Money Is Not the Answer
Featured, Social Justice — By Carole Turner on November 17, 2009 at 12:00 am
My 12 year old daughter has gotten up almost every Thursday at 4:30am for almost two years to go cook and feed breakfast to the homeless population of Baton Rouge. The breakfast is served at the Baton Rouge Dream Center’s Roselawn location, which is just off Florida Blvd, right down the road from the Volunteers of America shelter. After breakfast the men (and sometime women) who come to the breakfast, get to shop in a free clothing boutique. There is also a bible study that meets after the breakfast and the people are given access to counseling for addictions and help getting a job if they wish. They are all invited to Sunday church services and a ride is provided if they want to come.
Over the last couple years we have seen many of these people start attending our Baton Rouge Dream Center campus, a few are no longer homeless, some now have jobs, many are meeting Jesus.
After serving breakfast my daughter and the No Place Outreach team go out to the Levee around the Mississippi river, to the overpasses, crack houses and “camps” to bring food, blankets, sometimes medical care and always prayer to the homeless that can’t or won’t go to the breakfast.
But one thing they never do is give money.
Most of the time, giving money worsens a homeless person’s situation. It is a band-aid at best and at its worst it’s a tool of the enemy to keep everyone, including us, right where we are. Many homeless folks have told us that the $3.00 they ask for to buy bus fare is used to get a hit of crack. And we have watched as others have taken money and bought their current life source, a bottle of cheap wine. We get to hand them money, feel like we did something good, and roll on to our home in the suburbs while the homeless person stays right where they are, trapped in his addiction, away from true relationship and even closer to death. In giving the guy on the corner the $3.00 we are not doing what the good Samaritan did. He cleaned the guy up, took him to a hotel and paid for his stay while he recovered. He made a long term commitment to the man. Friendship and connection between the giver and receiver are what is needed for all to move deeper into love and towards God.
What The No Place Outreach team does is work to form real connections with the homeless; they are committed to long term relationships. When it snows they make sure Sandra is staying warm. She refuses to go to a shelter, and insists on living downtown in the city park, but the No Place team goes out, looks for her, and does all they can for her. Or like with Victor, an Alcoholic who lives near the Mississippi river bridge in a tent, he needed eye glasses but wouldn’t go to a Doctor, so they brought the doctor to him and someone paid to have his perscription filled. When needed they bring new shoes, job applications, bandages for wounds, counseling for substance abuse, things that really help more then money.
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it. James 2:14
I know a young man who sings at a few local clubs. He loves God and knew he would be used there. God is using him there in ways you wouldn’t suspect. He has made friends with a few homeless guys that hang outside one club. He brings them food, talks to them about life, prays with them and brings a couple of them to church. When he found out one of them was sick in an abandoned house with the flu, he went to visit him and brought him medication. He has a relationship with this guy, a friendship has formed, and the friend is no longer homeless.
That is meeting the physical need.
But let’s say we feel like all we can give is money. Then consider giving the money to a homeless shelter so they can house more people. Maybe fund a job training or addiction recovery group for the homeless. Or support ministries that are feeding and clothing and helping people get out of homelessness. Or if you feel you can be a little more hands on, go buy some tents, shoes, jackets, snack food and take it to the places where the homeless live on the streets. Start small. You can bring someone a happy meal, and that may lead to a conversation with him about his life.
Or do like my young friend has, and befriend one homeless person.
Ministry to the homeless is not easy. If your a results-driven person, you will be disappointed more then pleased. We can leave the souls to God, stop looking for results, focus on doing what we are told to do in James, and do our best to give hope. There is no quick fix, it’s a long term problem that takes long term commitment, not a $3.00 hand out.
If you would like to get involved in reaching out to the homeless in your area, here are just a few great organizations that do just that.
- St. Vincent DePaul <http://www.svdpusa.org/>
- Shout for Joy <http://shoutforjoy.net/current.htm>
- Potters Street Community <http://www.thesimpleway.org/PSC/index.html>
- No Place Outreach <http://noplaceoutreach.org/No_Place_Outreach.html>
- Volunteers of America <http://www.voa.org/>
- The Baton Rouge Dream Center <http://servolution.org/hpc/?page_id=3>
Visit Carole Turners blog, TheWardrobeAndTheWhiteTree.com. You can follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CaroleTurner
12 Comments
This is a valid perspective, but I have also heard just the opposite from others in that situation. The best-known example is in the books “Same Kind of Different as Me” and “What Difference Do It Make?”, both by Denver Moore and Ron Hall. The homeless co-author, Moore, gives several reasons why it is quite reasonable to give money to the homeless that are encountered on the street.
