Friend misusing charitable gifts
My friend's house was severely damaged in a hurricane and she lost a lot of the contents. One of her friends started a GoFundMe account to help, and it is now up to thousands of dollars.
My problem with this is: She's now on her third trip to Europe this year. She constantly spends money, has thousands of dollars in credit card debt and tells me she's broke. Granted, two of the trips were partly funded by her partner. Normally, she would post details about her trips on social media, but this time she's not. Instead, she's posting pictures of her house construction and implying that she's there.
I've considered outing her on social media, but I decided against doing that. I just can't get beyond what she's doing and don't think I can continue my friendship. — Full Disclosure in
Florida
DEAR FULL DISCLOSURE >>
What you have described is fraud. Because you have reason to believe she is misusing the funds that have been contributed for the repair of her house, use the “Report” button to alert the GoFundMe team about this potential issue, and they will investigate.
I am a 14-yearold freshman who had an abortion last year. I'm not sure who the father is, and I don't want to go through that again. I want to get birth control, but I'm afraid my parents or my older brother will find out. They would kill me. I already have a bad reputation, and I don't want a worse one by having someone find out I was pregnant.
What would be the safest way for someone my age to get birth control? I know you'll probably say “no sex” is the best, but I enjoy it too much now. It's like a habit. Please help.
— Grown-up Girl in Rhode
Island
I have never heard of a girl in this country being killed just because she had sex, so your fears about your parents doing that may be overblown. Your mom may not be thrilled with the news, but she won't kill you. You need her AND HER GUIDANCE.
If you continue on the path you're on, having sex with multiple boys, you may have more to worry about than becoming pregnant again. Some of the sexually transmitted diseases around today could cause you to become sterile at a time when you may want a child.
An organization called Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org) can provide you with birth control. It can also inform you about STDs. Because you feel you cannot stop yourself from having sex, contact Planned Parenthood as soon as possible, preferably before the next time you indulge your habit.