School Fund-Raisers Raise a Mother’s Ire

I am writing this letter because I have to express my frustration. I have two children, 4 and 6, and we are in the middle of our eighth fund-raiser in six weeks.

My son has had to sell candy for soccer, wrapping paper, gifts and magazines for his school, entertainment books for his school and now jewelry for his after-school program. My daughter’s school is involved in its second fund-raiser in the past two weeks. Furthermore, there is another wrapping paper/gift fund-raiser for our temple.

I would like to support these organizations (and so would my children’s out-of-town grandparents), but this is ridiculous! If I purchased only one thing from each catalog it would cost this single, working parent more than $100. There is no one else to sell to, since all our neighbors, friends and relatives have their own kids involved in their schools and organizations.

What makes things even worse are the virtually unattainable “prizes” that are used to entice our kids to sell more. Does anyone out there realize how much our kids are pressured to sell this stuff? When is this going to end?

Lisa R. Villa

Covina