Charity? No thank you!

I believe that everyone should share, give, help those who aren't fortunate in life. I also believe if you want to give, donate, people shouldn't be too picky.
Everytime I see old shoes in my closet or clothes I don't use anymore, I always think in donating them... unless they are unsuitable for charity (like my old tiger patterned thong! eheh)

Kitchen tools, houseware items, etc... usually I don't throw them to garbage. And what about a mattress? Should I open a window and kick it away? No! (although it could be an amusing activity! eheheh)
Recently I had an old mattress replaced, so I thought the right thing would be to donate it to charity... and I couldn't be more wrong!

I've been trying to get in touch with the Red Cross in Paris but with no luck. I call but no one answers. But I did manage to call to Caritas, the international catholic charity organization.
They were very pleased to know that I was willing to donate the mattress... but before asking for my address (to pick it up) they asked me if I also had the bed base (bedspring). When I answered "no" she immediately refused my offer because, and I quote "we need both mattress and the bed spring, for the reason we SELL the items afterwards"!!
That's right ladies and gentlemen: I give for charity and then they sell!

I understand that they can profit from selling stuff, but... just the mattress is not enough?
Well... charity isn't the same anymore!

Ah, by the way, before hanging up the phone they suggested me to ... put the mattress in the garbage, because city services would take care of the problem.

Hmmm... maybe I'll put it on eBay and then I'll call Caritas again to say I managed to sell it by myself! eheheh