Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

I give to charities like the United Way, the American Heart Association,
The Muscular Distrophy association, etc.  I even give money to religiously-
oriented charities like Habitat For Humanity and the Salvation Army.

				-- Bob

    I also contribute to Habitat for Humanity.  Even though HFH defines
    itself as a Christian organization (and I believe that its staff
    members are required to be Christian), I understand that it imposes no
    faith requirements on those people who it helps.  I don't get the
    impression that HFH proselytizes as such, other than perhaps making it
    clear that its work is an expression of the Christian faith of its
    membership (which is fine with me.)  I believe that HFH does good work. 
    As it turns out, I am unable to volunteer time for the local chapter,
    because they schedule all their volunteer construction work on
    Saturdays, which conflicts with my rather unusual work schedule. 
    Homelessness and hunger are particular concerns of mine, and that is
    where I have wanted to concentrate my volunteer work; currently I
    volunteer time at the warehouse of a local food bank, Care & Share.

    Another religiously oriented charity that I contribute to is the
    American Friends Service Committee.  I strongly support the work of the
    AFSC, and I like the fact that the AFSC, in its staffing, does not
    discriminate against women, minorities, or gays.

    -- Mike

Mike,

One of the christian out reach of our mission is to staff the
kitch at St Andrews church on a rotating schedule. One particular
sunday, we had some teenagers from church high school fellowship
there. they were so overwhelmed with the smell of the folks; yet
they learned that loving goes beyond ofactory limits. It was
really warm to see that they learned that homeless was more than
just being without roof or food; there was a lack of spirit and
hope.

habitat for humanity is one out-side-of church that we support.
We have a lady-carpenter who supplies the labour while we are
challenged to keep her supplied with the necessary hardware,
nails, lumber, etc.

cal

    Contribute time and wealth to:
    
    o church (mine own and others I visit)
    
    o the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission
    
    o "All Walks of Life" (AIDS-related)
    
    o the Soup Kitchen
    
    o Occassionally, an individual in ministry or an individual in need.
    
    Richard

    The following announcement was posted in VTX:
    
                   Digital donates to Habitat for Humanity

 Habitat for Humanity, the global housing ministry, has received an equipment 
 grant from Digital to buy a VAX 6410 computer system.  The system will be 
 used to manage Habitat's mailing list and accounting demands.

 The relationship between Digital and Habitat began in 1988 when the 
 organization received a grant to acquire a MicroVAX 3600 system.

 Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit ecumenical housing ministry that builds 
 houses in partnership with people in need.  No profit or interest is made in 
 the construction and sale of the homes.  Future homeowners are required to 
 work side-by-side with volunteers to build their homes.  To date, Habitat 
 has built over 8,000 homes worldwide.

Regular worship attenders give more time and money to charitable
causes, according to a report from Religion in American Life.
The report indicates that people who attend services "weekly or
nearly every week" gave an average of 3.8 percent of their household
income to charitable causes is 1989, compared to one-fourth that
amount - 8/10th of one percent - for those who attended less.
Likewise, regular attenders volunteered an average of 3.4 hours
weekly to public-interest causes, compared to less than half that
amount of time - 1.6 hours weekly - for others.

Peace,
Richard

Article 1405 of clari.news.religion:
Path: shlump.nac.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!looking!clarinews
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.news.interest.people,clari.news.group,clari.news.religion
Subject: Carter may quit Habitat For Humanity
Keywords: people, human interest, poor, special interest,
	organized religion, religion
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 23 Apr 91 16:51:16 GMT
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Codes: ynhprxx., ynjprxx., ynrorxx., xxxxxxxx


