Hints from Heloise

Dear Readers: We printed a letter from a reader about a friend who made charity donations in the reader’s name but made them to her own favorite charity and asked readers for input; boy oh boy, did we get a lot of responses. Here are some of them:

Don from Houston says: “Next time, tell your friend that you very much appreciate the idea of a charitable donation and that you in fact have a dear favorite charity that you enjoy donating to. Then tell her about your favorite charity and the good that it does.”

Suzie in Texas: “I volunteer many hours a month for my charity, but would be thrilled if my family chose a charity and donated to it in my name instead of giving me funny house slippers or fruitcake.”

Charlene Lutes, via e-mail: “I have had the same thing done to me. A present to someone is a thoughtful personal touch that gives a feeling of being loved. There are many ways to make a person feel loved through gifting, and this isn’t it.”