Service to the Poor

Although paying taxes that will go to the poor seems to be the easier, and more sensible route of helping the poor, I think that directly touching upon the lives of the poor helps them to extents so much greater than just simply paying taxes. Of course, there are times when the taxes that we pay go for good use and actually help the poor, but I feel like most times it does not go towards the purpose of what we initially believed that it would go to. In our selfish mentality of the world today, people are so busy with their own lives and their own problems, that they barely give even a second thought to the people who are in so much more distress than they are. As a result, they just pay the taxes believing that they have done a good deed and that it will go to good use. However, oftentimes, that does not happen because most poor communities not only are economically corrupted, but also politically corrupted. The corrupted government receives the money that we've been taxed, and being the corrupted people they are, they keep the money and spend it in materialistic ways that please only them, while the poor keep getting poorer.

As a result, I think that directly helping the poor yourself, and making sure that the poor get the help that they need, is what truly helps them the most. Also, rather than money, I think that actually servicing for their specific needs will be the most beneficial. Sometimes, the poor need counseling on how to balance and control their belongings, or even just friendship and a hug.

However, it is realistically just very ideal to have everyone directly the poor because there are people who really don't have enough time or resources themselves. I think in that case, it is very good to give donations to legit organizations that ensures that the poor will get the help they need. For example, Heifer International give livestock to the poor, which helps them not only get the food that they need, but help them learn how to take care of their responsibilities. Also, it is more practical because the livestock reproduce and it needs to be given only once.

I think that people fail to realize the extremity of the environment that the poor live in, but every little bit helps. We should start now and try to help the poor in ways that really will help them.