	ATLANTA (UPI) -- Former President Jimmy Carter, unhappy over the
pressured resignation of the founder of Habitat For Humanity, may
withdraw his support for the charitable organization, a newspaper
reported Tuesday.
	Millard Fuller, who founded the Christian organization 15 years ago,
told the Atlanta Constitution the group's board of directors asked him
to resign Saturday at a meeting in Portland, Ore.
	Fuller, 56, agreed to resign, effective Aug. 1.
	Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, ``expressed their disappointment''
with the decision in a letter to Habitat's chief executive officer, Jeff
Snider. In the letter the Carters reportedly said they were
reconsidering their commitment to the group that has built 10,000 homes
for the poor worldwide, the newspaper said.
	Snider said he was not optimistic he could convince the Carters to
remain with Habitat beyond the weeklong Jimmy Carter Work Project in
Miami in June.
	Carter has not been available for comment but he was meeting with
Habitat officials Tuesday at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta
to discuss the Miami project.
	Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty and homelessness
worldwide by building low-cost homes for the poor. It has grown
tremendously since its founding in 1976, expanding to more than 560
affiliates in 30 developing nations.
	The group's Americus, Ga., headquarters has been rocked for a year,
first by allegations that Fuller sexually harassed five women who worked
for Habitat. Two weeks ago, a Habitat volunteer was charged with arson
after admitting he set fire to the group headquarters, causing $100,000
damage.
	Habitat officials stressed that the harassment accusations had
nothing to do with asking Fuller to resign but Fuller disagreed.
	``The problem stems back to the difficulty with those women,'' he
said, adding that he resigned after being given an ``ultimatum'' to
surrender all authority and concentrate on fund-raising and development.
	``They wanted to seriously curtail my input,'' Fuller said. ``They
wanted me basically to become a ceremonial president.''
	Since Fuller recruited them for Habitat in 1984, the Carters have
contributed a week a year to the organization. The Carters helped build
and rehabilitate homes in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York,
Milwaukee, Charlotte and Tijuana, Mexico.

        "Courtesy of Inside Contact, Corporate Employee Communication"

******************************************************************************

                       Bangladesh Disaster Relief fund

   The American Red Cross is accepting cash donations for the relief
   effort in Bangladesh.  You may send a tax deductible donation to:
                   
                American Red Cross (Bangladesh relief)
                        99 Brookline Ave.
                        Boston, MA 02215

   Digital will match your gift ($15 minimum).  Matching Gift Forms are
   available through your Personnel office and must accompany each donation.

   For further information, please call:
   Lisa Laing, American Red Cross (617) 262-1234; 
   Nishat Khan (DTN: 223-2857) or (508) 692-4579. 

(From the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, August 26, 1992, edition
posted with permission of the interviewee) ;-)

Muscular Dystrophy Association helps make his life a little easier
------------------------------------------------------------------
by Raymond McCaffrey

	He has learned to cope with the emotional moments - such as the day he
was called a freak on the school playground, or the night he overheard his
parents asking themselves why they had been saddled with a handicapped child.

	But his strong character could not cover the cost of his motorized
wheelchair, or pay for the assorted hydraulic lifts that help him in and out of
his bed or the bathtub or his custom van.

	"God knows I would not have the quality of life that I have if it had
not been for the Muscular Dystrophy Association," said Richard Jones-Christie.

	"One of the things that people who don't live with physical handicaps
don't really know is how expensive this equipment is."

	Jones-Christie is one of the beneficiaries of what has now become an
American holiday tradition: the MDA Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.  Since
1966, the telethon has raised $615,768,253 to fund research and other medical
services, according to MDA.

	"I couldn't really afford to live a normal or as close to normal life
as I do if it hadn't been for their help with the expensive things," Jones-
Christie said.  "I'd be chronically in debt."

	Jones-Christie, a 44-year-old call screening specialist for Digital
Equipment Corp., suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, one of the 40
neuromuscular diseases that MDA lists under its aegis.

	Ironically, Jones-Christie originally was diagnosed with muscular
dystrophy as a toddler.  "I could walk for a while.  Not well.

	"There were people who pointed and stared and laughed and made fun
of me."

