A Quick Reference Guide to True Charity

“ONCE YOU SEE OTHERS AS BEING ABLE TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE OTHER THAN JUST THEIR NEEDS, YOUR WHOLE VIEW OF HOW TO HELP THEM CHANGES.”

Here in the United States, there has been a significant change in how we fight poverty. Our charity has become wildly transactional rather than transformational. This has led to a system that seeks to address symptoms while ignoring the root causes of poverty. This is not equitable or just. Things are not as they ought to be.

Our current system of charity has conditioned millions of Americans to believe that their effort will yield no results out of poverty. Consider the following facts:

• 70% of those born into poverty in our country will die in poverty. 26 million people are currently on that path.
• The average annual number of early disability awards among the working age has doubled in America in the last decade.
• The U.S. government now spends about $16,000 per poor person per year, yet the poverty rate has remained roughly constant.
• Since the 1964 introduction of the U.S. government’s “War on Poverty,” the needle has barely moved.

Think about it. If poverty were simply a matter of lacking money to get ahead, then every expansion of government welfare programs should result in a new segment of the poor permanently regaining independence and escaping poverty.

Currently, we have an epidemic of dependency in America. While effort is certainly not the only solution out of poverty, one thing is for certain, charitable practices that just do for others instead of with them have never lifted anyone out of poverty. The point is “one-size-fits-all” solutions and merely throwing money at “band-aid” approaches to poverty are ineffective as they fail to address root causes. The root causes of poverty are always unique in every situation.

Therefore, personalized and relational solutions are vital. Afterall, how can we truly help someone if we don’t take the time to know anything about them or their situation?

Poverty is very complex and is caused by a myriad of factors, but it essentially comes down to broken relationships. True charity offers those in need the opportunity to thrive through relationships, empowerment, and accountability. Please join us in partnering together to provide real solutions in our community which are compassionate and relational, but also responsible.