HELLO!

This week I had a visit with someone I deeply admire. He is a long-time volunteer, someone who puts his money and time where his mouth is. Over a lifetime of Christian discipleship, he has done more for individuals in deep need than anyone I know. Yet as he ages and his resources are dwindling, he wonders, “Am I administering band-aids when these people I am helping require a structural, institutional, societal, solution?” This man is asking a question about justice and the refreshing thing about his crisis is he sees what so many of us miss. It helps us to sleep better at night to assume those who are in crisis due to poverty are there because they have made mistakes or have bad habits or need better character. If we imagine these are the reasons for poverty, we sleep better. Or, even if we don’t sleep well and are prompted to action, our individual, person-to-person accounting of the world tells us we can help by giving these folks some resources or get them into a program. But treating this crisis as a collective challenge would require a different strategy, one where we commit collective resources. We do offer shelters, we do offer small amounts of Income Assistance, we do offer small amounts of income for disability assessments. But none of these efforts are fulsome, and all betray the assumption we think those who are struggling need to make their changes either on their own or with the company of friends-family.

Like this man, most of my efforts are person to person or non-profit to person. I do advocate for a Guaranteed Annual Income and for supportive housing for persons with complex needs. I doubt that the general public, who would fund these programs through taxation, have an appetite for more than this. I am a realist, and my goal as a citizen (as a Christian) is to convince others to support these basic needs for those living on the margins. I cannot house everyone, or feed everyone. But I can speak up.

My approach on the personal level has evolved. I was once someone, like this man, who would “go the extra mile” to do for others in any way possible. But I soon ran into situations where the other was asking me for that magic solution to their woes. I would always ask the other, “what is your goal, your solution?” and “what can I do to help” but most often the other would say, “you likely know best”. I would eventually come up with a plan. But it never worked, and in the end, I would get frustrated as I felt I was working harder on their solution than the other. Of course I was, it was never their plan. So now I insist they set the agenda, and I insist they do most of the work, after all, it is their life. It prevents any resentment on my part and any hurt for them. They have enough to contend with than also having to absorb my disappointment. So now I remind them of “THEIR plan”. They do most of the work. I assist, help, and listen. I no longer define myself as a fixer or a rescuer. I am a helper.

There is so much to do, I am grateful to have people like Bethe, and so many at Woodlawn, to do these things with me. We are a team.

Peace, Kevin