Where to donate to the poor

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Hi all:

I recently received a flyer in our parish newspaper for Food For The Poor, INC. This flyer tore my heart out… perhaps because I am a new (first-time) parent. I have been financially blessed and would like to make a donation. How can I find out if this company isn’t contradicting our beliefs (providing birth control, etc) and is honest about using a huge percentage of donated money to feed the needy rather than thickening their CEO’s wallet? If not this company, can anyone vouch for a good Catholic company to help feed the world’s poor?

Thank you all very much!
 
Online_Knight said:
Hi all:

I recently received a flyer in our parish newspaper for Food For The Poor, INC. This flyer tore my heart out… perhaps because I am a new (first-time) parent. I have been financially blessed and would like to make a donation. How can I find out if this company isn’t contradicting our beliefs (providing birth control, etc) and is honest about using a huge percentage of donated money to feed the needy rather than thickening their CEO’s wallet? If not this company, can anyone vouch for a good Catholic company to help feed the world’s poor?

Thank you all very much!
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Franciscan Fathers of the Renewal (Fr. Groeschel’s group) is very good/orthodox and they work exclusively with the poor. Also, the Little Sisters of the Poor.

God Bless
 
Personally, I like donating locally. One good example–our parish is also the site of a food pantry for the poor. I know where my money is going when I donate to it and also know that all costs are underwritten by my parish, so all donations actually go to buy food for people who need it.
 
In my case, I prefer to donate to Alcoholics Anonymous. I also buy Gregorian Masses from CNEWA
 
Online_Knight said:
Hi all:

I recently received a flyer in our parish newspaper for Food For The Poor, INC. This flyer tore my heart out… perhaps because I am a new (first-time) parent. I have been financially blessed and would like to make a donation. How can I find out if this company isn’t contradicting our beliefs (providing birth control, etc) and is honest about using a huge percentage of donated money to feed the needy rather than thickening their CEO’s wallet? If not this company, can anyone vouch for a good Catholic company to help feed the world’s poor?

Thank you all very much!
Click to expand...
As far as I know Food for the Poor is a good Catholic Charity.
Cross International is also very good, their priests come to our Parish for fundraising every yera. They only have less the 2% of the money for administration. The rest goes to poorest of the poor internationally.

Catholic Relief is another reliable one.
God bless!
 
I would first start out in my family - there are always some relatives needing help. At the same time, I would go with the parish level - your parish could have different ministries helping the poor. Then, I will reach out further in community, state, country, and oversea.

This doesn’t mean that one can reach out to all at the same time.
 
InLight247 said:
As far as I know Food for the Poor is a good Catholic Charity.
Cross International is also very good, their priests come to our Parish for fundraising every yera. They only have less the 2% of the money for administration. The rest goes to poorest of the poor internationally.

Catholic Relief is another reliable one.
God bless!
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I’m curious about that. Once you donate once, you get non-stop mailings that are not cheap. They do a lot of advertising, and at the level they do it, I find it shocking that it’s only 2%. I have to wonder whether there are some financial accounting/reporting loopholes being used.

In addition, the President makes something like $400,000. I want to support the organization, but am really torn by the above. Any insight would be good.

I donate locally more often than not.
 
Sheeniac said:
I’m curious about that. Once you donate once, you get non-stop mailings that are not cheap. They do a lot of advertising, and at the level they do it, I find it shocking that it’s only 2%. I have to wonder whether there are some financial accounting/reporting loopholes being used.

In addition, the President makes something like $400,000. I want to support the organization, but am really torn by the above. Any insight would be good.

I donate locally more often than not.
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😃

Which is why I prefer to donate to the local Alcoholics Anonymous groups. I know exactly where my money is going, and how much on overhead. (Very little, and all well spent.) And helping Alcoholics to recover is certainly within the Corporal Works Of Mercy
 
May God’s peace, love and mercy be with you all!

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India founded the Missionaries of Charity which provides wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor, the dying and the abandoned children.

The nuns have taken perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience so you can be assured that they are not going to line their pockets with the donations. They do not receive any salary and they live very simple modest lives. They do all these for the love of God, to bring the presence and the love of Jesus Christ to all. They are located in many countries.

This is the info that I found on their website. It’s their New York branch:

Sister M. Dominga, M.C.

Address: 335 East 145th Street, Bronx, NY 10451

Phone: 718-292-0019
Fax: 718-292-2929

God bless!

Blessed be Jesus and Mary!
 
Sheeniac said:
I’m curious about that. Once you donate once, you get non-stop mailings that are not cheap. They do a lot of advertising, and at the level they do it, I find it shocking that it’s only 2%. I have to wonder whether there are some financial accounting/reporting loopholes being used.

In addition, the President makes something like $400,000. I want to support the organization, but am really torn by the above. Any insight would be good.

I donate locally more often than not.
Click to expand...
My information was based on the sermons from priests of Cross International. Both last year and this year they came to my church and gave speech for every Mass over the weekend. I just trusted their words.

