not sure how to word this.....

[KellyHabersham]

The church which I used to work for has recently decided to get involved in what you might call a "revitalization" program, and while we won't really have specific details until this fall, I did have a few things which I've noticed, and am not sure how to bring up:


- most of the church's weekday activities are held in the mornings or early afternoons, which makes it difficult for those who work to participate.


- based on my experience in the office, most people who stop by the church during the week want help with food or bus passes, and I felt it was getting to where many in the area just saw us as a free source of that. (and since one aspect of this program is to focus on outreach, I think the church REALLY needs to look at things other than handouts....as bitchy as that might sound)

[HYHYBT]

Talk to the pastor, or whoever is in charge of this? Chances are good that they know, but it cannot hurt to mention.

[Glados]

A church in my town has found a few ways to help ensure that the people who accept help are also attempting to make positive life changes. I don't know how big your church is but some of these may be possible.

- They require that anyone receiving assistance also accept financial counselling from a volunteer who is also a financial planner (or similar). If they refuse, they are not allowed to receive assistance a second time.

- Volunteers are available for certain types of lay counselling that is free. They can sign up to receive help and advice in doing for themselves instead of just temporary assistance.

- They run a Christian based recovery group that is similar to AA except it is available for any type of compulsive or addictive behaviour. Members attend this group for alcohol, tobacco, overeating, etc. It can help people to learn how to curb some of the behaviors that may lead to financial issues.

- They may ask for financial documentation before providing assistance. They work on a need based system where applicable.

These types of programs will not work at some churches. The local church is very large and has the staff, volunteers, and finances to run semi-large community programs. Hopefully, you can take or modify some of these to improve your church's programs.

[KellyHabersham]

Well, to give an example of what I was referring to - there was a woman sitting outside the "main" church building on Sunday, and she asked my mom for spare change. Mom gave her what little she had in her purse, and the woman kind of gave her an "Is this all you have?" attitude. Then, one of the other church ladies came out and mentioned that she'd already given this woman a bag of food......and apparently the woman was claiming that she didn't have a kitchen to cook anything in, so the "church lady" pointed out that the food give out did NOT need to be cooked.

(I wasn't around for this exchange, was told this later by my mom)

[Andara Bledin]

I'm of the opinion that places such as churches should have some trivial task that potential recipients have to perform before receiving any handouts. People who actually are in need will be happy to have the opportunity (it also removes some of the stigma of accepting handouts), and the people who beg for a living (it's a lucrative endeavor if you have a good location/story) will go find easier pickings.

^-.-^