How Can We Decide Where to Give?

There are so many needs in our world today that it can be overwhelming. People are suffering all over the world.

Here in Canada, the number of homeless people has risen, and the use of food banks has risen exponentially too.

This post was inspired by the following interview on Faytene TV. Deciding Where, When and How to Donate

1. Getting Unstuck.

Are you being blocked in your giving? The needs around us can sometimes overwhelm us and block us from receiving the joy we can get through giving.

Other times, our own needs can seem so overwhelming that we cannot seem to see how we can possibly donate anything.

How can we get unstuck? Sometimes we need to prime our giving pump.

Have you ever had a spray bottle that hasn't been used in a while? There's lots of stuff still in the bottle, but it just won't seem to spray? That happened to me the other day. To get it to spray, I was guided to try and spray it over and over and over again until, finally, it started spraying again. Just like that stuck spray bottle, sometimes our natural desire to give gets stuck, and we need to take small cost or low-cost giving opportunities to get our "give" going again.

No-Cost and Low-Cost Giving Opportunities

There are quite a few ways people using the internet can make no-cost donations these days, and some can even be simply done as part of our regular routine. Here is a list of some ways people give for free easily.

Use generous search engines.
Click-to-Give
Donate your used clothes and other stuff that is taking up space in your home.

Low-Cost Giving

Years ago, there was a movie, Brother Can You Spare a Dime? In those days a dime bought quite a lot more than it does now. It might have had the same buying power as $2. Here are some ways you could make a $2 donation go a long way.

Give a Twoonie with Your Used Shoes

I found out about this Shoe Drive for Africa on Life100.3FM

In remote regions of East Africa, jiggers (sand fleas) cause infections that lead to skin ulcers and severe health complications, sometimes resulting in death. Prevention is simple: closed-toe shoes and proper hygiene.

Churches around the GTA are working together to get 30,000 pairs of used closed-toe shoes and fill a 40-ft container to be sent to Kenya in August. The container will also be converted into a local medical centre or classroom. Step 30 is an international organization providing medical aid, treating jigger infections, and distributing used shoes to prevent further infections. Your used shoes can save lives! Visit the website for drop-off locations and a list of what kind of shoes they are looking for. You can also make a financial donation to help make this possible. The deadline for shoes and donations in 2024 is August 3. See more details at https://step30.ca

2. Deciding on Larger Donations

Got your "giver" in gear? Ready to make a larger donation? It can be overwhelming to decide where to have. Here are some strategies you might find helpful.

1. Pray. Ask Our Father for help in this decision. 1 Chronicals 16:11

2. Use a charity rating website like Charity Intelligence ( https://www.charityintelligence.ca) to help figure out where your investment will be best used. If your favourite charity has a low score, pray and ask Our Father to help them increase their score.

3. Look at your shortlist of charities and see where your donation will be matched.

3. Have a draw. Put all your possibilities in a small box, pray, then pull one out.

Remember: It is better to give than to receive.

Have a great day,