Food coops that donate to needy individuals who are not personally involved in the process can deter from the long-term goal of self-sustaining development. To be more effectively developmental charitable coops should invite underprivileged families to come and be involved in the process from scratch . . . Thereby cultivating their pride as well as their sustenance. They could then sell or trade the excess in a farmers market to buy other needed food items -- or donate to a shelter that provides for emergency shelter and meals. To do so for people beyond their emergency need unfortunately turns the noble effort into "Toxic Charity".
http://fcsministries.org/books/toxic-charity/
"Churches and charities have fallen into the bad habit of creating programs to help the poor when in reality the only people they are helping are themselves, creating a toxic charity that needs to be reexamined and fixed. In this groundbreaking book, Lupton shows how good-intentioned people are actually hurting the very people they’re trying to help. The poor end up feeling judged, looked down upon, only worthy of charity and handouts that end up making them more dependent instead of learning skills to help themselves. Churches and charitable organizations, though good-intentioned, have missed the mark when it comes to serving the poor, creating a toxic form of charity. Lupton says that a better system would be to treat the poor as business partners, empowering them to start businesses, build houses, plan communities, etc. He offers specific organizations as examples of this healthier model of charity and gives practical ideas for how to get involved in service projects that truly help. Together, we can serve our world in a way that actually effects life-altering change."
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