Feed a child with a length of steel and wooden beads

I've entered this phase again. I was just doing my laundry, and found that in the past couple of weeks, I've accumulated 5 or 6 t-shirts, most of them free, from taking part in causes or charity events.

Now I want to buy the Fight On for Darfur t-shirt, which is being sold on McCarthy right now. Invisible Children, founded by USC alumni, is selling steel and reed bracelets online to help children in Uganda. And there's hungersite.org, which has heaps of cool jewellery and clothing, where cups of food are donated for everything you buy.

On one hand, I think it's great that a kid somewhere benefits, and I get a nice piece to add to my wardrobe. On the other hand, I'm starting to feel like a bit of a cop-out because I've got bits and pieces from different charities or causes, but I haven't yet devoted actual time and effort to any one of them. Perhaps once I get out of CALPIRG, I'll join Invisible Children or Take Back the Night. I'm also guessing that some of the money made on Hungersite.org has to go to someone's salary; it's just a matter of how much. I'm also financially in peril, so I'll have to cut back on the spending until next semester, especially since I probably won't wear the jewellery very often. I have a lot of it back home, but I only wear a few choice pieces and I don't bother with matching accessories to my outfit since I don't really match my outfits anyway.

I may however give exception to a mobile phone charm, since I lost my old one, and a cheap bracelet that can withstand abuse. If I'm going to wear something, I might as well have contributed to help feed someone with it.

[/cynical idealist]