We feel that as a care giving organization, it is not fair to our people if we only address their needs. If people are only asked what their needs are, they begin to only think of themselves as needy. But if we begin to ask what they can offer through their gifts, they begin to realize they have value and that they are worth something. Jesus said 'it is more blessed to give then receive'. (Acts 20:35) In many ways, caregivers have made people needy so that they could receive the blessing of giving. However, we need to turn the tables and provide opportunities for our residents to give so that they too can receive that blessing.
-Mission Statement, The Salvation Army Gateway
As we think about issues of urban poverty and homelessness, it can be very easy to put the problem before the person. It can be easy to forget that people, whatever their circumstances, are much bigger than the problems in their lives.
Nobody likes the idea of receiving ‘handouts’. However well-meant a gift may be, there is often a sense of helplessness associated with receiving something that you feel unable to reciprocate in any way. ‘Handouts’ are often seen as impersonal, discouraging, and limited in their ability to really foster any meaningful change for the better in peoples’ lives.
We are all equal in the eyes of God; by meeting people on equal ground and inviting them to share their gifts with us, we stand to learn a valuable lesson about the meaning of service.
Service is not just a one-way street. Sometimes we can serve better simply by accepting the blessings and service of others. In so doing, we can offer a great deal more than just a ‘handout’- we can make it possible for people to empower themselves.
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