How Do We Serve the Poor?
How Do We Serve the Poor?
Churches serve the poor, as do charitable organizations. Some individuals do as well. Yet the poor continue to suffer from poverty. Why is this? And what is the solution?
The reason is that no comprehensive, fundamental solution has been found for the problems of the poor.
It is not enough to give a poor person twenty pounds every month, or forty, or fifty. Of course, this is not sufficient, so he goes about looking for other sources of assistance from individuals to cover his needs. Some then accuse him of deception because he receives help from several sources. Yet this is only natural, because everything he collects is still not enough.
Is there a single organization that studies the condition of the poor person with regard to housing, food, the education of his children, clothing, medical treatment, and debts—and provides for all of these needs?
We have sometimes observed that four poor families live together in one shared apartment, using a single bathroom and living in close quarters. This situation may lead to moral, religious, or doctrinal corruption, making it necessary to move the family we are serving into separate housing.
We also notice at times that the situation requires finding employment for family members who have reached working age, or training them in a trade so that the family’s income may increase and unemployment may not lead them into corruption.
Serving the poor also requires contributing to the marriage expenses of young women. Some engagements have been broken because the bride’s family could not afford the necessary household furnishings. Providing these furnishings protects her dignity and helps her establish a stable life.
Sometimes serving a poor family means rescuing it from apostasy.
We have also observed that many poor families are concerned about educating their children. This education requires financial support, which the social service ministries of churches and charitable organizations should help provide, especially because remedial classes and private tutoring have become almost compulsory.
Care for poor families should combine material assistance with spiritual ministry.
The poor family should feel the Church’s love, its respect, and should not have its feelings hurt while receiving assistance.
We do not deny that poverty has led some people to harshness, lying, or false claims. Therefore:
It is not enough merely to serve the poor.
We must also bear with them.
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