Volunteering provides ample opportunities to meaningfully connect with people, a truth I was reminded of while serving with Watered Gardens’ overnight shelter as I listened to a man share about his romantic relationship. Though he confidently shared about the relationship’s quality, I noticed some red flags, so I attempted “truth in love” -- I asked him how he knew their relationship was as healthy as he said. Immediately, his eyes glazed over and, wordlessly, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and began scrolling absentmindedly.

Opioid overdoses in rural areas have been on the rise for years—and now they are surging in the wake of COVID-19. Meanwhile, small hospitals teeter on the brink of bankruptcy, and farmers are dumping thousands of gallons of milk. Rural parts of the country, despite their low population density, have not escaped the destruction of COVID-19. ...

Feeding the hungry is one of the oldest forms of charity and seems like it should be simple. However, as many know from years of practice, even when food is collected, stored, and distributed efficiently, it still may not reduce dependency or change lives. The good news is that there are innovative approaches to solve the issues created by the standard hand-out model.

Are strategies that seek to go beyond the handout model of charity new? No. On the contrary, Dr. Marvin Olasky’s book The Tragedy of American Compassion demonstrates that charity which promotes challenge, relationship, and spiritual growth was the norm for effective methods of addressing poverty.