I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m saying that any blanket statements are bound to have exceptions. The best solution is to be in tune with God, to pray without ceasing, so that one will know what to do in that situation, in that time, in that place.
As an aside, you lose credibility when you say stuff like :
“We get to hand them money, feel like we did something good, and roll on to our home in the suburbs”. It’s an insult to those who have prayerfully sought God’s will and followed through by giving cash.
It’s easy to get defensive about what’s been written, but it does hit home. I’ve certainly given money rather than time (either relational time or time spent shopping for goods to give) and I agree that model isn’t the “Good Samaritan” model that is expected of us.
Thanks for the reminder, Carole.
Is it defensive if you simply point out that a blanket statement ignores some possibilities?
I’m not sure the spirit of your comment was “helpfully pointing out possiblities” so much, but my comment wasn’t pointed at you at any rate.
Being encouraged to help out in more ways than giving money isn’t an all-or-nothing thing. Any stated opinion ignores plenty of possibilities, but I don’t think a discussion of every other possibility is necessary to appreciate this article. And I did appreciate it, and said so
OK, I misread your post. Apologies and thanks for the clarification.
When asked for money, i used to go to the nearest store (taking them with me when they would go) and return with lunch or groceries or simply refuse if i couldn’t (or wouldn’t) drop my agenda to serve those needy hands held out to me. I never gave money, for all the reasons you list. About five years ago, i was convicted that i should always give to those who ask. It’s a pretty straightforward biblical command, after all. So i changed, and now i give, if i have anything to do so, even money.
I still don’t like giving money. I know how regularly it is abused. So, we keep granola bars, bottled water, and/or socks in the car. The goal is to always be ready to give in all seasons. We’re not perfect about it. Sometimes we still end up giving money. Sometimes we’re caught totally unprepared. Most of those times i pile up lame excuses in my head for not going to get something to bring back. I confess i lack the courage to lead my family in that pattern i used to walk in alone. It’s always easier to inconvenience just myself than a tired wife or impatient kids that are with me. I know that’s no excuse, because the conviction that started back when i was alone still remains.
Anyway, in part because of my failures to consistently respond to this conviction, i’m not really inclined to push it at others. But i also can’t say that i think it’s completely a personal thing. I guess i’m trying to say that i really believe, as crucial as it is that we give good gifts, the giving itself is more important in the end. So, if i have nothing but money to give, i still give it and pray that it is wisely used.
I do agree with the Carol that throwing money at this problem (or any problem) is rarely effective, primarily because it does not deal with the core issue. But the odd thing is that sometimes money is the catalist. In our ministry we rarely were able to be involved in an ongoing way with the homeless, partly because they rarely came to a function where we could be involved in a give and take. And we rarely had anyone willing to dive in to muck (and sometimes danger) that is peoples lives. We had a short period of time to evaluate. We tried, we prayed, we hoped that our giving helped, or our refusal to help accomplished the same. Balance is sometimes very illusive, but you work hard to try to keep it. Ever mindful of the passages used to guide us which revolve around those not willing to work and being a good steward, with those passages that talk about forsacking widows and orphans, it was not always easy or clear. Many times we would try to call family to find out what was really going on. All the time praying for God’s guidence.
We did not want to error on either side, just wanted to do what the Lord would do if He were there. I don’t believe he would give money or time to every single person. It was hard, and at times painful. It was never easy to say no. And anyone who believes they have a pipeline to God that helps them make every decision (correctly) is delusional.
My prayer is as much for the helpers as for those in need of help, because that is where I believe the real test, the learning, the growth comes. I admire anyone who works hard in these types of ministers. It is hard to keep your head above water, walk secure in Christ, and heart pure. The war is as much within as without. Nice article Carol.
I love it! This is very informative, and very well said.
Great Article. Well said.
Great article, Carole.
I used to give money to the homeless all the time when I lived in Toronto. Then a friend of mine (who had lived on the streets for almost a decade) told me that I wasn’t helping when I handed out money. He suggested that I buy them what they said they needed, whether it was food or a bus ticket. I started doing that and was quickly discouraged when I watched people take what I had given them and throw it away.
The key, like you said, is in building relationships. They greatest thing I have to offer is the hope I’ve found in Jesus…but its the relationship that opens the door to share that hope.
Our family has been looking for a tent. Your guide will help us do just that!