I may have asked this before, but do you believe that charity begins at home?

Question

We are constantly being bombarded with appeals to help the less fortunate across the seas: Africa, Asia, South America etc. whereas here in the United States, we have millions of poor folks less fortunate than we.

Answer 1

No, I believe charity begins in the heart. Charity does not mean just money or food to the poor. Charity is giving someone the gift of a smile or a laugh. Charity is helping a stranger change a tire. Charity is just holding a door open for someone who needs it. Charity is giving up your spot in line for an unknown person with a cane. Charity can just be being there when someone needs an ear.

Yes, there is a need for the formal charities around the world and here in the Unite States. Most of the causes we hear about are worthwhile causes and deserve all the help we can give.

But I believe that it is the little things you do that help one other person is the real charity in life. And if you believe like I do in Pay It Forward, maybe someday, somehow peace will break out all over the world. It all starts with one person. I hope that that one person is me. I don't expect to see it in my lifetime. I am not naive enough to believe it will ever happen, but it is a good belief to have.

Answer 2

It does make sense - but the first question is: are the people overseas suffering more? Because providing computers for disadvantaged kids is hard to compare with providing food for starving kids overseas. Even fighting hunger versus fighting starvation - that is a tough line, but a wide one. Are the people here dying or just deprived? How much deprivation is OK for people in this country?
The second question is how much your dollars will help. When the exchange rate is decent, our money can make a major difference in countries with really low GNP - $12,000 builds a complete brick school in the Dominican Republic! So do you supply a small patch or a large one - work on a bug problem or a small one? Do you donate to a cause millions of people are donating to or look for one with fewer donors and less marketing funds? Do you stick with overhead-eating groups like United Way - who do spend time investigating their charities - or do you send money to a group of missionaries installing wells in Africa and make do with their digital pictures and stories on the website? Do you donate to an international group run from someone's living room and get a picture of the tiny house they actually supplied from your donation or get a group together and go there and build the houses on your vacation? Doing anything anywhere is good. Do what you can for whoever you feel comfortable helping. There is some mismanagement and some overhead loss - always ask the percent of your donation that actually is used for the program and look for at least 80% efficiency from non-profits.

Answer 3

To me, the saying charity begins "at home" means in our heart. We give from a place of compassion and love. We also give of our skills and talents. It doesn't mean be selfish and only give to those in your back yard!

We are fortunate to be living in developed countries and have enough of our needs met that we can reach out to others. It doesn't matter whether people live across the street, or across the ocean. They are our neighbours. We are all human. We all have needs. We all need each other.

How would you feel if you lived somewhere in great need, and those across the ocean who could easily afford to help you said NO, we're not going to help you because you happened to be born outside our borders? God help you if that should happen!

Yes, there are needs in EVERY country, however there are greater needs in developing countries AND they don't have the resources to be able to come close to meeting them. I've volunteered for a total of several years in various parts of the world and I've never seen swollen bellies from lack of food, or people dying from lack of food that look like a skeleton with skin, or shirts tied together because there are so many holes in them that tying is the only way to keep some material on their bodies in Canada or the States, or Australia or England.

Does it have to be a "we vs them" mentality? Or can it be, I shall help wherever there is need, no matter where the person lives. Could be under my own roof, could be in the city down the road, or could be in a country across the ocean.

EDIT TO KAYE: You said you've been told that "the poor get about 5% of what you donate to these organisations". This is absolutely not true and discourages people from donating. In truth, most charities spend 85% or more on their programs and the rest on administrative costs and fundraising costs.

Charities are monitored and audited. They are also rated by an independent organization called Charity Navigator. Check out any American-based charity you're interested in and you can find detailed reports about their financials at http://www.charitynavigator.org , as well as at http://www.guidestar.org and http://www.us.bbb.org/ In the UK go to http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/

The majority of charities by far do awesome work for little money and should be encouraged and supported!

Answer 4

yes it foes but well lady in that situation u really have to come and see their conditions for ur self, little poor kids with no sleepers few clothes chilling winters and no food and stuff


ehat this phrase "CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME" actually means is that if some 1 asks ur country for aids then first of all they should gather all they can from themselves then if its still not enough than ask some foreign source. i hope u get it. i live in asia and i have seen nothing but still i have seen just a bit so i can feel.

We muslims every year give about 2.5% of our annual savings to poor and deserving people and islam taught us that :)

and just to let u know usa spends 49 Billion on pets yearly where as most countries need just 7 Billion for their rearly needs. No Offence Really

Answer 5

People saying that we're not meddling we're over there protecting them lmao that's why everyone hates us we think we run the world and that's why bin laden bombed the twin Towers we need to start minding our own business and stop "helping" and stop trying to run the world. I see bad things for us in the future. Imagine if other countries had military bases here in America we wouldn't like that at all well that's how they feel. There's to many brainwashed sheep out there that think everything our government does is good NO!

Answer 6

Their is the old saying look in your own back yard first. Are the poor getting the food etc. I have been told that the poor get about 5% of what you donate to these organisations. Is there a way to check this, If so these organisation need to be checked and watched, and made answerable, if there(workers for these company's) assets are beyond of what they are making everything is sold, and have jail term also there photo to published in the paper.Is it true that people that work for Redcross etc( big bosses), and other companies are on huge wages why what happen to being chartiable, While people are donating goods, and volunteers to sell in there store, it is to help families that have hit hard times etc.

Answer 7

Just Because you don't see the worst case scenario "Here" in the state's don't mean it Don't happen .All this comparison Bull@#$% to who should get the help first is awfull.if your not suppose to **** in your own back yard as the saying goes . Well then firtalize your own back yards and watch them grow and as they grow and bloosom they too will reach out to the next yard.A hungry little belly is a hungry little belly we dont have to travel to find one i can walk out my front door and show you a neighboorhood full of them .a Cold child in not hard to find when the fuel assistance programs have been cut by the state again in any USA state the cold elderly men and woman can be found.You can Go to any major USA state to find a homeless USA Vet waiting for housing asstaince.But some one somewhere thinks they dont have it
so bad :-(

Answer 8

Yes, it's true, but remember that other countries (especially third world) have it worse than we do and that's why they're always first priority when it comes to charity. But yes, we do have our fair share of poverty here in America. It always starts at home then elsewhere. Like someone above me said, you gotta love yourself first before you give it out to others. Because if you don't, how do you expect to help others?

Answer 9

Nearer to home than that, charity starts with parenting.


It seems to me that our own people are to be thought of as invincible or superior and that if anyone does not live to that expectation then they are thought of as innately wrong, or the contrary theory that easy treatment has spoiled them to the point of retardation. It is an easy theory that finds a comfortable home in the militantly indifferent.

Answer 10

Charity and love (should) begin at home...with our families. We should also take care of our own communities! Just think, if we ALL did that....EVERYONE in the world...would be taken care of! Love one another! Be generous and be pro active in your own cities! Lots of people need love and support whether it may be financial or a listening ear.
God Bless...