How do you reconcile feelings against people who steal from charity?

[Dannel11]

I used to volunteer at a food program where we gave needy families a bag of groceries. We tried to qualify people the best we could, but essentially it all comes down to the honesty of the applicant. Over time more and more people started showing up, which was good at first. However, what began as a good thing to do started to make the volunteers feel bad because we were getting more families that obviously did not need the food and would take bags anyways. This resulted in us having to turn away the ones that truly needed it.

Another example. A school teacher I know started donating school supplies to students that couldn’t afford them. Once word got out about this, more and more students started showing up to school with no supplies. Essentially, the parents were taking advantage of the teacher’s generosity. This was verified when the teacher stopped doing it and his students all the sudden could afford supplies again.

It makes it hard for me to enjoy volunteering when I see people gaming the system like that. How do you deal with the feeling of injustice towards people who take advantage of other people’s generosity?

 

[grasscutter]

Just pray for them and keep on giving! Please don’t let interlopers prevent you from offering charity. Before I became middle-class(!), I was a client at a local food bank and observed many of the abuses that you described. I prayed for them and for the people donating and volunteering. So, your gift is good. It does genuinely help, in spite of scammers, please don’t stop! If nothing else, please know that my faith in humanity was restored by the good people who ensured that I had enough to eat. It made a huge difference! So… you don’t know the good your offering might do…

 

[MidnightSun12]

I think the key is to just not worry about it. Just be happy that you are doing the Lord’s will. He will guide your charity so that it will have a more positive influence then you could possibly imagine.

Satan wants us to be selfish and bitter, so the devil will tempt you with thoughts that the people recieving your charity are not truly in need. The fact is that just because somebody is driving a fancy car doesn’t mean that they didn’t just lose their job yesterday and can’t afford their next vehicle payment. Just because somebody asked you for cigarettes before they asked you for food doesn’t mean that they aren’t still hungry.

Remember: your right hand doesn’t need to know what your left hand is doing!

God Bless!

 

[graciew]

We used to do home visits to add the persons on our list that would qualify,though the word qualify is not adequate,cause none f the persons who came to ask was really wealthy.This survey,was not something we did cause we wanted to be nasty,but it was a way to avoid quarrels among the people that we helped and foster peace being as fair as we could.Ultimately they were all neighbours and their relationships were very important
.Beyond that,it is up to the person that receives.
On the other hand,we made strong and loving bonds,and received much affection and care as well…

 

[graciew]

Just pray for them and keep on giving! Please don’t let interlopers prevent you from offering charity. Before I became middle-class(!), I was a client at a local food bank and observed many of the abuses that you described. I prayed for them and for the people donating and volunteering. So, your gift is good. It does genuinely help, in spite of scammers, please don’t stop! If nothing else, please know that my faith in humanity was restored by the good people who ensured that I had enough to eat. It made a huge difference! So… you don’t know the good your offering might do…

Thanks for these words…one does not expect to receive when giving,but these words go straight into my heart,cause I was exhausted at times and wondered if we were really making a difference in ánybodys life.God bless you tons!

 

[hannajomar]

ANYWAY
People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Be good anyway.
Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People need help but will attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

*Kent Keith originated this poem in 1968, and Mother Teresa placed it on her children’s home in Calcutta in a slightly different version. As a result, many have attributed it to Mother Teresa.

I copy/pasted this from a site. Sometimes we need to do the right thing just because it’s the right thing. I faced similar disappointments when I helped out at a food bank and a soup kitchen. A wise old woman there told me that if we helped one person to keep from going hungry, there is merit in what we do. If there’s anything we can reasonably do to decipher the needy from the greedy, we can do that, but sometimes that just not possible. That being said, it sure can be frustrating!

 

[PerfectTiming]

I used to work in a charity shop and I was horrified by how many people used to steal from us. I was disgusted that people would steal from a charity. I feel sorry for them though and pray from them.