my local SAFEWAY, was my last!
To be embarrassed by having Safeway’s employees asking me, …. embarrassing me, by asking if I’d like to donate my “change” to a charity, … it’s more than offensive!
But that’s what they do; their checkers brow-beat customers into donating their “change” to the charity Safeway chooses!
It’s as if they assume that we don’t give to anyone w/out being pressured? I complained to their corporate office; below, is part of their response:
“At Safeway, we believe that integrating our values with our work is good corporate citizenship and good business. While we try to extend an open invitation to our community to offer support, any decision to contribute is voluntary and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.”
Again, this was not “VOLUNTARY! It was NOT an “inconvenience”. Rather, … what it was, was more correctly described as EMOTIONAL EXTORTION and CORPORATE PAN-HANDLING!
I not only resent the “BROW-BEATING”, it’s motive is to make SAFEWAY look good!
Obviously, I’m not the type customer they want, for I don’t have enough money to give my change away. On a ‘tight’ month, my change, (as if it’s discretionary) is dumped into my laundry money jar. On a good month, I may be able to save a few dollars. Learning how to be frugal, was forced upon me.
What I donate, I target to what is near and dear to my heart. Mine is the health of children whose parents are also poor!
So, I must say “no” to Safeway’s request, … and will continue to do so, …… adios, Safeway! As I write, I find this grates on me more. Being asked for my change, was why I already rarely shopped there.
With the Obama administration’s intensification of marginalizing the poor, wasting tax money, manipulating of the “cost-of-living” annual NON-RAISE, etc., this will impact more poor and, as intended, eventually, retailers.
Even with my meager disability retirement, I donate what I can to the charities I chose, but to be “asked” @ the check-out-stand …. and the resulting shame, has erupted into anger … and my own personal boycott.
Pure and simple, it’s someone asking for your money to make them look good!
Safeway could give millions ….. yet they ask seniors … and in turn, insure that they instead, … go without?
Breast cancer IS something I care about, yet it is NOT my priority for my giving. My choice of charity is St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital; then there are the others ….. I’ve made my choices, … hard as it is. But these are: MY CHOICES, not theirs; I still have that freedom!
So GOODBYE Safeway; your CORPORATE PAN-HANDLING, is tantamount to EMOTIONAL EXTORTION. It’s an insult that tells me the charities I chose to give to, are not as worthy as your elitist choices!
You may think you know better, and you may think this makes you look good in the eyes of the community, … but not to me …… You and I, safeway … ???
We’re done!
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