CHARITY: Imagine it this way

The Christmas season recently ended with many examples of charitable giving. We are a generous people, and many charities continue their work throughout the year.

While I applaud their efforts and interest, there may be a downside. Although the charities’ motives are laudable, there may be inadvertent harm done along with the good. In most cases, nothing is asked of the recipient. As such, then we are creating a dependent while eroding a person’s dignity. We tend to define poverty as a lack of material things. It is more than that. It can involve diminished dignity, lack of self-respect and an inability to become self-reliant.

In an effort to encourage the various charities to consider how their efforts could be better structured to preserve dignity and self-respect, while promoting self-reliance, Maggie Lyons is working to create an organization called Charity Reimagined.

I applaud Maggie and others involved and hope more will join in the effort to make our charities mindful of the needs of a recipient beyond the material assistance.

For more information, please contact Maggie by email: maggie@charityreimagined.org

DEAN HAAGENSON

Hayden

Editor’s note: For more on Charity Reimagined, see the story published by The Press in early January: https://bit.ly/2Ux4bUH