I was not a volunteer, I was doing court ordered community service. I just wanted to say that because their is no option for community service so I had to click volunteer.
Anyways...
I was ordered 24 hours of community service, I’ve never been in trouble before, and I’ve never done community service before this either. I didn’t like my experience, so I decided to share my story.
I arrive Tuesday November 3rd, 2020 at 7:30am, I go upstairs, I give them my case # and ID, they make copies, I sign in, I use the restroom, and then I wait for the “boss man” Jerry to tell us what to do. No one introduced themselves like I did and the only reason I knew Jerry’s name was because the voice machine said his name and number. They told me to get dropped off at the office, so I did. I figured we would all ride together or something. Well, when it’s time to work I’m asked to go with this guy (I don’t even know his name) who’s dressed, I dunno... definitely not like he worked for anyone, but I just listened. I get in his super messy car, during a pandemic, literally sitting on trash, and we head to a storage facility on central. Once we arrive I got my first look in to a sketchy company.. I was there with another girl and a guy also doing community service, as well as jerry and the guy who I rode with. The other girl signed in to verify with probation that she was there but then Jerry just let her go home and was like see you Tomorrow and just gave her her hours. Then, Everyone else leaves leaving me and the other community service guy there to do everything and when they come back over a hour later, the other guy in a VERY SERIOUS way offers to pay Jerry 250 dollars in return for hours and the boss man said “why did you ask me in front of the other worker, now I’ll have to half it with him” and then he told the same guy, “didn’t I hook you up with your hours yesterday “ and that guy was like, “yes”. Then, Jerry told him that he needed to hook him up on the price of a contracting project at Jerry’s home, in exchange for helping him out, and the other guy said “I got you”. Jerry then proceeded to rip open a donation bag looking for the matching pair to 2 different children’s shoes, and had the nerve to tell us we could clean up his mess, then Jerry left and I didn’t see him again that day. After Jerry left, we finished loading a moving truck filled with bags of clothes, and then headed to savors to sell them to them. When we arrive there and started unloading the majority of the bags, we were told by savors workers to not give them any misc. items and one of the bags I grabbed felt like it had a plastic container in it so I removed it and it was a really cool hat container with a hat in it. The other I’m assuming supervisor guy from CHK (the guy who drove me to storage) snatches the hat container out if my hands, removes the hat, throws hat in the bag, and said “I’m keeping this” and by the end of the day that guy had a whole bag of donations he kept for himself, I literally seen him put it in his green blazer. When they ended the day early but luckily still gave us all the hours for the whole day , they literally left me at the storage facility, which was in a bad area and I had to call my ride and tell him we are off 2 hours early and he was like, “ I’ll head to the office now and get you” and I was like, “they left me on central”. He was so mad. I just let all the weirdness go and figured that’s just the way this works. But then the next morning I’m supposed to do work for them again, but unfortunately my alarm either went off silently or not at all, but I did set it. Anyways, it cause me to not wake up til 7:50am and so I was late and missed drop off. I was so disappointed with myself. Well, around 8:19am I decided to text Jerry and ask him if there was any way I could get the hours for that day, so I wasn’t late in turning in my hours by Friday and that I would come do work for them on Monday morning to replace the hours... I did feel weird asking for help from him, but I figured after everything I seen and heard the day before that it would be okay if I asked. I figured it’d be like switching a shift, but he said “ I totally can’t do, see you tomorrow at 7:30am”... I’m not gonna lie, I was a little bitter because I literally seen and heard him help everyone else out. So I sarcastically said, “I guess I should of offered you money like the others. Sorry I’m new to this. But thanks anyways” and he called me immediately but I didn’t answer cuz I thought he was gonna ask me to just pay him and I didn’t wanna be put in a uncomfortable situation. After calling he texted me to call him and I said I would later. I ended up having a busy day, and I forgot to call but I reached out at 730pm and let him know what happened and told him I’d see him in the morning at 7:30am. I figured I’d just forget about everything and get my hours completed. Well when I arrived the next morning everyone was staring at me and this woman told me I needed to speak with Jerry in his office and so I went in there and jerry was like “I DON’T KNOW WHAT KIND OF COMPANY YOU THINK I RUN HERE, I WILL BE REPORTING YOU, GET HER OUT OF HERE” I was so confused because I just did what I seen everyone else doing just in a smaller way... I said fine and proceeded to leave. As I was waiting for the door to unlock, his daughter made a comment about one of the community service guys being at their house yesterday (which would be Wednesday) doing work for them. Which further proved he was absolutely lying to save his ass. Then after I leave the building he calls in the guy who he “hooked up” I’m sure to set up their story. Jerry told me to never come back. That’s fine. Keep in mind all this happened in a 4- 5 Hour time span. If all this happens in that little amount of time, imagine the bigger picture. Also, by him making me come in just for him to tell me to leave made it where I missed that whole days hours, meaning I wouldn’t complete my hours on time. He did that purposely. I ended up being fine. I called my attorney and got an extension and he also game me the proper resources to get this looked into. All I got to say is I’ve learned my lesson. I would of NEVER asked for a favor Like I did, but seeing him give so many favors Or hook ups the day before along with taking home donations, which made me feel sad, but I just let it go, made me feel like it was okay if I asked what I asked. But it wasn’t okay because my offer wasn’t valuable to Jerry. I’ve leaned not do things just because everyone else is and to just take the right steps needed instead of asking for help with hours just because Overslept. But even though Im in the wrong for asking, I feel they are way more in the wrong for everything.
After reading the Public financial reports through the IRS (Form 990), I am extremely disappointed, saddened & actually extremely suspicious of this organization.
I had never heard of the "CHK" organization but decided to research it after making a stop at my favorite Savers store...of whom CHK is apparently the sole designated beneficiary.
The main reason for my disgust & suspicion being: out of $750K+ in cash revenue & another $700K+ in-kind....to see ONLY $59K actually distributed to recipients of the mission purported by CFK, I am APPALLED! What is that? About 4%.....FOUR PERCENT!
Do their major funders (Savers in particular) know this?
Obviously, CHK does VERY little or no fundraising...(do Board Members even contribute)? CHK's investments for the future are abysmal at "best" & their ENORMOUS expense ratio to funds-raised or contributed is inexcusable & appears borderline like some sort of pass-through or a NFP "prop".
Are the folks at Savers aware of this & do they actively and/or structurally condone such blantant misrepresentation?
Personally, until I see some sort of active attempt by Savers to partner with and/or benefit actual high-impacting Children's/Families Charities in New Mexico (of which there are MANY...and all with decades upon decades of proven ACTUAL services & positive outcomes)...I will no longer shop at any Savers....and I would encourage everyone who reads this to do the same....and check-out your Savers NFP "partners". I know for a fact that many (most?) are quite reputable.
But in my opinion (and through very public information), "CHK" may legally meet the requirements of an NFP...but their financials paint a picture of an "organization" that is either: 1) CLEARLY mismanaged to the point of horrible waste, 2) Sadly, and SO MUCH worse, severely corrupt and lacking of appropriate ethical standards, 3) in an intricate (and possibly knowing?) questionable relationship with a highly-respected retail operation in "Savers".
I am so truly sorry to have to write this note but the public records speak for themselves. And in a State as impoverished as New Mexico & with it still being ranked as the worst place in America to raise a child...situations & organizations like CHK & the wasted potenial with Savers, will never do anything to ever substantially improve that extremely sad standing for our kids.
Review from Guidestar