OT: A mom's request: Send a little girl a Christmas card

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 11:03 am

I am posting on behalf of a mother in California seeking Christmas cheer for her five year old daughter. Here is her message.

*****

Thank you for reading this. I was hoping to convince a few of you to send my daughter (5 years old) a Christmas card. We have been going through some rough times as of recent. I just thought this might be a fun thing for her to do for the holidays. Her father left us a few months back while I was pregnant with our son(now 4 months old). So I have very little means this year but can make up for it with a lot of Christmas spirit. For Christmas I do have her on the local toy drive list so I know she will at least receive one toy from Santa. I cannot afford to do anything myself but think that this would give her something positive to focus on. She loves getting mail, and could look the cards up on her map and see all the places they had come from. Please if you could do this it would mean a lot to her and I. Email me and I will send you the address. Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and your families.

*****

You can email her directly at anon-20440392@craigslist.org or you can email/PM me and I will pass on the mailing address. Thanks!

Edited to clarify. I don't know the family personally but upon seeing the request I offered to post it on a popular message board and my offer was accepted. The email address is anonymous because it was posted through a site called Craigslist and they have an option to temporarily mask your email address with an anonymous one so you don't end up with spam. Here is the original post that I responded to: http://seattle.craigslist.org/wan/20440392.html

I don't know what you're worried about though, as you don't have to put your return address on the envelope. Seems harmless to me.

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 11:45 am

Could you clarify, Beth...do you know this family personally? (sorry - natural-born skeptic here)
Susan

finkelsj · Post by **finkelsj** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 12:01 pm

I'll second that. Beware of any email address that is anonymous.

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 2:41 pm

There have been a number of hoaxes that sound very much like this over the years. Usually it's a dieing kid that wants to "break the record" for e-mails received, or what have you.

I think these are just somebody's clever way of arranging for an e-mail "bomb" to someone they don't like. Imagine logging on to check your mail (especially via dialup) and finding your mailbox full of thousands of e-mails from strangers, many with large attached files...

Stop and think for a moment. How many families are so poor they can't afford a Christmas present for the child, but they have a computer and internet access to receive e-mail? Why ask people to e-mail to get the mailing address? If this were legit the sensible thing to do would be simply post the mailing address (no effective difference between placing your mailing address in a public forum and sending your mailing address to every stranger who responds by e-mail...).

It jes' don't add up

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 3:03 pm

I wrote a reply to you guys but decided that it was too incensed to post. I will replace it with a request.

If you have issues with me or this thread, PM me. I'm not going to add to this thread any more.

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 3:08 pm

My concern isn't the email part - it's the "at least she'll get one toy from Santa..." part. It just sounded a little bit like they were hoping to get a whole lot more than cards.
It's just hard to know what's for real and what isn't any more. And that's sad because people who really do need help or have a genuine request get lumped in with those trying to run a scam.
Thanks for clarifying, Beth.

Susan

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 3:45 pm

I did a search on www.snopes.com (Urban Legonds) site. I did not find anything related to this situation listed. That does not mean that it is not a hoax type situation, but as mentioned, there seems to be little risk other than a stamp involved.

aderyn_du · Post by **aderyn_du** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 4:03 pm

OutOfBreath wrote:Stop and think for a moment. How many families are so poor they can't afford a Christmas present for the child, but they have a computer and internet access to receive e-mail?

There are lots of free ways to receive email... a quick jaunt to my nearby library can give me internet access at absolutely no charge, and it's even within walking distance.

Most libraries offer this, I think. As a mom with a few difficult financial times in her past, I know how horrible it can feel when you can't afford much for your children this time of year, so I'm happy to do what I can. Beth seems to be a pretty internet-savvy person and I don't think she would have posted this if she thought it was a scam. If you are concerned, don't put a return address on the envelope and just sign the inside of the card "from (your first name) in (whatever city you live in). Seems like a nice way to brighten what could be a pretty sad time for a little girl.

Best,
Andrea

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 4:22 pm

Quote @ OutOfBreath

Stop and think for a moment. How many families are so poor they can't afford a Christmas present for the child, but they have a computer and internet access to receive e-mail?

Actually, lots.

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 5:58 pm

The point is not that I'm worried about the cost a stamp and a card. I'm not even worried that some evil person may be trying to score toys from sympathetic folks.

This sort of thing has been done many times in the past to:

1) Mail bomb (e-mail bombs) unsuspecting victims.

2) Collect e-mail addresses for spammers.

If you want to responsd to pleas like this feel free -- just be aware that you may be mail-bombing some hapless victim and don't get so (**&^ incensed when somebody who's been around the block enough times to have seen that sort of thing mentions the possibility!

Yeesh! :roll:

aderyn_du · Post by **aderyn_du** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 6:07 pm

John, I didn't mean to come off as incensed... my apologies if I did. I was just pointing out that there is a way to check email without paying for it. I know there are such scams out there, I just have this rather optimistic mushy heart that would rather not believe it so.

I got the mailing info directly from Beth, so if it would by some chance be a scam, the only thing the person would get is a pretty card with a nice drawing by a couple of great kids.

~Andrea

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 7:07 pm

Andrea, I wasn't picking you out as being particularly incensed. I guess I was lashing out more at the general attitude of several who responded to a simple cautionary note as if I were a mean-ole grinch trying to snatch toys out of the mouths of helpless children or something.

Now, for a bit of advice for those who really want to do a nice squishy thing at Christmas, seek out a needy family in your own area and help them. That way you'll know your charity is going to a good 'cause. I dare say most of us know a needy family personally, or at least through an acquaintance no more than once removed. Of course, actually talking to someone can be uncomfortable and it's certainly not as convenient as assuaging your conscience by dropping a card to a stranger -- but it's a lot more rewarding.

If, out of all your acquaintances, you can't think of a single person down on their luck this year, contact the Toys for Tots or Angel Tree programs in your area and give through them. Even better, get involved and give of your time as well as money.

There's nothing wrong with a mushy heart -- just don't have a soft head to go along with it

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 9:12 pm

Weird-detector sounding.

Jacinda's mom · Post by **Jacinda's mom** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 8:03 am

Removing address as she no longer lives there.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 9:04 am

You're real, no doubt about it. And brave, too.
Many of us have been
burned in scams and lots of things
getting circulated on the internet
are disengenous--it was nothing personal.
There are venues where I've learned by
hard experience
not to give people the benefit
of the doubt.
Thanks for writing here and clearing
this up. I'll send a card. Merry Christmas, Jim

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OT: A mom's request: Send a little girl a Christmas card

OT: A mom's request: Send a little girl a Christmas card

YOU ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT ME