Ragamuffin: poverty - part 3

Who is poor?

I

n retired pastor Jack Hayford’s study of Proverbs he gives three views about poverty which help us to focus our plan in helping those in poverty.  “First, some people became poor by misfortune or disaster, which was beyond their control.  These people should be helped by those who have wealth. In fact, by giving to these poor, we give to God, and He will bless us (Prov. 19:17).

A second view in Proverbs is that a person is better poor than wicked and rich (Prov. 19:22). The unjust, deceitful gain of riches is a curse which results in bad things for such a foolish person (Prov. 20:17, 21, 23).  Finally, there is the person who is poor because of laziness and foolishness. He has all the potential and opportunity to do right and be successful, but he causes his own destruction by his folly. Such a person has few friends (Prov. 19:4); even his family has no use for him (Prov. 19:7) (Hayford, J. W., & Thorpe, R. S., 1997).

Several people will come to us that have been made poor by misfortune or disaster.  It may be loss of job or flood, or some other circumstance beyond their control.  For these people we want to help meet their immediate need by providing some kind of material assistance if at all possible.  But along with this, we want to help them find employment and a sense of value that will help sustain them for the days ahead.  Our new employment placement program gives them this type of support in the midst of their crisis.  This support allows a new start for many people and gives them hope for future days.

We have a volunteer from the business community who will assist individuals in finding employment.  He helps with their resume and job interviews.  He has made connections with several corporations and businesses in the area that are looking for employees.  He connects the individuals with the appropriate skills to the appropriate job.  The job opportunities range from lower skill requirement jobs to professional positions.  We have also arranged for a person to come to our facility and do a 2-day employment seminar program that is free to all individuals attending.  This seminar starts with the very basics and takes the individual clear through the resume process and interview process.

We started this program in June and have seen great success with individuals finding employment and moving to a more stable financial situation.  This program is very successful and will continue to be successful as the program grows and develops.  Statistics from this program prove this is true.  It also has an additional benefit because it connects The Salvation Army to businesses and corporations in our community.

Giving a family a bag of groceries is good, but helping them find a job so that they can provide for their own needs and the needs of their families is even better.  We see the opportunity not only to reach out and minister is very practical ways but also find opportunities for prayer, encouragement and direct people to the spiritual as well.

Ragamuffin appears every Monday on theRubicon. Find past Ragamuffin posts and a bio of Capt. Jay Davis here.

Read Part 1 of this series on poverty

Read Part 2

1 Comment to Ragamuffin: poverty - part 3

1. I wonder who can be absolutely sure who the fools are.

   Without knowledge of the story behind the story one might easily misjudge someone’s motive and character. Many of the people I walk with struggle with a variety of mental health issues which are almost invisible. Mental conditions like Dissociative Identity Disorder, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, even Addiction Disorder can render themselves as foolish.

   Certainly there are fools just as the scriptures have described, but we should be very careful about judging who they are. I believe we should offer help in a way that calls people higher up and further in, always encouraging growth, and we should do this for everyone.

   Wayne
Wayne on December 1st, 2009

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