	He was in the first grade when a classmate called him a freak - even
though he didn't know what the word meant.  "I asked my father what a freak
was and he lowered his newspaper...and said, 'Well, a freak is a five-legged
cow.'"

	As he grew, Jones-Christie came to understand the gravity of his
affliction.  He recalled a public service message on a boy with muscular
dystrophy; the child's favorite toy was a set of toy soldiers.  "Not unlike
myself...And one day the boy had trouble walking.  And one day he had to be
bedridden.  And one day there was no boy to play with these toys."

	"You got the message."

	By the time he was in the third grade, Jones-Christie was confined to
a wheelchair.  Soon after, he woke up one night and overheard an emotional
conversation his parents were having in another room.  "There were tears.
There was a lot of pain.  There was not anger with me, but anger with the
situation and how they hadn't really done anything to deserve this difficulty.

	"I never did discuss it with them.  I do remember just crying myself
back to sleep and just storing it away for all these many years.

	"No kid really wants to be a burden to their parents."

	But it was not as if his parents were not devoted; his parents took
him to all sorts of doctors - even faith healers.  "They weren't leaving any
stone unturned."

	His mother became one of the founders of MDA's Arizona chapter.  Like
many, Jones-Christie grew up watching the annual telethon - although not as
much as others.  "My parents were more glued to it than I was....I found it a
little too painful to watch a lot.  In fact, I still find it a little painful
to watch for myself.  How should I put it?  Maybe it's a flaw in my own
personality, but it brings up all those points in my life that have been
difficult to deal with...It is almost like exposing a raw nerve for me."

	Jones-Christie was in college when a specialist diagnosed his ailment
as spinal muscular atrophy.  He was told he would have a normal life span -
if not a normal life.  His neuromuscular control continues to deteriorate.
"My right arm is not nearly as strong as it used to be," he said.

	"I was a real hand-shaker at one time...and I can't do that anymore."

	And yet Jones-Christie pointed out that there is much he can do -
thanks to the equipment MDA helped to provide.

	"It has given me mobility, which is something we as American all
cherish," Jones-Christie said.

	"It has made a profound difference in  my life."

    Re: .9
    
    Wow!!!! 
    What can I say?
    
    Marc H.

    Thanks for sharing that Richard.  The MDA has made a profound
    positive difference in your life, as you have in the lives of 
    many around you, including mine. :-)
    
    peace & many blessings,
    
    Kb

    Richard,
    
    Thank you for sharing that story with us.  Ditto to what Kb said!!
    
    Love,
    
    Ro
    
    p.s. we share the same birth year!!  ;')
    

    Richard,
    
    Thanks for sharing your story with us.
    
    Peace and many blessings to you and yours.
    
    
    Bernie
    

    How do you feel about giving money to street people?  Do you always
    give money to them when they ask for it?  Never?  Sometimes?  Do you
    feel guilty when you don't?  What do you feel is the right thing to do?
    
    -- Mike

    RE: .14
    
    I use to give money to street people until 1970. At that time, I was
    constantly asked for money by girls at the student union at UMASS...
    i.e. "any spare change?". I became quite cynical about them, as
    I could see that they didn't really need money. I also stopped giving
    out money to the wino's on Boston Common...seemed my money just went
    to buy more booze.
    
    I really feel that there is money/food/shelter available for the 
    homeless. Many times the people that I see are really mentaly ill.
    I don't think that giving them handouts is really a cure.
    
    I do believe in helping the homeless though. My prefered method is
    helping at shelters, donating food to the shelters, and donating
    clothing/goods to the people in the shelters. This is how myself
    and my family are helping...direct aid to the people that want
    help.
    
    Marc H.

Asked for change for coffee in the recent past, I took the man to a coffee
shop and bought him and myself a cup of coffee, and we chatted awhile.

I think some people give money to "make them go away," and do it without
even realizing it.  But if Jesus is our example, then we must not neglect
the relational aspect of charity.

Richard