How to help the poor

[dmelosi]

It is unclear where this came from, but I believe the saying “Give a man a fish, and you have fed him once. Teach him how to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime.” Is a good one, but how?

What are ideas on how to help the poor & hungry?

 

[Della]

The idea, as I understand it, is this: While it’s fine to feed starving people in need, (ala St. Mother Teresa), it’s also a good thing to help people out of poverty by helping them gain the skills they need to support themselves.

The idea is that merely throwing money at poverty by means of welfare that keeps people in generational poverty isn’t the best thing to do to try to end poverty. That that money might be better spent training people to support themselves. And by encouraging them to get a proper education.

Both are good things to do–to give aid when people are in immediate need–after losing a job, widowed, emergency medical need, catastrophes, etc. but not as a means to end poverty. That is better done by training people to become self-supporting, which means a good education as well as hands-on learning.

People who are unable to support themselves need full-time help, for certain, but not those who can–with the proper education/training.

 

[AKDee]

It is unclear where this came from, but I believe the saying “Give a man a fish, and you have fed him once. Teach him how to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime.” Is a good one, but how?

What are ideas on how to help the poor & hungry?

I support charities that give a hand up, rather than a hand out. There are several that provide poor families gifts like a cow, or a flock of chickens, or fertilizer and seed, or rabbits, etc. that help them to become more self-sufficient. There are others that loan money to those who would like to start their own small business.

As to how to help the poor and hungry in our own nation…to me, that’s a harder problem. Most people in third world countries are poor due to circumstances beyond their control and when we help them in pays off big time because all they need is that boost. The poor and hungry in our own country are, sadly, often the cause of their own poverty due to drug or alcohol abuse or other poor choices. I try to donate to Catholic Social Services because I know they will provide meals, shelter, job training, counseling, etc. to help these folks get back on their feet if possible.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Teach a man to fish, he will still need

A fishing rod
bait,
a waterway
a boat (commercial fish)
Transport to and from the waterway
money to pay for that transport
Peace in his country to be able to fish

Local poor
Each case should be treated as individual.

Solutions:
donate
handout gift cards
pray for change
use your skills to volunteer to educate, train or minister to the poor

Fundraise for soup buses and pray for staff

Nations in poverty is another matter.

 

[dmelosi]

Teach a man to fish, he will still need

A fishing rod
bait,
a waterway
a boat (commercial fish)
Transport to and from the waterway
money to pay for that transport
Peace in his country to be able to fish

Local poor
Each case should be treated as individual.

Solutions:
donate
handout gift cards
pray for change
use your skills to volunteer to educate, train or minister to the poor

Fundraise for soup buses and pray for staff

Nations in poverty is another matter.

Need the right combination of both, I agree.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I would suspect that every case is different, but education and the creation of jobs with dignity that pay a living wage. For homeless people with disabilities, they need help obtaining disability benefits. Some may need help to change maladaptive values, attitudes, and beliefs. And at the very least, they all need our sincere prayers, which may be the best help of all.

 

[JimG]

Another way to alleviate poverty is to change the culture in ways which favor behavior which leads to stable marriages.

Poverty, children, and single parent families.

 

[Sheeniac]

I donate to a variety of Catholic charities, help individuals through a ‘People Helping People ___ County’ on facebook, donate household non-grocery items (items that food stamps won’t cover) to food pantries, etc.

A secular organization I donate to is ModestNeeds.org . They offer assistance to people who are on the edge due to a crisis. Helping people when they experience a sudden and unexpected problem can prevent people from falling into poverty. I wish more people knew about it.