Do the Rich Have a Responsibility to Care for the Poor?
Filed in: Human Rights
By Kat Vaughan
Sometimes when I tell people about my business or passion to help the poor in Guatemala, I get blank stares or, worse, detached or angry questions or comments. Why help them? Do you really think you are going to make a difference? Who cares? We have enough to worry about in the US. Why give up your comfort to go to a place like that? I am continuously amazed with the ignorance of some... and then I remember when I neglected to think about the needs of the poor.
Do the rich have a responsibility to care for the poor? Yes, we do. When you see poverty, especially in the developing world, it is overwhelming: lack of clean water, housing, food, education and so much more grip one's heart like no other. Being around the Guatemalan poor reminds me of the grace I walk in. I did not choose to be born in my country, nor my socioeconomic level, nor did the poor choose their plight. When I look into the faces of the Guatemalan poor, I see myself. Indeed, you don't need to be financially rich to care for the poor. Instead, and even more importantly, one needs a heart of compassion, true riches, and a drive to improve the lives of others. Caring for the poor in the developing world can take on many forms: volunteering, giving money, donating needed items, sponsoring a child, building a school or library, buying fair trade and socially responsible products and gifts, and on and on. Everyone can get involved, helping the poor, one person at a time.
What do you think?
Sometimes when I tell people about my business or passion to help the poor in Guatemala, I get blank stares or, worse, detached or angry questions or comments. Why help them? Do you really think you are going to make a difference? Who cares? We have enough to worry about in the US. Why give up your comfort to go to a place like that? I am continuously amazed with the ignorance of some... and then I remember when I neglected to think about the needs of the poor.
Do the rich have a responsibility to care for the poor? Yes, we do. When you see poverty, especially in the developing world, it is overwhelming: lack of clean water, housing, food, education and so much more grip one's heart like no other. Being around the Guatemalan poor reminds me of the grace I walk in. I did not choose to be born in my country, nor my socioeconomic level, nor did the poor choose their plight. When I look into the faces of the Guatemalan poor, I see myself. Indeed, you don't need to be financially rich to care for the poor. Instead, and even more importantly, one needs a heart of compassion, true riches, and a drive to improve the lives of others. Caring for the poor in the developing world can take on many forms: volunteering, giving money, donating needed items, sponsoring a child, building a school or library, buying fair trade and socially responsible products and gifts, and on and on. Everyone can get involved, helping the poor, one person at a time.
What do you think?
Be globally minded and make life better for all.
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