The number of people in poverty is rapidly growing. And when the majority are only getting poorer, only a handful are managing to get rich. The rich have become richer, and it will take more than just policy changes in government to help them out. Here are 7 ways you can help the needy in living a better life.
1. Donate to charitable organizations
If you have more money than what you need in your daily life, then you should donate some of it to charitable organizations that help the poor improve their quality of living. Some religious groups also accept donations. There are even ones that help your donation go to some specific places in the world where there are a lot of people struggling. Some organizations like https://www.c4i.ca/ collect donations to help needy people struggling in different regions in Israel. There are always places where you can donate, it’s up to you to choose one that you feel it’s right.
2. Provide employment opportunities for needy people
One of the reasons why many individuals fall into poverty is due to unemployment, and it is one area where we could provide assistance through donations or employment directly. You can hire a maid if you have an extra room and also support small businesses who hire people with low rates, so they can earn enough money to live their daily lives. Another way is to start a business yourself that hires only employees from poor families so that they won’t be forced into illegal activities that may put them in jail or kill them.
3. Help the needy with necessities
It can be risky to help out people who are living in poverty, but there are some ways that you can do this safely and lawfully. You can provide food, water, and shelter if you think that the person does not have a place of their own to stay at night or during weekends. You can also give money once in a while so that they will have something for their bills, including transportation fare when they have no money for it.
4. Educate the needy children and support their families financially
Some charitable organizations will provide schooling for poor children, so they can have a higher rate of attaining an education than if they were left with no choice but to work in order to survive. This is beneficial because most people who are employed work under illegal conditions that don’t give benefits such as medical care, proper working areas, or even minimum wage that can keep them living comfortably.
5. Share what you have to the needy in your neighborhood
When you can help out people within your vicinity, then why not? If you live in an apartment building where most residents are struggling to make ends meet, then you can offer them some food or maybe some items that they need. You may also share clothes and shoes with kids who do not own any because they lost everything when disaster struck their place of residence like floods, mudslides, and fires.
6. Stop judging the poor and stop looking down on those without, you have nothing to lose
Our society has a built-in stigma about the poor, but we need to remember that although they are not as fortunate as we are, they still need our help instead of us looking at them condescendingly because they are not as successful. We need to understand that this is not their fault, so it’s time to be compassionate human beings instead of looking down on them because they are less fortunate than us.
7. Learn how to be proactive and see the bright side of life
Some people who are poor don’t know how to get out of their situation, so they think that it is useless trying, or maybe they just choose not to leave because they cannot afford moving expenses, new clothes for work, and even a piece of bread every day. But we can learn from this dire situation by becoming more optimistic about our own lives and realizing what opportunities there are for us in society, like having a regular job with proper working conditions. We also need to utilize school systems that offer adequate education for free because it will benefit us in the long run.
Everyone has had to deal with not having very much money. This may be due to job loss, cuts in pay or benefits, or other financial troubles… While we cannot necessarily control the economy or our jobs, we can make positive changes in how we view money and use what we already have more effectively and give the rest to the people in need.
Main Photo by RODNAE Productions.