So I've always been a little irked with the "service projects" at EFY and Girls' Camp and Youth Group and such. I never felt that clearing off a hiking trail or tying decorative knots on the edges of fleece blankets was really doing anybody much good, and that such projects were designed primarily to emphasize the importance of service rather than provide something of real, needed value - which is admirable enough - and also, latently, to make us feel good about ourselves and justify our fun times.
And I give things to homeless people every time I have something to give, but again, a granola bar or a couple of bucks doesn't really do much. And I think I probably do it to make myself feel good just as much as anything else.
So what service can I give that actually helps the recipient?
I was asking my dad about this, and he said I can help them become self-sufficient. He says the owners of Ben & Jerry's...Ben and Jerry, I suppose...declared that they would only take $100k salary each year, and anything beyond that they give away to charity. My dad thinks this is dumb, as they could be using that money to expand business and thus help people to become self-sustaining rather than reliant on hand-outs. This makes some sense to me, though I don't have the resources to do much job-creating right now. When he started his business, he gave 30 people jobs that they didn't have before, and perhaps my own tiny business could create a job or two some day. But something doesn't seem complete about this. I don't think you have to be a business person - or have a marketable talent - to be of value to somebody else.
So what can you do? Do you help people find jobs? Do you coach them on interviewing skills? Give them a nice set of interview clothes?
The New Testament gives a nice list of service ideas: visit the widows, the sick, the fatherless, the mourning, and those in prison. Clothe the naked, feed the hungry. If you have two coats, give one away. If someone asks you for something, give them the full measure of what they ask. Well, I don't know any widows or orphans, and I'm not sure where to find them. Visiting prisons gives me the jibblies, but I suppose I could do that. What do you say? Do you go to a prison and say, "What up? Anything I can do for you?" As for the sick and the mourning...well, I don't really have an excuse as to why I don't do that more.
When my family is taken care of - when we're financially comfortable and my children are all in school - I'd like to use my time to jump into some humanitarian work. But what do you do? Do you help build houses for those in need? Probably not locally, and my family will still need me. Do you volunteer at a hospital, or a women's shelter? That really appeals to me, and I have some regrets about not taking a job I was offered at a home for troubled young women a few years ago. Do I keep working on my business to, as my dad puts it, "create more pie" to share? Is this service? Will this really help anybody? And do I just want to do it because I want to feel good about myself?
Charity
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TheAnswerIs42
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Re: Charity
I spent 4 hours at Habitat for Humanity today. I felt like I checked off a box somewhere, just like you mentioned in your first paragraph.
But I agree. Sometimes it is really hard to feel like you truly helped someone. And while handouts help some get motivated to help themselves, some people just get lazier. There have been select times when I felt like what I did honestly made a big deal to that person, and that was amazing. But those are sometimes few and far between.
But I agree. Sometimes it is really hard to feel like you truly helped someone. And while handouts help some get motivated to help themselves, some people just get lazier. There have been select times when I felt like what I did honestly made a big deal to that person, and that was amazing. But those are sometimes few and far between.
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Unit of Energy
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Re: Charity
Have you ever been in the position of actually needing the handout? Ever had to beg for a ride because you couldn't afford the bus fare to your next job interview? Ever been so strapped for cash that the candy at the booths in the Wilk served as your food for the day? The blankets and other non-necessities that are given away really do make a huge difference in people's lives. If nothing else, it brightens their day and gives them a little more reason to stay happy. And yes, handouts sometimes can make people lazy, but many people are too embarrassed, prideful, or convinced that someone else needs the help more to even think of asking for help. And the unnecessary things in life will never be asked for by anyone in that position.
Re: Charity
my mother-in-law helps elderly people with their taxes. And her kids.
Re: Charity
It's not the giving of fleece blankets that I oppose, it's the spending hundreds of man hours cutting little strips and tying them into pretty knots on the end of the fleece blankets that I oppose. Fleece doesn't need a finished edge, it's not going to fray. And yes, I have been the recipient of a big handout...of sorts. And it's been a great blessing to my family.Unit of Energy wrote:Have you ever been in the position of actually needing the handout? Ever had to beg for a ride because you couldn't afford the bus fare to your next job interview? Ever been so strapped for cash that the candy at the booths in the Wilk served as your food for the day? The blankets and other non-necessities that are given away really do make a huge difference in people's lives. If nothing else, it brightens their day and gives them a little more reason to stay happy. And yes, handouts sometimes can make people lazy, but many people are too embarrassed, prideful, or convinced that someone else needs the help more to even think of asking for help. And the unnecessary things in life will never be asked for by anyone in that position.
