Food Aid Should Be Linked to a Willingness to Work
Government food aid should foster dignity, not dependence—linking assistance to work can restore purpose and break the cycle of relief-driven poverty.
Entries by James Whitford
What It Means to Flourish like a ‘Watered Garden’
Explore how society must provide the means (not just the message) for people to flourish—turning charity into growth, not dependency.
The Power of Affiliation and Subsidiarity in Poverty Alleviation
Effective charity starts with the right relationships. Discover how affiliation and subsidiarity help ensure the right people provide help, preventing dependency while restoring dignity.
The Power of Presence in Effective Charity Work
In this excerpt from his new book, The Crisis of Dependency … True Charity CEO & Co-founder James Whitford powerfully illustrates the importance of being with people we want to help out of poverty.
A Resurgence of Republicanism: Seizing the Opportunity to Reclaim Self-governance
As a new administration reins in government overreach, a crisis of dependency is sure to come to light. With a generation withdrawing from an over-reliance on federal relief, a unique opportunity will arise to reclaim self-governance and revive private charity. The question remains: “Will we seize this moment?” James Whitford calls us to action.
How Do I Truly Help Panhandlers?
James Whitford Founder & CEO Read more from James Listen to this article: Just about all of us have encountered a panhandler with a sign that reads, “Anything helps.” […]
Civil Society Crowded Out in Missouri
Does government aid weaken community bonds of brotherhood? President Grover Cleveland believed it did. In 1887, he vetoed national aid to preserve “kindly sentiment and conduct” among Americans. Today, Missouri’s Medicaid expansion and Senate Bill 82 risk dismissing his wisdom by crowding out faith-based charities that foster true relationships and hope. James Whitford shares.
The Pitfalls of Housing First: A Better Path to Solving Homelessness
Discover the shortcomings of a top-down approach to solving homelessness and the power of community-driven compassion. A thought-provoking perspective on the limitations of government incentives and the true essence of real compassion.
The Government Just Took a Step in Loving People to Death
As of September 1, if you were homeless, work requirements established in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act no longer apply to you. They neither apply if you’re a veteran or have aged out of the foster care system and are under 24.
Scrapping the Limit, Save, Grow Act: A Missed Opportunity
More Americans returning to work equates to less government spending on social programs, but it also restores dignity and strengthen community. James Whitford explains more about a missed opportunity in his article, originally publlished in InsideSources.
Doubling Down on Failed Housing First Approach to Homelessness
The USICH sets lofty goals for reducing homelessness by doubling down on the failed Housing First program—yet the USICH themselves have admitted that though “funding for homelessness assistance has increased every year,” the unsheltered population has grown by a staggering 20.5% nationally.
Houselessness Isn’t the Problem and “Why” Isn’t the Only Question to Ask
No across-the-board solutions exist for resolving homelessness. But, more granular data – specific to a community’s population vs. an entire county – can help identify common causes. TCI’s James Whitford discusses how a recent state bill can help do just that.
Expanded Camping Access Won’t Solve Homelessness
Housing First is intended to quickly connect people experiencing homelessness to permanent housing “without preconditions such as sobriety, treatment or service participation requirements.” Yet, it has the unfortunate result of trapping people in a cycle of dependency.
Level Up: Embracing Empowerment in Your Ministry
How do we shift the balance of our programs from relief towards development? How can we meet vital and basic needs repetitively without also being complicit in the dependency trap? How can we motivate the people we help to do more to help themselves? How can we level up? Look up, expect up, and size up.
How Offering Restaurants Through Snap Fails Us All
Is expanding food stamps benefits to include restaurants a kindness or, as FDR put it, “a subtle destroyer of the human spirit”? TCI’s James Whitford explains how one state’s recent legislation doing just that is a disservice to those in need.
