Posts Tagged ‘charity’

To Give is to Kill

Posted by Sonya in Making a Difference on March 18th, 2009

Yes. You heard me right. Before you give another penny, take some time to reflect on the results of your giving activities.

TO GIVE IS TO KILL

Charity Kills Self Esteem. When you give someone money to pay the power bill or the mortgage or the grocery bill, what are you really telling them? Are you delivering a message that they are not capable of taking care of themselves? They have to accept this charity from you because they are not albe to care for themsleves? I have seen it happen before. When the “giving” stops, the recipient of the gift may struggle and moan for a while, but then… they will lift themselves up, and figure out how to care for themselves.
Charity Kills Sustainable Situations. When you pay to ship food into an impoverished area, you are feeding the people for a day. However, what is the long term lasting solution for the people in that area? They must begin to produce their own food for a lasting solution. When you ship in your gift, what have you done to the farmers in the area? Will they still be in business next year? What kind of lasting impact has your gift of food had on that community?
Charity Kills . . . Your Charitable Ability. Huh? Yes. That is right. Just as a community must find sustainable solutions, so too must you. If you give what you have, you will have nothing left to give.

Before you jump through your screen and grab for me, let me explain. I am not suggesting that the answer is to close your heart and your wallet to the troubles of the world. Quite the opposite, actually. Open your heart. To help others is the fastest path to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

I am asking you to think more deeply about hte best way to make an impact. How can your activities make a lasting change? How can you address the route of the problem?

Here are some of my ideas.