no good deed goes unpunished

on thursday i wrote a very long post about freecycle and how you can give practically anything away except your husband. (although they explicitly state you can't give away pets but i've knowingly sent off mice in a trailer so who knows?)

thanks to the grandparents and the christmas free-for-all, lately i've been busy bagging up toys and gear my kids no longer need or want to make room for all the new things they've received. all the while hoping to give it to someone who could really use it. so, i thought to myself "self, why don't you write to freecycle and see if there's anyone out there who could use a backpack carrier or a stroller (or two)? or toys? or stuffed animals? or floor puzzles? or entire plastic villages for girls aged three and up...."

needless to say, i've been posting on freecycle. last night's offering? two free strollers.

now these are not the top of the line strollers but they ain't the worst, either. they're just decent strollers we no longer need. so, i took some pictures, dumped 'em into photobucket and posted my ad:

We are looking to give someone in need one or two of our extra strollers.The first is an Aprica stroller, navy blue with white provincial-type print. Handle is reversible so baby can look at you or face outward. Clean, basket is a little beat up. 3-point harness.

The second is a Graco stroller. 3 point harness. Bigger basket.

so last night i log on to see if anyone's gonna come pick up the strollers this weekend and i get the following email:

I'd like to suggest donating them to the Salvation Army or homeless shelter rather than to those of us affluent enough to have a computer.

so i retaliate respond with:

The Salvation Army sells goods that you donate. Several calls to shelters asking if they accept donations have gone unreturned. Owning a computer is not proof of affluence and many people use computers at their local library to go online. "In need" is a broad term which applies to many different kinds of people. Non- and not-for profit organizations use Freecycle when they are in need of something, as do strapped-for-cash parents, struggling students, daycare centers, artists, babysitters, grandparents, hosts to visiting friends and family, etc. Most, hopefully all, are socially and ecologically-minded individuals and/or groups.

i promise i didn't end that email with "so shut yer damn pie hole already!" but i wanted to.