Do like our president: Tell them that they can either accept 10 cents on the dollar, or they can take you to court, but you'll outspend them on lawyers. barfo
You might try referring the family to 211 Oregon or perhaps even call them yourselves and speak to them about the family's issues to get a better understanding of what services are available to assist the family. There are a lot of families in need and they are fortunate that the church has helped them out for so long. But, this can't last forever. I think JFizzle's idea is a humane way of dealing with it. But, be prepared for an emotional response from the family. I might provide a longer leash though. Not sure. It's tough when the kindness is not appreciated and is expected. No good deed goes unpunished.
Wow, this really is a dilemma. On one hand it's kind of hard to grasp that these folks have become so dependent (a nice word for self entitled) on your church's kindness for so long. But having volunteered at my local food bank for the past 3 years, I have grown used to seeing this type of expectation on a regular basis. It's difficult not to be judgemental while still doing the "Christian" thing. I don't know what the family's issues are, or why their dependence has continued for so long, but our food bank's mission is to offer a hand up, not a hand out. We try to assist them in finding a variety of social services that will move them in the direction of self sufficiency. We also offer, with strict guidelines, utilities and rent assistance for the short term until they are back on their feet. But some people just aren't interested. It's easier to take a hand out and keep coming back for more. Or they make poor choices (drugs and alcohol) that keep them broke and unemployed. But again, we try very hard not to judge. There is no easy answer and sometimes hard choices have to be made for the greater good (Lord how I hate that term!). In the case of your church, I would sit them down and explain that you want to try and help others in need, that they have had long term assistance and now it's time for them to stand on their own two feet so your congregation can help others in need. And it's impossible to help anyone, including your congregation if your church can't support it's own existence. I'd say it's time to make that hard choice. Sometimes people need a serious dose of reality to get them motivated.....
Put them on commission. Instead of a handout, give them 10% of any money that they can raise for the church. barfo
That's the part I struggle with too... we recently had a lady knock on the door of the church on a Tuesday morning needing help. She was probably in her 30s and was clearly in distress, dirty, possibly beaten, definitely some kind of self medication. We brought her in, gave her clothes/food/toiletries, etc. and she was so grateful she said she'd be back Sunday for church and it didn't happen, oh well... BUT, at least she knows there's help if she needs it and it planted the seed. We also do a food/clothing bank and I know there are several churches in the area who do that.
We just approved our church budget for 2017, so I'm guessing your church probably operates similarly and has their family support already budgeted for 2017 as well? One of the Elders or Deacons should be able to sit down with the family to make a plan. Possibly weening them off the support by years end or committing to a lower amount. It is definitely not an easy situation, but a conversation should be had with the family to express the concern of the church, if it hasn't happened already, then go from there...
Just gonna throw this out there but it could solve your money problems and the family support problem. PPV crucifictions. Pick a family member that looks good on camera. After it's over I doubt the remaining members will ask for thing. I know I'd watch!
http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Leeches sucker using nothing but your fingernail. Part 1 Removing a Leech 1 Locate the head and sucker. The head is the narrower part of the leech, and the sucker where it attaches to your skin. If the leech is located on one of your arms, legs, your torso, or another easily accessible area, you should be able to remove it yourself. Otherwise, you'll need someone else to help you take it off.[1] If you find one leech, you should check your entire body to see if there are more. Leeches inject an anesthetic into your skin when sink in their teeth, so their bites are painless. You may not be able to feel the presence of other leeches elsewhere on your body. Remember that leeches aren't poisonous and they don't carry diseases, so don't panic when you find one. Leeches are usually quite easy to remove and won't cause any long-term harm. 2 Slide your fingernail under the sucker. Use one hand to gently pull the skin near the sucker taught, then place your other hand next to the leech and slide one of your fingernails underneath the sucker. The leech will immediately begin attempting to reattach itself, so flick it off right away. Do not yank off the leech, since this will leave its sucker attached to your body. If you're squeamish about using your fingernail to remove the leech, you can use the edge of a credit card, a sturdy piece of paper or any other thin object instead. 3 Treat the open wound. When leeches latch on, they inject an anticoagulant to prevent the blood from clotting before they can get their fill. When you remove a leech, it might bleed for several hours or even days before the anticoagulant leaves your system. Be prepared for the sight of profuse bleeding when you take the leech off. Cleanse the open wound with rubbing alcohol or another first aid cleansing solution, then apply a bandage to protect it. Since the bleeding might take awhile to stop, you should change the bandage regularly in the meantime. It's important to treat the area as you would any open wound, especially if you're hiking around in a jungle. Open wounds are more susceptible to getting infected in jungle environments.[2] Expect the wound to itch while it heals. 4 Consider letting leeches fill up and drop off. If you can stand it, an easy way to get rid of a leech is by letting it drop off on its own. It takes around 20 minutes for a leech to fill up, and when it's done feeding it will fall off your skin. Leeches don't take enough blood for blood loss to be a worry here, and since they don't spread disease, there's really no harm in letting them fall of without intervening.[3] The practice of letting leeches feed on human blood for medical purposes has been done for thousands of years, and "leech therapy" continues to be medically important.