By: Shivarny
What does it mean to be good? Is it to be selfless and caring or merciful and fair? What happens when mercy and fairness don’t align in a situation? And do negative consequences matter if one had good intentions to begin with?
These are just a few of the questions that arose during my second week as a summer intern. While reading my assigned book, Toxic Charity by Robert Lupton, I came upon a passage about food banks and the “toxic” relationships it can foster. Lupton describes a church’s food bank held on Wednesday mornings that he was a part of using statements such as, “the rules are posted on the wall. One visit per month […] One bag per household […] Some recipients play by the rules. Other’s don’t, offering excuses.” (Lupton, 52). From the description of the clients to the explanation of how the food bank runs, my heart sank as I realized I was reading a very similar scenario to my Wednesday mornings at St. Jude’s food bank.
That following Wednesday as I stood behind the table of vegetables, handing out bags of lettuce and giving the choice, “Pepper or tomato?” I kept thinking of the points Lupton made about developing unhealthy, dependant relationships with the community. With each client that walked by, smiling and offering their thanks and gratitude, I couldn’t help but ask myself: am I part of the problem?
This food bank has been running for years and is clearly needed based on the demand. How can such a noble cause to help those in need possibly be so destructive? With all these questions, the only thing I am certain of is that I need to do more research. I’m not a community developer and have no education in social work. I can’t decide what is good for this community based off the experiences of a church leader in America. This week I realized the layers of complexity that is involved in charitable causes. As I finish reading and continue working at ETCBC this week, I’ll make sure to get a better understanding of community development through research and asking the staff about their experiences.