Most of us are familiar with community charity efforts. Even if we haven’t benefitted from these programs ourselves, we’ve seen bell-ringers at Christmas or people manning tables collecting funds and donations for local food banks or other programs. But did you know that a large portion of those programs are run or sponsored by churches? Here’s more info about how religious communities are supporting the rest of the world – all around the globe.
The United States
American charities that are headed and organized or sponsored by religious organizations are plentiful. Just how numerous are they? There are over 84,000 Christian and Catholic charity organizations currently in operation – and new ones are started each year. This does not include the thousands of charity programs run by Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, and other religions across the United States.
Charity Efforts Around the World
The community enrichment and assistance efforts offered by church-based organizations don’t stop at the borders of the United States. Far from it. The majority of funds raised by these organizations actually go to efforts around the world, some of which include:
- International hunger relief efforts and programs that both provide seeds and livestock and educate participants on how to farm
- Charities aimed at protecting and empowering women
- Children’s charities that provide education and safety measures for kids
- Organizations helping to educate families on how to provide better medical care to themselves and their children and providing medication and sanitation supplies
- Holiday charities, providing well wishes and gifts to children whose families cannot afford them
- Child sponsorship programs, providing for the basic needs of children in impoverished regions
- Missionary efforts, bringing the Bible and its message to the people of more nations every year – in their own languages
For more information about community charity efforts in the Detroit area, contact one of your local Detroit churches. You might be surprised at just how many programs are available in your community – and how you can be of service to those around you.
