Modest Needs

The doc and I are relocating and I’ve been busy getting the house ready for market. Because of that, I’ve been online very little but I found something of a libertarian wet dream and had to post about it.

Modest Needs is a non-profit, funded totally outside of government, that matches donors with households needing a little help. The group verifies the validity of need, documents what the need is and lists whether or not the recipient has been on state or federal aid or used the service before. In their words:

Founded in 2002, Modest Needs is an award-winning public charity with a simple but critical mission: we work to stop the cycle of poverty BEFORE it starts for the low-income workers whom conventional philanthropy has forgotten.

We do this by empowering compassionate members of the general public to safely and securely help hard-working, low-income households to afford the kinds of short-term emergency expenses that we’ve all encountered before: the unexpected car repair, the unanticipated visit to the doctor, or the unusually large heating bill, for example.

Through Modest Needs, donors can pick the cause and the recipient retains his dignity. No tax dollars or red tape. And if you want to know how powerful a little private charity can be, read Kathie’s story or the story of a Texas family that received help and plans to return the favor. From the TX family link:

Thank you, Thank you, from our hearts to yours, not only will your generosity make an immediate difference in the life of my son because he will be able to continue with his therapy. From the timethat my son turned a year and he started having health problems we have have had to change our lifes to make sure he had the medications and therapies that he needed even if it meant going without, my two other children who are 4 and 8 have adjusted and they understand that they might not be able to get something their friends have but they know how why mommy works so much and why money is spent the way that it is, which means obligations first and then if something is left we can get a treat such as a trip to McDonalds or Chuckie Cheese, they understand that their sacrafices directly affect the quality of life for their brother. I have always worked hard and have faith that things will be ok so I have never had to ask for help before. When my two children got sick this October it felt as if my 8 year old daughter and I lived in the hospital,we were there so much, fortunately everything turned out well and the kids got better which was the most important thing. Then came the bills and the stress, I didn’t know what I was going to do with the overdue bills and then a friend referred me to the modest needs website. I cannot believe it. A giant burden has been lifted from my shoulders and my son will be able to continue to receive the therapy that he needs. Thank you to Modest Needs, what your foundation does is bring hope to those of us who don’t know what we are going to do, when all hope is lost you are there to help us through difficult times. Of course I want to give the utmost gratitude to all the people who contributed, there aren’t enough words to express how grateful we are, you have helped us so much. I will never forget your generousity and I plan(I don’t want to say hope because as soon as I am able to, I plan to donate to modest needs and be the one to give hope to someone else.

I find the idea praiseworthy and think the only way a plan like this could fail is if the government comes sticking its nose in.

Hat Tip: Sue

~ by Miche on February 14, 2008.