Today – May 26, 2016 – is Red Nose Day in the USA.
It’s a day for Comic Relief to raise money and it does a really good thing by bringing to America’s attention the need to fight child poverty. The money raised goes to, “the Red Nose Day Fund which distributes the money through programs to keep children and young people safe, healthy and educated. “ (from: https://www.rednoseday.com/what-is-red-nose-day).
I’d like to highlight a better alternative to giving to this fund: Compassion International.
Another aspect of Red Nose Day Fund is this: “vision of a just world, free from poverty” (from: https://www.rednoseday.com/what-is-red-nose-day). Yes, it sounds great. The trouble is that Christians know that this world isn’t going to become just or free from poverty. The poor will be with us always (Mark 14:7).
While many organizations have the heart to feed and educate the poor, without proper long-term goals and values, the money raised and given will only relieve some issues, difficulties, and crises such as disasters and surgeries. But in the long-run, since the poor will be with us, it’s far better to look long-term, as Compassion does.
When you give monthly to Compassion, the money goes to providing a better future specifically for the child who you sponsor. Here are some ways that you get to show love to a child through Compassion. You get to send letters to and receive them from your child (or you can sponsor multiple children!). You can send them birthday and Christmas money, or send money anytime. They, however, don’t get money, but an age, family, and culturally appropriate gift – whoever is in charge of your child’s area (e.g., local pastor) determines what is best for your child. You get to be directly involved in a child’s life!
With a long-term view for each child, we help pave the way for each child we sponsor to have a better future by providing the basics now. That child will grow up, and will prayerfully use the opportunities that he’s been given to live well. But there will still be children after her that will need help.
Compassion operates on hope for the present AND hope for the future. There’s always a child to sponsor, and we need to carry on the hope. Those you help through Compassion aren’t just a multitude – they are children with names, families, and very little help in the present.
On this Red Nose Day, you have a reminder that there really are poverty-stricken children in the world. And you can go to compassion.com and see many children (they have names and faces!) who you can help right away.
Anything is Progress 