Well, John Confer, 81, of McMinnville received even more solicitations: at least 220. But they weren’t from banks. They were from charities.

“They seem to want to take advantage of the older people who have bad memories like me,” Confer said. Holidays are a time for giving. But if you’re worried about a gift that keeps on giving to your mailbox, let this be a cautionary tale about your acts of kindness. Don’t make them too random.

Confer’s experiment started in December when he gave about $150 total to 10 charities. All were recognizable names in the philanthropic world, such as American Heart Association, Boys Town and the American Diabetes Association. He’s filed away nearly all the solicitations he’s received since. They fill a Bankers Box. Many come from charities he hadn’t given to or heard of before: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Donate Life Northwest. Yamhill County Sheriff Jack H. Crabtree and the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association. St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, Mont.

Sealed within were dimes, nickels, calendars, a calculator, notepads — even a dream catcher. Confer hung that on his bedroom wall. The Christian Appalachian Project was one of many that incl

uded mailing labels. Unfortunately, the nonprofit and 20 others had him living in Unit 50 of his manufactured-home park. “I’ve never lived in Unit 50,” he said. So the labels are useless. Not to be outdone, the American Cancer Society appealed to John Confers in three different units. “I’ve gotten a few letters addressed to my wife, who’s been gone since 1996,” said Confer, who moved to Oregon in 2009.

“What bothers me the most is that I get the same request from the same outfit … three or four times in a year,” he added. Charity watchdogs say they’ve heard from people getting many times more pleas than Confer.

(Source: oregonlive.com)