Originally Posted by sammyg2
Over the years I've tried many different type of charity too, with varying amounts of success.
In my yoot I spent time volunteering at a school for the mentally handicapped where most but not all the folks had some sort of gift (savant type stuff).
It was tough. but I never really felt like i was making a difference, it felt more like putting in time and doing maintenance. I wasn't changing anything.
Later I figured I could help people who had fallen on hard times because of poor life choices.
Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime cliche.
Boy was I naive.
I joined up with a church group who dedicated themselves to helping people with drug habits clean themselves up, teach them some business skilz, get them some proper business attire, and help them get a job. I figured all they needed was some encourtagement, confidence, some help going the right direction.
That was the intent but all the cases I worked turned into train wrecks.
If they didn't steal from me they stole from friends of mine or from the church or from from companies we helped them get jobs with. They didn't want help, they wanted more drugs.
I became very disillusioned with people and my inadequacies of making a difference.
I did some voluteer work building school rooms on native American reservations.
In less than two years the buildings were demolished or burned to the ground. Again, people who didn't want help. Just money.
I helped build a school down in baja Mexico, that was very rewarding and they appreciated it and I felt like I had made a small difference there. We still send them packages once in a while. Clothes or shoes, old reading glasses, whatever.
I tried working to support the local missions feeding people at the holidays, but almost got mugged once and watched people show up for free meals in escalades with wheels and tires that'd feed a family for a year.
I got to the point where just writing checks to charity was good enough. Jaded to say the least.
I learned that large organized charities existed just to support their executive committees.
A good portion of the money I gave to the church went to helping folks, but it also went to buying more land to expand the church foot print.
I learned that many times what people really need is a swift kick in the rear, not a soft shoulder or someohne to make excuses for them.
Then I stumbled onto something that really, really made a difference.
I found out how to help people who really needed help, who couldn't help themselves, and who really appreciated the help.
Through the church I fould elderly couples or widows who were shut-ins.
I started visiting a couple times a month, running errands, buying groceries for them, buying medicine for them, doing things they couldn't do for themselves.
I do a little handyman work fixing plumbing or minor electrical stuff, whatever i can handle.
Sometimes the nicest thing I can do is just sit and visit with them. Talk to them, listen to them, let them know that they are important and that someone still cares about them. That'll take the hard edge off any heart.
For a few years we invited an eldery widow to spend Christmas with us.
Otherwise she'd be all alone.
Taking her home afterward was tough. She was crying from gratitude and despair, knowingt hat she had a family for a couple days but now she's going back to being all alone. She passed and we haven't mustered up the guts to do it again, it's hard.
|