Addressing need in all its forms

As an attendee of the mega church mentioned in a recent letter, I would like to help set the writer's heart and mind at ease.

I regularly volunteer five hours per week at that church in addition to my full time occupation. It is a labor of love for me because I feel I am making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than I am.

I invite him to join me on a Saturday morning as we help provide for the needs of the others with a food pantry, optometry and dental services, blood pressure screening and children's clothing. These are but a sample of the many outreaches the church provides.

At one time I used to work with a team that helps people with physical or financial limitations maintain their homes. That team serves an eight-hour shift on a Saturday. Once a week the mega church provides a PADS Shelter for the homeless that includes facilities for showering as well as meals and a safe place to sleep.

We do not just maintain these ministries at a local level. Through carefully chosen partners we also serve the needy in many locations across the world by providing supplies and teaching the needy how to plant and harvest food for their own use or to barter for other goods and services. We help build structures that they can live or learn or worship in. We provide training to encourage their local leaders to be better at helping them to create their own opportunities.

Yes, we are very aware of the needs in this world and we have programs to help where we can be effective in making change for the better.

I would also like to challenge his definition of the needy. Yes, those who are incarcerated have been found guilty of violating the law. Does that necessarily make them less human or valuable? "Need" is a very broad term and sometimes is confused with "want". Is it our place to determine who is really in need or how much help they really need?

Steve Bond

Hoffman Estates