Keep Your Coins, I Want Change

By Kate McElhinney This catchy and thought-provoking phrase was the headline of a recent article* I read that reviewed how people act with either contempt or compassion toward the homeless.

I consider myself to be on the compassionate side, (although I’m working on this, thanks to Aly’s last post.) But ultimately, this article sparked a tangent thought, (during English class in college this would have resulted in a stern look from my professor, but stay with me on this!)

People often ask how they can get involved with Plant With Purpose. Often times, they want to travel to one of our programs and see how we are working side by side with the poor. This is possible through one of our vision or church trips, but once there, people quickly find that there isn’t an opportunity to pitch in, such as building a house or tilling the land. We hire local agronomists and directors to offer guidance, but these are the only people who are necessary. Since the farmers are empowered, they don’t need our help with the labor and we become observers.

So how can people help? Serving the rural poor, our brothers in Christ, is the core mission of Plant With Purpose. But for those who want to get involved, sometimes the best way is to look locally. Plant With Purpose’s compassionate philosophy can be used as a model to help the local homeless.

A great example of this is Coast Vineyard Church. Every weekday at 11:15 a.m., a team of church members who call themselves “The Branch Ministry” meet at Mission Bay and hang out with the poor. They share food, stories, and the gospel. Over time they have forged friendships with the local homeless and many of them now regularly attend Coast.

So, from what I’ve seen, helping the poor is about more than giving change. Sure, money is helpful for buying clothes or food. But this is a temporary solution. To see a lasting impact, we have to offer compassion as Christians and walk with the poor. Many are looking for transformation, and giving a bit of time goes a long way.

*This article was posted on www.ecclesiacollective.org.

Compassion Wake Up Call

by Aly Lewis

Most of the time, I think I’m pretty great. You know, I’m relatively nice (aside from my biting sarcasm), I’ve never killed anybody (at least not to my knowledge) and on top of all the sugar and spice and everything nice, I work at a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of the voiceless, forgotten, and overlooked rural poor. I am just stacking up those good person points.

So imagine my surprise when I was reading Compassion by Henri Nouwen—a book I thought would be about fostering all of this happy, selfless, compassion inside of me—and in the preface, before the book even starts to get underway, he dashes my hopes that people are naturally selfless and compassionate. In fact, he says, “For those who do not live in a dream world and keep their eyes open to the facts of life, compassion can at most be a small and subservient part of our competitive existence.”

At first I was slightly offended, thinking Maybe other people aren’t naturally compassionate, but not me, I am selfless and giving and have a heart of gold.

Then I realized I was guilty as charged: I had turned compassion into a competition. Appearing more compassionate than others is a vital part of my identity; however, being truly compassionate “would require giving up the dividing lines and relinquishing differences and distinctions. And that would mean losing our identities.”

Talk about a good kick in the compassion pants.

What I can rest assured in, however, is the idea that regardless of where I fall on the compassion continuum, there is always room to grow and improve. And ultimately, “I am not the esteem I can collect through competition, but the love I have freely received from God.”

A Father's Day to Remember

By Corbyn Small

As we approach Father's Day this Sunday the 21st, the age old question comes back to everyone's minds. Why is Dad always so hard to shop for? In my case, I think it is because my dad has been the dad that liked classic cars, watches and collecting vintage road signs. Items which generally have exceeded my budget or things that he has more than plenty of as it is (our household has reached max capacity of Route 66 memorabilia.)

The question still remains, what do you get for the man who has everything he needs? This year's hot items are likely to be more golf club covers, bbq sets, wallets and electric tie racks to give dad the ability to scan his plethora of neckties with the push of a button.

Why not give him a different kind of gift this year? Why not give him a gift that will mean more to him than a new watch or fancy alarm clock ever could? What if you gave someone else a gift in his name? Do you think your father would appreciate and be proud of his son or daughter for making the decision to give a gift to someone else in need while wishing him a "Happy Father's Day" at the same time?

Plant With Purpose works with rural agricultural farmers in some of the poorest and most remote places that don't have access to savings and credit from banks. Through Plant With Purpose, men and women are able to get small loans to start new businesses or grow their current one. What this means for the poorest people is the ability to increase their income and provide better for their families.

So this year as I sat thinking about what to do for my dad (well, Pop, as I have always called him), I thought instead of putting $30 bucks toward a new nose hair trimmer and grooming kit, I am going to donate $30 to empowering the poor and helping them to build a better future for their families. Here is where what you can do. Make a donation and then email me at Corbyn@PlantWithPurpose.org. I will send you a high resolution pdf that you can print off, fold up, jot a note on, and pass along to your dad to say thanks and Happy Father's Day. If you want to make a larger donation of $100 or more, you can click here and donate, otherwise click here to give another amount and I will make sure once you email me that your donation goes toward micro credit loans from the general donation page.

Check out the Father's Day card that will let your dad know how much you care about him and about helping others. For the man who has it all, give a humble little thank you card and a gift that will make a difference in the life of someone who needs it.