Serving Our Community (#1)

Serving Our Community: The Poor

There are scores of ways to minister to others. Christ's Church will never have the excuse that we cannot serve Him because there are few opportunities. Below is a non-exhaustive list of ways you can serve your community. Some may be more relevant than others, but all are needs within the State of Maine. The following is a first of several posts on serving others on our area.


1. The Poor ( people in crisis or in a season of life in which their income is inadequate)

• Food: Collect and share high-protein food or share garden produce for people in crisis or in a season of life in which their income is inadequate to feed them. Another option besides providing food free would be to sell food at very low prices to those who truly need it and not simply to people looking for bargains.
• Clothing: Collect clean and mended clothing to sort and fold/hang to share.
• Shelter: Fire, flood, loss of income, sudden change of rent, etc. may require emergency shelter. Show hospitality through working relationships with people who have rooms available for use, motels, or rent subsidies. Other ways to help the poor with shelter are to help repair and restore living quarters that may have fallen in disrepair due to their financial stress.
• Transportation: Elderly are especially needful of this resource for doctor's visits, grocery store trips, etc.
• Skill Training: If you have a job skill you could train someone in to increase their changes of obtaining a job and climb out of poverty, consider sharing your expertise and invest training in someone who is teachable and able to do the job outcome.
• Literacy: Those with a propensity to teach can become involved in tutoring disadvantaged youth and illiterate adults in their education needs.
• Financial Counseling: Many have never been taught sound financial principles and operate out of ignorance. Sharing wise financial habits with those willing to learn puts a solid tool in the hands of those who are teachable.
• Medical: Routine medical care may be neglected by those in poverty. Coordinating periodic free or low cost health clinics through willing medical personnel or organizations could serve to meet that gap.