CNU-My daughter-in-law said Christmas would be easier if I stayed away, and my son did not even raise his eyes to defend me. So I stayed home, alone, exactly as requested. …

few visible acts—holiday meal drives, a motel placement or two, grocery gift cards handed out in front of cameras—enough to generate photographs and testimonials. Around that thin layer of actual charity, Linda had built a machine that monetized pity. Corporate sponsors got branding. Donors got moral satisfaction. The homeless got press release language.continue reading …