I'm saying I feel like I'm just giving fish, as great as those fish may be in the moment, instead of teaching to fish - or its equivalent in staying power.
Re: Charity
I'm not sure you can really implement widespread fishing lessons. To really teach a man to fish, you've got to spend a lot of time with him in the boat one-on-one.
I think the strongest service experiences we have are with those in our own lives. The 'lift where you stand' principle. There are always people within our reach in need of help, so why go searching for those who "really" need help? Those in dire circumstances can be helped by almost anyone. But there are others in need of help that you are specially equipped to help.
My parents set a great example by constantly taking people under their wing. Weird people that didn't easily make friends or have a wide support network. But they didn't just treat them as service projects; they became true friends. I think they made huge differences in people's lives in that manner.
I think the strongest service experiences we have are with those in our own lives. The 'lift where you stand' principle. There are always people within our reach in need of help, so why go searching for those who "really" need help? Those in dire circumstances can be helped by almost anyone. But there are others in need of help that you are specially equipped to help.
My parents set a great example by constantly taking people under their wing. Weird people that didn't easily make friends or have a wide support network. But they didn't just treat them as service projects; they became true friends. I think they made huge differences in people's lives in that manner.
Re: Charity
Ditto to ahem.
I would also strongly recommend refugee resettlement agencies in your area. I interned with the International Rescue Committee this summer and they always need all sorts of help. It doesn't haven't to take much time at all, but it really helps and goes directly to people who have just come to the US and are starting completely from scratch.
/shameless plug
I would also strongly recommend refugee resettlement agencies in your area. I interned with the International Rescue Committee this summer and they always need all sorts of help. It doesn't haven't to take much time at all, but it really helps and goes directly to people who have just come to the US and are starting completely from scratch.
/shameless plug
allahu akbar
Re: Charity
i think ben and jerry had the right idea. maybe other businesses would be in better shape if their CEOs had taken a real salary and skipped the bonuses.
charities don't inherently promote people relying on handouts. after spending a year working at a non-profit that provided services for HIV+/AIDS patients, i can tell you none of our clients WANTED handouts. many of them had to use our food pantry because they were paying an arm and a leg for medications. some of them couldn't eat, but still couldn't afford to go to the store to buy ensure, despite having jobs. sometimes, people genuinely need help. we had clients who really couldn't hold jobs because of mental disorders, and someone had to make sure they were healthy and medicated. now i volunteer with the agency to plan events to raise money from them to use for client services.
and, honestly, even though you may not see the point of tying the ends of fleece blankets together, i'll bet the people who got them were grateful someone cared enough to make the blanket look nice. it may be the only really nice thing they have. i know if i were homeless or down on my luck, i would cherish a blanket that had been carefully made to look nicer than it did originally.
charities don't inherently promote people relying on handouts. after spending a year working at a non-profit that provided services for HIV+/AIDS patients, i can tell you none of our clients WANTED handouts. many of them had to use our food pantry because they were paying an arm and a leg for medications. some of them couldn't eat, but still couldn't afford to go to the store to buy ensure, despite having jobs. sometimes, people genuinely need help. we had clients who really couldn't hold jobs because of mental disorders, and someone had to make sure they were healthy and medicated. now i volunteer with the agency to plan events to raise money from them to use for client services.
and, honestly, even though you may not see the point of tying the ends of fleece blankets together, i'll bet the people who got them were grateful someone cared enough to make the blanket look nice. it may be the only really nice thing they have. i know if i were homeless or down on my luck, i would cherish a blanket that had been carefully made to look nicer than it did originally.
beautiful, dirty, rich
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thebigcheese
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Re: Charity
You know, this kinda reminds me of a conversation I had with my boss several years ago. He was upset that his ward was doing service projects for people who didn't really need it. For example, sending in the young men to build fences for people who could easily afford to install their own fences. Meanwhile, the widows went unattended, the sick went unvisited, etc.
It's an interesting point, perhaps a valid one. And generally, I would agree. But there is another way of looking at it... I think it's easy to get a little extreme the "good, better, best" mentality...if we're not doing the one thing that is absolutely, perfectly, without doubt, the most efficient and effective use of your time, you aren't using your time effectively at all. Which simply isn't true. We don't have to be saving the world to do meaningful service. Sometimes service can be as simple as giving someone a break from their daily chores. For example, I would LOVE it if someone came and cooked dinner for me. Do I really need them to do it? No. I'm perfectly capable and there's plenty of food in my cupboard. But there are other things that it accomplishes--building relationships with the person who does it, getting some time to myself, getting a new recipe or learning about someone else's cooking style, blessings for all involved, etc.
There's more to service than the actual service rendered.
