“I would have donated them, but I’m not wealthy and didn’t have enough to donate even one to my own shul”
So here’s my question: if you’re not wealthy enough to donate even one to your own shul, were there others in the shul wealthy enough to donate one to the shul? And how did you determine this, as finances are not always as obvious as you might think. If not, then were there particular people in your shul that you felt should have donated anyways? What was your cheshbon about these people that was different about your cheshbon about yourself? Why do you feel “they” were somehow more culpable? Perhaps you felt “they” should have collected money for it? If YOU would have made the effort to collect the money, would they have refused the AED?
I’m not trying to be ornery, just pointing out something that really, really puzzles me sometimes. I hear people complaining, and these are almost always, without fail, those who do not do the work to get things done. In every case in which I have seen someone toil, volunteer, knock on doors to raise funds, make telephone calls for a fund raising venture, clean up the garbage from a public area, attend meetings and giving up time from work ($), proactively invite guests who could use good company and food, etc, you get the picture, these selfless people have NOT been the ones complaining and dishing out criticism. Those who care, DO.
Please realize that I do not know you or your situation, and it is quite possible that you invested hours of your own time into fund raising ventures, only to have your collected money turned down by the shul, saying they have better ways to spend the money, or no room for the AED, etc. Or perhaps they told you not to bother in the first place, that the device is unnecessary, etc. Or perhaps a hundred other things. So this is not really directed at your personally, but at the phenomenon of the very thick, heavy line marking the demarcation between complainers and those that actually care enough to do something. I used your story as a spring board for this, but realize that I am fully aware that you may be completely in the right in your particular situation, for any number of reasons. Forgive me for using the story, on its own, as an example for my topic.