The Politics of Helping

Wanting to do a good deed should be no big deal, but there is that old adage, "no good deed goes unpunished."  As many of my friends and family know Izabella and I have been volunteering at a local People's Kitchen through our church's Youth ministry.  This has grown me as a person.  Well the coordinator for our day had been saying for a few months that soon we would have a new site.  You see the ministry as a whole was using one churches out door space.  It was perfectly set up for it.  It had an area that could be locked up and had a separate entrance so people weren't traipsing through their church to get a meal.  Also, it was smack in the middle of town so it was easily accessible by those who needed it the most.

The church decided not to renew their lease in that spot, so with no one paying the bill for space the search was on.  Now our church has a decent area for it but we are on the outskirt of town so it would be hard for many people to get there.    See this for an article on the People's Kitchen:  http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/02/
Link to Article

Well come August 1 a new home was needed an no good place had stepped up so a temporary site was set up near the back parking lot of Public health.  Well not wanting to spread too much gossip the gist is people have the "not in my backyard" syndrome.  Neighbors are not being that hospitable and to me it's a sad statement on the issue.

As a Christian I am bothered to no end by those that say only the government can help people.  You see food stamps are great, but if you have no kitchen to cook in how are you really going to have a hot meal with those?  That's where churches and other volunteers step in.  The food is provided out of volunteer pockets.  And a permanent space is in the works as soon as enough funds are raised.

We have seen a lot of interesting things over our time serving but overall not many problems.  I understand people's concern for safety, truly I do.  I just have such a hard time with people's unwillingness to get their hands dirty so to speak.  Let someone else deal with it seems to be a pervasive idea .

But it is our problem.  As a christian I feel convicted to help where I can.  As a human I can't stand other's suffering, and as a single income family I realize that we are but one paycheck from needing a meal ourselves.

As a society let's agree to stop legislating and politicizing people's difficulties and let's just help.  I just read an article about church volunteers in another city narrowly missing arrest simply for feeding the homeless.  What was their crime? Not paying for an $800 permit to distribute food.  That is $800 that could go to buying more food to help more people.

Honestly, I am not sure the point of this blog except to to say, that if everyone says, "someone else will do it," we will run out of someone else's.  If everyone says, "not in my backyard," pretty soon we have no where left to go.  Instead hold out your hand and help, don't wait for someone else or Uncle Sam...Uncle Sam is going broke and quick.