3371 Chattanooga Valley Road Flintstone GA 30725 706.820.2833

3371 Chattanooga Valley Road Flintstone GA 30725 706.820.2833

Thursday, August 23, 2012

This is a Problem. Or is it?

What do you think? Read the following article for the Non-profit Quarterly. Contact us and let us know what you think at heather.hope4nwga@gmail.com.


A Job Not Done: Rural Areas Socked By Unproductive Congress

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Understanding Poverty: For Educators

I just finished reading a book and must make a recommendation for anyone who is an educator! If you work with children living in poverty, this is a must read. Written by Ruby K. Payne, A Framework for Understanding Poverty delves into the hidden rules of the three economic classes and introduces the reader to some exciting strategies for overcoming the obstacles facing those in poverty.

If you are not an educator, or are simply excited about Payne's ideas, check out her website at AHA Process.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Justice to Charity

In Lawrence Mead's From Prophesy to Charity: How to Help the Poor, he argues that we must move on from Justice, and take a step towards Charity.

"The Good Samaritan rescues the man beaten by robbers not because his community expected this -indeed, it did not- but because of his personal compassion toward the victim."
Mead then goes on to apply this to today's society. He argues that, in order to be charitable, the poor need not have some kind of value applied to them by society.
"The poor need not have standing in their community. They need not be 'deserving.' Indeed, the Bible virtually defines them as the undeserving. We need not claim that they have been wronged [as Justice would seek to do]. We need not identify with them, claiming that they are citizens just like the more privileged. We need not deny obvious differences between the poor and nonpoor. Rather, in the sight of God everyone is unworthy, poor and nonpoor alike."
 When one takes this approach, it becomes impossible to ignore one glaring fact: we are all poor. If this is true, how might we then apply charity to our fellow impoverished brothers and sisters?

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Thank You!

Many thanks to those who joined Hope at Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church this past Saturday for a training on Mercy & Justice in the church. We had a wonderful time! I was truly blessed by the discussions we had, and hope to continue this journey of learning and repentance with you! Living a life that truly shares itself with the poor is no easy task.