With the holiday season approaching I am seeing the usual drives for donations. Be it cash, food or household items to donate. We all live in the same country with the same expenses. I work hard for a living like everyone else in the working world. I do not give change to anyone, or smokes even if I have a full pack in view and just lit one. I'm sick and tired of handouts every where I turn. Now with the holiday season here I have to say "no" every where I go. If your monthly handout doesn't cover your expenses get a job, or change your spending habits. I pay as much in taxes a year as a single mother on the system pulls in on welfare. Now I should give food and money to these poor less fortunate souls because its Christmas. Give me a break. You want to move up in the world, work for it! I grew up on the system and put myself through school. Anyone can do that, I'm not special. What I did see growing up in that situation was empty cupboards and a disconnected phone every couple months. What I didn't see was these wonderful parents running out of smokes, weed and booze. Seriously people, wake the fuck up. You work for what you have and if you give it away it promotes and encourages more to take on the same "poor me" attitude. Even if you donate to a foodbank your just enabling that cheque casher to spend the only money they have on the very things it is not intended for. There are enablers in the world of addictions that are criminals, and there are enablers in the world of handouts. You're not helping, you're encouraging the same lazy self-entitled attitude to the next generation. Really, do the people who donate actually think that they're helping a family? You're supporting them and ensuring the next generation picks up the same self-entitled attitude. I don't give a can, box or penny for these people. I pay my taxes every year, and I go to sleep at night knowing I've already given more then enough to a situation that will never improve. —The Blue Collared Worker