It's an interesting point, perhaps a valid one. And generally, I would agree. But there is another way of looking at it... I think it's easy to get a little extreme the "good, better, best" mentality...if we're not doing the one thing that is absolutely, perfectly, without doubt, the most efficient and effective use of your time, you aren't using your time effectively at all. Which simply isn't true. We don't have to be saving the world to do meaningful service. Sometimes service can be as simple as giving someone a break from their daily chores. For example, I would LOVE it if someone came and cooked dinner for me. Do I really need them to do it? No. I'm perfectly capable and there's plenty of food in my cupboard. But there are other things that it accomplishes--building relationships with the person who does it, getting some time to myself, getting a new recipe or learning about someone else's cooking style, blessings for all involved, etc.
There's more to service than the actual service rendered.
Re: Charity
Hey now, I offered, and you didn't want to come. You can't say the offer wasn't there.thebigcheese wrote:...For example, I would LOVE it if someone came and cooked dinner for me...
Deus ab veritas
Re: Charity
Bob, I just want to say a hearty amen to everything you just said. I'm a pretty big believer that when it comes to charity, doing *something* is generally better than doing *nothing.* I've been a part of many service projects that probably didn't do a lot of good, but I think those helped instill in me a desire to do things that actually do. I used to worry and fret so much that what I was doing wasn't exactly the right thing or the most helpful thing, but sometimes ... you just have to step out on faith and do what you can.
On the whole, though, I think most really valuable sorts of service aren't things an organized group of teenagers does in an afternoon, or even a week. For instance, I live in Africa. I can't tell you how many groups of teenagers or college students come to this area each year to build desks, paint buildings, or read books with orphans. And how many hundreds of thousands of dollars they spend just getting here, when honestly, those same jobs could be done by local workers for a tenth of the cost. Like ahem. pointed out, teaching someone to fish involves a relationship with that person that's going to go on for a significant amount of time. But those groups of teenagers and college students leave here with a better understanding of the way the world works and a stronger desire to make the world a better place. And sometimes one of those people (like, say, me) ends up coming back for a longer period and hopefully actually doing more sustainable good.
Krebscout, as far as what you could be doing to help serve, I think it all depends on where your talents lie. Since I don't know you, I don't know what that is. But if business is your thing, I see no reason why your contribution to the world shouldn't be operating an ethical business that provides jobs for people who need them.
On the whole, though, I think most really valuable sorts of service aren't things an organized group of teenagers does in an afternoon, or even a week. For instance, I live in Africa. I can't tell you how many groups of teenagers or college students come to this area each year to build desks, paint buildings, or read books with orphans. And how many hundreds of thousands of dollars they spend just getting here, when honestly, those same jobs could be done by local workers for a tenth of the cost. Like ahem. pointed out, teaching someone to fish involves a relationship with that person that's going to go on for a significant amount of time. But those groups of teenagers and college students leave here with a better understanding of the way the world works and a stronger desire to make the world a better place. And sometimes one of those people (like, say, me) ends up coming back for a longer period and hopefully actually doing more sustainable good.
Krebscout, as far as what you could be doing to help serve, I think it all depends on where your talents lie. Since I don't know you, I don't know what that is. But if business is your thing, I see no reason why your contribution to the world shouldn't be operating an ethical business that provides jobs for people who need them.
Re: Charity
I read the blog of a writer who writes knitting humor. (As you might guess, it's a rather small literary niche and she pretty much dominates it.) As an author of knitting books, she doesn't make a ton of money, but she has a very funny blog and a huge readership. She also has a brother who works for Doctors without Borders, and she feels like it's a worthy charity, so she's often asks people to donate (especially after major disasters such as the Haitian earthquake). To date, she's raised over one million dollars for the organization, simply because she has a popular blog and makes a good pitch.
I find it inspiring when people take something that they love doing and they're good at, anyway, and turn it into something that helps people in unexpected ways. (And I agree with those who've pointed out that helping a lot of people in a little way or helping the people who are closest to you still adds up and affects many other people, over the long term.)
I find it inspiring when people take something that they love doing and they're good at, anyway, and turn it into something that helps people in unexpected ways. (And I agree with those who've pointed out that helping a lot of people in a little way or helping the people who are closest to you still adds up and affects many other people, over the long term.)
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bobtheenchantedone
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Re: Charity
I was just thinking last night about how I would love to be a patron of the arts. The high school I went to, that many of my siblings have gone to and do go to and will go to in the future, has already lost a fantastic choir teacher (we're talking one of the best in the nation) and is in danger of losing a fantastic drama teacher. There are many reasons why we're losing these teachers, but one of the big ones was money. The choir teacher left when a new high school was built close to his house; he couldn't afford a house near to the school he taught at. The drama teacher is threatened with cuts to the fine arts department that may put him on half-day teaching instead of full-day, at which point he will have to leave because he has a family to support. I would love to arrange something that would have allowed the choir teacher to stay and that would ensure the drama teacher would stay.
