Another Money Grab? WWTPS

I don’t know about that. A trip to Hawaii for a month for me would be after years of saving. It’s three months after that trip; my funds would have been depleted.

I'd rather give my money to organizations that help lots of people vs. these types of donation requests. It reeks of money grab. If you can afford to travel to Hawaii for a month even after years of saving, you should be able to afford to help your son get his knives back.

I have to weigh in on this subject.

First, I will acknowledge that most of the food and service industry has been devastated by the Pandemic. Most of the job losses have been in those industries.

Most professional chefs consider their knives as essential, and spend at least $500 for a set.

A sous chef would have been laid off, and been able to receive Unemployment (plus the additional payment), which has been extended. He is probably receiving as much in Unemployment as he did in wages. Unlike a server, who is probably not receiving Unemployment as their 'earned hourly wages' are usually about $2 per hour, and whose tip income is not included in determining wages earned for Unemployment

Most people have not "lost" their apartment due to the pandemic, because they are protected by the No Eviction orders that are still in place.

A professional sous chef should have the foresight to insure these essential tools of his trade, and/or been responsible for his backpack

Margie Romney-Aslett is not a 'crafter'. She is a professional designer, with a long history with many papercrafting companies, as well as running her own retreats. Her husband is a very successful Salt Lake City businessman. She has a documentented history of world travel, conspicuous consumption, and an upper middle class lifestyle. Her Hawaii trip probably did not tap out their assets. She provided her daughters with very upscale weddings.

In other words, I think that she and her husband are well able to assist their son with replacing the tools of his passion. She could give up her monthly highlights/haircut this month and buy his knives. If I was a crafter/artisan who had a daily Starbucks habit, I would be donating that to a Food Bank, or something that would help the people truly hurting.

Grifters got to grift.

edited to add:  If you note in Instagram, 3 days ago she posted that she is heading to Kauai next week.  So back on vacay?  and depending on others to help your son? 

A really nice set can easily be triple that amount but erm... Emergency fund, right? If my backpack with my laptop is stolen, I've just got to cry about it and head for my savings. Same problem. Goodness me, how many photographers have had to deal with stolen cameras and lenses?

Looks like she actually spent 2 months in Hawaii last year....once in July and once in December? It appears she has family there but wow.

Crowdfunding is the legal and socially acceptable form of panhandling these days.

yes this!! well said.  i struggle with those kinds of solicitations because, to me, expensive knives are a far lower priority than mouths to feed or people to house.  it's hard to sympathize with his plight when i know greater suffering is happening elsewhere.   that being said, i know the "crowd" will give enough to fund the purchase of new, fancy knives.  for me it's a money grab but the amount of money she will raise will show that enough people think otherwise.

Yeah, that!

Disgusting money grabs.

My son relocated about 3 weeks before Covid hit. He relocated for a new job that shut down after he had been there only 2 weeks. He had a one year lease on a new place. He was not eligible for unemployment because he had not been there long enough. I pulled out my credit card and pay ALL of his expenses in another state. After 4 months we went to bring him home and mercifully he did not have to pay out the rest of his lease. After moving home he lived with us until he finally got a new job across the country, financed by me because he had no money to get there and get a place to live.

My story is I believe pretty typical of people who have some family support who were left with not much after Covid hit. I racked up lots of debt, but I would never in my imagination ask other people to help him while I had any resources at all. Yes, maybe he couldn't move across the country for a job, but he could live with me and take any kind of job he could until he saved enough to go on his own.

This chef can work where ever he can get a job and buy his own knives. He can possibly get a job where the knives are provided, not as upscale as a place where he uses his own, but a place that pays money. In my mind, I would not want anyone who would know me or my kid to think I wouldn't help him but would encourage others to help him. Uh no. Just no.

Are the comments all supportive or is anyone brave enough to speak out?

There seems to be no shortage on social media of people asking for help. It's definitely a thing and people don't seem at all embarrassed to ask (whether truly needed or questionable). There is a lot of it going on in my own community too.

Unbelievable! One commenter thanked her for giving her the opportunity to help Max....
My son is a musician, an industry also hard hit by Covid. He was living and working in NY, but was forced to leave and return home to live with us in Australia, leaving his partner behind. They haven’t seen each other in over 12 months and he’s not had much work, but he’s been supported by us.
There are millions of people far worse off than these people, but I guess if people are going to be stupid enough to send money, what can you do!
It would be interesting to see a total amount scammed...

I do not know, how I’d rate that. Perhaps this way it might help him feel better than mom just giving him money? What’s the harm? I think I’d file it under give if you want or don’t - no biggie. I don’t know if it’s a big enough ‘money grab’ to even hit my radar much less insult me. I don’t follow her, if I did I’m not sure if this would phase me at all or not.

If there repeat requests or continued mentions beyond a public thank you then I’d say definitely milking the gullible money grab.

Then again I haven’t had my hair cut in 15 months. Nor have I had any vacation in 15 months. My child has also been affected by the pandemic and has moved in with me, if I’m going to fund anyone’s livelihood for a pandemic recovery it will be hers. ( although I have donated to charities that help those affected in my area )

I love that she tagged Starbucks in the process - hoping they might chip in too?

Um, I'll give up my Starbucks... I'll have $5 ready in a month or two...
I really hate that kind of comment: you should give up on the obviously extravagant and wasteful things you do with your money to help my son. I know it's up to each person to choose whether to help or not but if you're friends/colleagues with her or a regular follower it's some major peer pressure, especially since it's a personal donation to her (?not that I could actually see a clear link to how to help in the post - oh wait, I see, she posted her venmo after you get through the emotive "he has skills and a child" slideshow)

Even the hashtag annoys me - who are these "artisans" helping Max? His coworkers and colleagues? Her coworkers and associates? (let's put misuse of the word "artisans" in the same category as overuse of "curate" -please just stop). Also his literal life depends on his knives? really? Those are some powerful knives. I wouldn't let them out of my sight.

There's no way I'm sending a random well-off lady some untraceable money to "help" her grown ass kid buy anything. I might drop her some atheist thoughts and prayers.

Oh geez. I read this as Heidi Swapp posted it, because I saw it was liked by her. Nevermind. Carry on.