Charity That Works
by Phil Altmeyer Union Gospel Mission Executive Director
Spokane is an extremely compassionate city, giving generously to a
variety of charities working to care for those on the fringes of our
society. I am grateful to live in a community where those who have
been blessed freely share what they have with those who are hurting.
The Union Gospel Mission operates on the principle that each
individual is created in the image of God and has the potential to
live a meaningful life, something much better than mere survival on
the street.
To bring about real change, we must address the problem of
homelessness at its roots: family breakdown, substance abuse, mental
illness, joblessness and a lack of affordable housing. And we must
ask ourselves repeatedly if what we’re doing is working.
Are we reducing homelessness? Are people returning to
society as contributing members? What are the measurable outcomes of
our efforts?
Providing food and shelter is a great first step, but as a
standalone, it can also lead to dependence and erode personal
responsibility. Poverty is more than a lack of money; it is a belief
that one cannot take care of oneself and must depend on others to do
so. As Robert Lupton says in his book, Toxic Charity, “When we do
for those in need what they have the capacity to do for themselves,
we disempower them.”
Since President Lyndon Johnson declared “an unconditional
war on poverty” in 1964, the US government has spent $22 trillion on
anti-poverty programs, according to The Heritage Foundation.
In addition to government spending, individuals give a mind-
boggling amount to charity. According to the National Philanthropic
Trust, Americans gave $373 billion in 2015, more than $1 billion a
day; $45 billion to human services. After all this spending, the
impact on the poverty rate has been minimal.
Locally, Spokane citizens give an average of 4.7% of their
annual income to charity, as reported in the Chronicle of
Philanthropy, for a total of $148,267,676. And yet, last year’s
Point-in-Time Count revealed an increase in the number of homeless
individuals.
As the leader of a local nonprofit working with the poor, I take
these numbers very seriously. America is a generous country. Spokane
is a generous city. People are entrusting us with a significant
portion of their hard-earned money. We must be accountable– not just
for the temporary relief of immediate suffering but for long-term
change.
I’ll be the first one to admit that we’ve had varying levels
of success over the past 66 years. Homelessness is a complicated
problem, and each homeless individual has a unique history. There
are no quick fixes, which is why it’s critical that local government
and nonprofits serving the same population work together and not
duplicate efforts. Each of us must find our niche and continually
measure our effectiveness.
Here’s where UGM has discovered we can make the biggest
impact: holistic healing for the trauma that often underlies
addiction, combined with job training and employment readiness.
Recent research with regard to Adverse Childhood Experiences
has borne out what those of us in social services have sensed for a
long time: Individuals who suffer childhood trauma are more inclined
to self-destructive behavior. The greater and more frequent the
trauma, the greater the tendency toward self-destruction in
adulthood. Recovery must go beyond sobriety to whole-person healing,
addressing the causes of the addiction, not just the symptoms. Hurt
by people, addicts often isolate when what they actually need is a
community where they are loved and accepted.
Meaningful work goes hand in hand with recovery. Last year,
194 men and women left UGM for jobs. People need to see that they
have something valuable to offer the world. Too often, homeless
individuals have been treated as though they are stupid and
worthless. Something as simple as a chore well done begins to combat
that false belief. A paycheck is important, but the value of a job
extends beyond the financial. Meaningful work brings dignity and
self-respect.
Having served on the board of the Association of Gospel
Rescue Missions and as president of the Northwest District
Conference, I’ve visited cities and homeless shelters all over the
country. Cities with permissive policies toward street living, such
as Seattle and Portland, have seen the number of homeless
individuals increase and budget demands rise significantly.
As I said at the outset, Spokane is a fantastic community
that gives generously to help those in need. Those of us who have
been entrusted with those funds have a responsibility to honor their
investment by asking the tough questions about what’s working and
having the courage to change what’s not.
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