That's a slightly different version of charity and giving, but I would love to support the teachers who truly want to teach.
That's a slightly different version of charity and giving, but I would love to support the teachers who truly want to teach.
The Epistler was quite honestly knocked on her ethereal behind by the sheer logic of this.
Re: Charity
as a theatre arts teacher, i appreciate the sentiment. honestly, i do. too often people forget about arts jobs when they talk about jobs funding. we artists need to work too!! we contribute to the economy!! we appreciate free stuff because no one gives us any money. do you know what a benefit it would be for me to have someone donate a large sum of money to my department?bobtheenchantedone wrote:I was just thinking last night about how I would love to be a patron of the arts. The high school I went to, that many of my siblings have gone to and do go to and will go to in the future, has already lost a fantastic choir teacher (we're talking one of the best in the nation) and is in danger of losing a fantastic drama teacher. There are many reasons why we're losing these teachers, but one of the big ones was money. The choir teacher left when a new high school was built close to his house; he couldn't afford a house near to the school he taught at. The drama teacher is threatened with cuts to the fine arts department that may put him on half-day teaching instead of full-day, at which point he will have to leave because he has a family to support. I would love to arrange something that would have allowed the choir teacher to stay and that would ensure the drama teacher would stay.
That's a slightly different version of charity and giving, but I would love to support the teachers who truly want to teach.
beautiful, dirty, rich
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TheBlackSheep
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Re: Charity
Another shameless plug for some easy service that really does make a difference:
So many of the kids I work with have always been understimulated and are developmentally deficient verbally, cognitively, physically, and socially/emotionally. I've seen so much change because a kid had the chance to encounter a few kids with a few open-ended toys in the right therapeutic environment. Of course we're a nonprofit so we really rely on donations, but we're thrilled to get anything at all.
I could go on and on about this organization, and I'm willing to if you'll give us some Play-Dough or some such.
So many of the kids I work with have always been understimulated and are developmentally deficient verbally, cognitively, physically, and socially/emotionally. I've seen so much change because a kid had the chance to encounter a few kids with a few open-ended toys in the right therapeutic environment. Of course we're a nonprofit so we really rely on donations, but we're thrilled to get anything at all.
I could go on and on about this organization, and I'm willing to if you'll give us some Play-Dough or some such.
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TheAnswerIs42
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Re: Charity
Where do you work, Black Sheep? Should the toys be new, or just in good condition? I could probably help out with something like that.
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TheBlackSheep
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Re: Charity
You kick so much trash.
I work at the House of Hope (1726 Buckley Lane, Provo). It's near Slate Canyon, which is on the old highway, just about smack dab in the middle of Provo and Springville. The toys just need to be in good condition (they're also happy to accept donations of women's and kids' clothes, books/board books, craft supplies, etc.).
While I'm of course partial to the Provo branch, if it's inconvenient for you, I'm sure that the programs in Ogden and Salt Lake can use your support, too. And we're a nonprofit, so it's all tax deductible. (You can find the Ogden and Salt Lake addresses here: http://www.uafut.org/services.htm)
I work at the House of Hope (1726 Buckley Lane, Provo). It's near Slate Canyon, which is on the old highway, just about smack dab in the middle of Provo and Springville. The toys just need to be in good condition (they're also happy to accept donations of women's and kids' clothes, books/board books, craft supplies, etc.).
While I'm of course partial to the Provo branch, if it's inconvenient for you, I'm sure that the programs in Ogden and Salt Lake can use your support, too. And we're a nonprofit, so it's all tax deductible. (You can find the Ogden and Salt Lake addresses here: http://www.uafut.org/services.htm)
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TheBlackSheep
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Re: Charity
It occurred to me that I should mention that many facilities like ours that make impacts on lives could use help that doesn't require a cent. We're always looking for volunteers to repaint rooms and such. BYU came and landscaped our entire facility this month and it was such a blessing.
And we're still looking for an almost Eagle Scout to build us that sand-water table.
And we're still looking for an almost Eagle Scout to build us that sand-water table.
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thebigcheese
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Re: Charity
Hmm...you know, I used to work as a wall painter on campus for a couple of years. Think I still got my paint pants somewhere.TheBlackSheep wrote:We're always looking for volunteers to repaint rooms and such.
Re: Charity
Me thinks we should organize a board service project for House of Hope. Sounds like we have more than a few up for it.
Deus ab veritas