Rex Trulove
No matter what is going on in your life, you can usually find people who are having worse times. That doesn’t prevent you from feeling anguish over what is going on in your life, but it should be a realization that almost everyone has troubles of one sort or another.
There is an old saying that goes, “I thought I was poor, for I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.” The saying is pointed. Most of us tend to focus on ourselves, even when we know better. Sadly, it is human nature.
It also makes no difference what a person’s spiritual beliefs are, this still holds true. However, many of the teachings of Jesus were to explain that we should help others who are in need. It is and should be a major part of a Christian’s life. People often think of it from the angle of donating money and there is nothing at all wrong with that.
However, there are a huge number of ways that we can help others. For example, our local church operates a food bank, clothing bank, wood ministry, and weekly soup kitchen. The services are given freely and many people donate their time to work in these places because it helps those in need. The food and clothing are donated freely. Visiting with the elderly in care homes helps others in need.
A person with a car might give someone a ride to an appointment to someone without a car. A person might bring a home-cooked meal to someone who is having trouble getting around. As a youth, I used to mow and rake an elderly neighbor’s yard, never asking for something in return because my intention was to simply help. People with gardens might give some of the fresh produce to those who need it.
It should be noted that the US Military spends substantial time and money helping the needy within the US and in other countries. All but one of the pictures used here were taken of US Military-run efforts to help the needy.
All of these things are examples of helping people in need and there are many more ways it can be done. The topic of this poll is volunteering and donating.
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Question of
How often do you donate time, money, or goods to help those who need it?
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Never
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Rarely
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Once or twice a year
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Every few months
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Monthly or more often
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Weekly or more often
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Question of
Have you ever done volunteer work in a food bank, clothing bank, or soup kitchen?
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Yes
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Yes, but not for some time
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No, but I’d like to
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No and I don’t want to
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Question of
Do you ever donate your time, money, or effort to help needy people in your community in any way?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
What is the one thing that most prevents you from helping the needy in your community?
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I don’t have enough money
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I don’t have enough time
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I don’t know how to help
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There are no clothing banks, food banks, soup kitchens, or things like that in my community
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I don’t think about it
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I don’t want to/don’t care
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Thank you. I hope it encourages you to help people who are needy.
I donate my grooming services to all the human societies and rescue groups in my area.
That is an excellent donation of time and services. It is a specialty and many people who have the same specialty have most likely never thought of donating that expertise.