You are right that once you make a donation, they keep on sending materials. They have to do their marketing, we can decide to respond or not. For tithe and offering, majority of my money goes to my parish, but I also donate to different causes, both domestic and international. Jesus said to feed the poor, we cannot feed all of them, but we can do our best. We cannot not do it just because their administration fee may be higher than they claim.

Jesus will not ask us why we donate money to an organization with higher administration fee than they claim. He will ask us why we did not feed the poor. If an organization actually spend more money on administration than they claim, they have to be accountable to the Lord for their words.

We donate to charity organizations our hearts lead us to.
God bless!
 
There are so many ways you can donate, and money is just one of them. Personally, I would suggest you volunteer at a pantry once or twice. It’s such a rewarding experience, plus you don’t have to worry any possible moral dilemmas.
 
InLight247 said:
My information was based on the sermons from priests of Cross International. Both last year and this year they came to my church and gave speech for every Mass over the weekend. I just trusted their words.

You are right that once you make a donation, they keep on sending materials. They have to do their marketing, we can decide to respond or not. For tithe and offering, majority of my money goes to my parish, but I also donate to different causes, both domestic and international. Jesus said to feed the poor, we cannot feed all of them, but we can do our best. We cannot not do it just because their administration fee may be higher than they claim.

Jesus will not ask us why we donate money to an organization with higher administration fee than they claim. He will ask us why we did not feed the poor. If an organization actually spend more money on administration than they claim, they have to be accountable to the Lord for their words.

We donate to charity organizations our hearts lead us to.
God bless!
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Indeed - but I would rather donate to an organization that gives more money to the poor than other costs. Your argument above holds true if this was the only place to donate, or if they were all similar.

I agree that all must market, but they send a lot more than any other organization I’ve donated to (secular ones as well) and what they send is quite expensive in terms of direct marketing mail. That’s why I asked about the percentages claimed - it doesn’t make sense to me. And if there’s that going on - then what else is there that is less than accurate as well?

Otherwise - they seem to be doing a fantastic job, hence my inner conflict.

These non-profits, although Catholic in nature, are still not controlled by or answerable to the Church. Thus, I give them the same level of scrutiny that I give to ANY group asking for money.

Donating locally is a good thing, and I do that. But, I feel as Catholic, I am called to attend to the needs of those far from us. I am reading the Pope’s book on Jesus, and he explains the parable of the Good Samaritan at one level in terms of who is our neighbor - the Pope says Jesus is trying to get it into our heads that our neighbor is all who are in need.

But I digress!
 
I suggest Missionaries of the Poor, Fr. Richard Ho Lung. He’s been on EWTN. His order directly works with the poor in Jamaica.

Peace,
Linda
 
Sheeniac said:
I agree that all must market, but they send a lot more than any other organization I’ve donated to (secular ones as well) and what they send is quite expensive in terms of direct marketing mail. That’s why I asked about the percentages claimed - it doesn’t make sense to me. And if there’s that going on - then what else is there that is less than accurate as well?

Otherwise - they seem to be doing a fantastic job, hence my inner conflict.
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Are we talking about Cross International here?
I only receive their letter once in a while and I have been supporting them since summer 2006. I have never received any expensive marketing material form them. I am talking about the Catholic one based in Florida, are you referring to the same organization?
 
InLight247 said:
Are we talking about Cross International here?
I only receive their letter once in a while and I have been supporting them since summer 2006. I have never received any expensive marketing material form them. I am talking about the Catholic one based in Florida, are you referring to the same organization?
Click to expand...
Sorry - Food for the Poor.
 
I like to donate to Hanga Abbey in Tanzania. They do fantastic work.
 
This is from the Food for the Poor website (www.foodforthepoor.org):🙂

2006 SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES *
Total Expenditures: $854,465,027
Operating Expenses: $32,838,371
Tractor-Trailers of Aid Distributed 4,054

Administrative Ratio
3.84%
Fundraising and other administrative costs comprised only 4% of our 2006 expenses;
96% of all donations went directly to programs that help the poor.

Market Value of Goods Distributed 1982-2006
$3,885,785,101.00
Total Tractor-Trailers of Aid Distributed
39,590

God has used Food For The Poor as a lifeline to the destitute of the developing nations. Since 1982, we have distributed more than $3.5 billion worth of food, medicine, housing materials and other aid to the poor of the Caribbean and Latin America. As good stewards of your donated dollars, we take our responsibility as a Christian charity very seriously and we are always working hard to find the most efficient and cost-effective means of securing goods and shipping them. For 25 years, we have worked hard to keep our operating costs as low as possible to keep your donation hard at work serving the poor.
 
While I think that aid to anyone in need is an obligation that we have as Catholics is right and good… My own preference is to do something closer to home whenever possible.

I have made contributions to St. Vincent DePaul Society on a number of occasions…in the forms of money, food, clothing.

svdpusa.org/

I so so because I have found them honest and grateful for anything and all that was donated. They give what they receive without any religious requirements to the receivers.

I do believe that many Catholic Parish’s have chapters and on their main website they have a guide to where they have councils… you can find it under “About the Society”.👍
 
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