Meeting the Needs of Community Members
My belief on the role of family, community and the Church in helping those in need is that as
Christians, we are supposed to want to help others in any way we can in their time of need. It is not
always feasible but we should make an effort if able to do so. Those in need however, should try to do
for themselves first as responsible and productive members of society before seeking aid from others
within our communities. Unfortunately, bad things happen to good people that are out of their control
and sometimes assistance and guidance is what they need. However, there is a big difference between
providing aid and enabling others.
Helping others should be a value that is instilled starting at childhood. I believe that this should
start at home by teaching children the goodness and feeling of joy that can come from helping those in
need and not looking down on those less fortunate. This should include teaching children that
community involvement and cohesion is a good thing. Ways in which we can do this are to instill a sense
of hope in our children, help them to develop attitudes and actions that always want to assist others
when able but yet also teach them to not be taken advantage of with their kindness. Our world is in a
state that can be viewed as hostile and dangerous for millions of adults and children alike. As a family
we should want to focus on anything that can build on the values we hold as indivduals, as families, in
our faith, the vast expeirences and cultures within our communities as well as the differing socio-
economic statuses and teach them love and compassion for others, no matter how different they are
from us or their values are. Families should help children participate in the development of society by
helping them grow in moral and spirtual maturity and also help them to build a caring and just society
for their future. Children should identify with those in need within their community, especially the poor
and suffering children, and should develop commitment to respond to the poor, those in temporary
need of assistance due to a vast array of circumstances, and the disadvantaged within the community by
action for justice and peace in their communtiies.
The second path of aiding those in need within our communities should be the Church and the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are deeply rooted in advocacy for children and families
and offer hope to those in need and often in desperate and life-altering situations. In 1727, the Ursuline
Sisters founded the first Catholic home for abandoned children in New Orleans, Louisiana. Presently,
millions of families throughout the United States are served by Catholic Charities which offer help in
meeting the basic needs of their communinties. Some of the ways in which they serve the community
are assistance with utility bills and rent payments, offering shelter to those in need, hot meals to the
homeless in its various soup kitchens, offering family counseling, family ministry, marriage preparation
and enrichment services, youth ministry and even parental education (United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops). Churches should not only offer support to those in need but challenge those in need
to reach their goals, work hard to attain those goals to ensure that they can stand on their own. This
means offering assistance and education. Pastoral guidance being a key component. The goal is to aid
those in need but not enable them to depend on others to solve their dilemmas versus working to aid
themselves and also teaching them that while getting help when in need can bring them relief and joy,
they should also then want to return the same to the community by aiding others in need when they are
in a better position to do so. As stated in Hebrews 13:16, “And do not forget to do good and to share
with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” ( (Scofield, 1995).
Lastly, the communities role in this is to foremost, bring family back to being our first priority. By
this I mean investing in our family and our children’s futures. We should combat those factors that aid in
destroying our communities and our children’s future. We as a society should focus less on the material
things, focus less on those things that only bring us personal joy, teach our children and family members
as well as those in our communities that there is a great sense of pride in joy that comes with who we
are as a person and how we care for and treat one another versus only finding joy with and happiness
with the things we have and how much we have of it, as well as our socio-economic status, social status
and what we can get from others. We should teach our children and communities moral principles,
integrity, compassion and respect for others, things that have been lost in todays society.
Research done out of Western Michigan Unviersity and published in the Journal of Sociology and
Social Welfare suggests that communities need more civic associations that foster community
involvement, commitment, pride and leaderhip that are open to and inclusive of the diverse families
that inhabit the community. (Miller, 2001). I agree with the author that civic associations within
communities can play a vital role in teaching that our communities are full of a diverse group of
individuals from various backgrounds including, religious, ethnic, race, social class, and more and each
should be treated with dignity and respect and all are worthy of love, respect, and help and guidance
when needed.
In conclusion, some of the ways in which we, as members of society can aid in providing
assistance to those in need while teaching our children that helping others is an honorable thing to do, is
by first teaching them that those with the greatest need require the greatest response. Resources can
be scarce so while many families need help in some way or another, those in the greatest need should
be served first. We need to do better at keeping families together by empowering families, make efforts
to overcome things that jeopardize families, communities, and our children’s future by efforts to
radicate poverty, promote equal opportunity for all, and enacting law and policy that meets the needs
and challenges facing our diverse populations. We should recognize the family dynamic is not the same
today as it was in the past, divorce is on the rise and single parenting is more common than ever and
society should try all avenues available to help keep these families, who often face difficult economic
situations together versus creating policies that tear them apart, often causing more destruction. If as a
community, family, whether extended or immediate, and as members of the Church we all play a vital
role in aiding those less fortunate and those in need of assistance. The solution is not one single member
of society’s responsibility but rather all members of society. Focusing on others problems can be
overwhelming as we have our own problems we face and it can seem much at times to take on
another’s problems but we cannot allow ourselves to think we cannot make a difference in the world. I
am a firm believer that God places people in our lives for a reason. He will place people in our lives that
offer some sort of enrichment and value. We need to be mindful to act in faith in those moments and
thank him for what he has given us, he will take care of the rest. “Do not withhold good from those to
whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 3:27) (Scofield, 1995).
References
Miller, J. (2001). Family and Community Integrity. The Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 28(4,
Article 3), 23-43. doi: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.2764
Scofield, C. (1995). The Holy Bible: containing the Old and New Testament. Lake Wylie, SC: Christian
Heritage.
United States Conference, C. B. (2024). Putting Children and Families First: A Challenge for Our Church,
Nation and World. Retrieved 05 17, 2024, from USCCB.ORG: https://www.usccb.org/putting-
children-and-families-first-challenge-our-church-nation-and-world
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