Social enterprises, businesses that tackle social needs, provide sustainable solutions. Earn-it models, where individuals earn their basic needs, also serve a crucial role in many paths out of poverty. So what is the difference, and why does it matter?
“When we ran a toy giveaway program at Christmas, fathers were never the ones coming to pick up gifts for their families,” Heather Fullerton remembers. Dads felt ashamed that strangers were providing presents for their kids. “But now that we’ve started Community Christmas, dad comes to shop.” True Charity’s Avery West explains here.
“What can we do so you don’t need us anymore?” Missy Hanks asks this to anyone who applies to the Expecting Little Miracles scholarship program. By encouraging those individuals to turn around and serve, one little miracle for an individual could impact generations.
“Our food pantry has been feeding the same families for years. Is there anything we can do to bring about long term transformation in people’s lives?” The leaders who ask this question know that their clients don’t merely lack food, but they also often suffer from a lack of community and self-worth.
The phrase “community development” can bring up images of everything from trash pickups to bike lanes to block parties. What really is community development, and how can your church or organization incorporate it into your work?
Community development can be so nebulous because it is, very simply, members of the community coming together to make their community better. So, what do beautification projects and festivals and mixed income housing have to do with poverty?
You’ve identified some of your clients who could benefit from some new skills. It’s easy to say, “Let’s teach a class.” But let’s be honest, running a class is tough. We’ve collected some advice from experienced leaders and programs so that you can make your class a time of real transformation and community—and something everyone looks forward to.
Love, In the Name of Christ (INC) of Hillsdale County doesn’t give out a single penny, meal, or piece of furniture, but the group meets needs every day. Nestled in a small town in Michigan, this Love, INC chapter is one of 122 across the United States. Love, INC acts as a clearinghouse for their local network of churches, connecting needs to appropriate ministries. They take the time to get to know the individuals asking for assistance, and often are able to meet deeper needs than those originally presented…
“Human touch is so important,” says Jocelyn Brisson, shelter manager at Watered Gardens Rescue Mission in southwest Missouri. While many of us sorely feel the lack of human contact during the pandemic, most homeless individuals have experienced this relational loss for years…
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. …