[4] The FDA has approved the use of leeches to help with circulation problems and to aid in tissue reattachment[5] 5 Avoid removing leaches by any other means. You might have heard that you can remove a leech by pouring salt on it, burning it, spraying it with repellant or drowning it in shampoo. While these techniques might cause the leech to release its grip and fall off, it won't do so before vomiting back into the wound. This can lead to bad infections, so stick to the healthier practice of simply using a fingernail or other straightedge to get under the sucker.[6] Part 2 Dealing With Difficult Leeches 1 See how deeply the leech has burrowed. Sometimes leeches find their way into orifices, like the nostrils, ear canals and mouth. This is especially common when you're swimming among leeches. When this happens, it can be difficult to reach the sucker and use the simple leech removal method. Do your best to remove it the easy way before trying alternative methods. See if someone can help you slide something under the sucker. Be very careful not to poke yourself, though. Do not use this method if you can't see the sucker. You can try to let the leech finish sucking and fall off, but if it's inside a tiny space it might get too big and cause problems. 2 Use alcohol if it's in your mouth. If the leech has attached itself to the inside of your mouth, you might be able to cause it to fall off by rinsing your mouth with vodka or another strong alcohol. Rinse it around your mouth for about 30 seconds, then spit. Check to see if the leech is gone.[7] If you don't have alcohol on hand, hydrogen peroxide may also work. If the leech is still there after you spit, and doesn't fall off on its own, you need to seek medical attention. 3 Puncture the leech if it's getting too big. If you're in a remote area and don't have immediate access to a doctor, you might need to puncture the leech. Hopefully you will have been able to remove it via another method, but if it's in a really tricky place, like your nostril, you might need to pop the leech before it obstructs your breathing. To do this, take a sharp knife and simply pop through the skin. It's not going to be pretty, but the leech will die and you should have an easier time getting to the sucker. Remove the leech's body and immediately wash the area. If signs of infection occur, seek medical attention as soon as possible. 4 Get medical attention if it can't be removed. If you have a leech far up your nose, in your ear canal or in another place that's impossible to reach, go to the doctor to get it removed. The doctor will be able to use instruments to remove the leech without hurting you. 5 Get treated immediately if you show signs of a leech allergy. Few people are allergic to leeches, but it does happen. If you experience dizziness, a rash, shortness of breath or swelling, take an antihistamine (such as Benadryl) and seek medical attention right away.[8]
One of the many reasons i stopped going to church. First off i hate the term budget. Ive had pastors present a budget plan and then preach about tithing when the people arent meeting the budget. They tell you to tithe first and trust god to pay the bills but they dont trust anything but tithes to pay thier bills. Im a big fan of giving. I give in secret to people who deserve it. I dont tithe to a collective for a tax write off. All that aside. Jesus had no place to lay his head Luke 9 57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. The only thing God promises his followers as far as "stuff" 1 timothy 6 6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. I have a problem with people who expect things. If you are truly a child of God you should be content with food and warm clothing because thats all you are promised. When you realize that everything else on this earth is shit you will be content. If you want anything above then you need to work. Sometimes in an attempt to help people we actually hurt them. For instance, a drug addict asks you for money. You give trying to help, they fuck up their life some more, and you have become an enabler. So really you just need to ask yourselves 1 question, are we helping these people, or we enabling them. Maybe they arent drug addicts, and they are just addicted to living above their means without working, but that is enabling as well. Lazyness is very addictive, it took me most of my adult life to break the addiction myself. I decided 1 day that hard work would pay off. Since that decision ive put 100% effort into my work and ive gone from homeless to home owner in 3 years. If i can do it anyone can.
But the Blazers have a Prophet who they can turn to... In all seriousness...Jesus tells us to clothe and feed the poor and the unable. However, this is also reality, and finances are what they are. No easy answers, I'm afraid. I would say, based on the teachings of Jesus, to help them indefinitely. But when it comes to money, that's far easier said than done.
You churchies are so gullible. Every person or family that you give money to is a con. They know that anyone dumb enough to believe in mythical super-beings who tell them to "help thy neighbor" are a gift that never stops giving. Bend's motels are full of families that haven't sought employment for years, with churchies paying their $1,500 monthly rent, bringing them home-cooked meals, babysitting their kids so they can take a mini-vacatiion to KahNeeTah because they live under so much pressure... Methhead chicks scam Saving Grace, a local that helps battered women leave home, continually. They say their BF beat them up, they get a free room and then the BF and his boys show up and they party. Enablers, that's what you are.
Yeah, they should qualify for Section 8 housing, state food assistance (SNAP), and energy programs. They should have applied for all of that long ago while the church helped support them on a limited basis. The following links would be the beginning towards finding help: http://www.oregon.gov/OHCS/pages/index.aspx http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/assistance/Pages/index.aspx https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/oregon/renting
FUND THE FAMILY FOREVER (We have renters that are in this situation with a subsidy from the church). I actually think that the ones we had only had the subsidy for the down payment and the first few months but then got off it. Give them 6 months.
Given you're self proclaimed mental superiority why would you even bother with us dumb enablers? Do you think we're going to change our minds? Your opinion has no value in this discussion at all.
Find them a job......caregiving for the disabled cannot hire enough workers ...the best thing a support group could do to help them out is teach them to fish, not buy them fish....churches where I live feed folks and open their doors when it's freezing outside....but there is work for those who want to work....I've delivered food to the needy in our community but what we don't do is deliver money...........I think that is the wrong thing to do on a regular basis...take up a collection once when there's a tragedy but making them a dependant of the church seems to foster more dependancies
