With the power of the internet today it's not hard to find a charity organization that is doing some sort of work in the world around us. In fact you can even come in contact with one while shopping, say at the Gap. You go in for a shirt and find out by the (RED) tag that your purchase will go to help "someone", "somewhere" in a place that doesn't have enough to go around. Turn on your television to watch a sitcom and you get a 30 second commercial for www.ONE.org which happens to be filled with almost every single mega-star in Hollywood. Charity seems to be popular now a days, at least that's how it appears. Who actually is doing the work?

We have a habit especially in America to think only large and established organizations have real impact when it comes to helping people. Christmas time we look for the red kettle to help the Salvation Army do their good amongst the less fortunate. Seeing rich, well known actors asking for funds for flood victims moves people to add their support. Yet, what about the actual work. Yes, Angelina and Brad really do go and touch people and their work is commendable, but it's an unknown that does the day to day ministry. That doctor from Kansas on leave from his practice, or the housewife who wanted to feel like she was doing something bigger than washing the dishes day in and day out, is the one working. If only we could publicize this more often, we might really make a lasting change.

It's a dangerous thing sometimes to have conveniences in life. It used to take a days effort in the kitchen to create a thanksgiving meal that was worthy to place on the table; today you can simply pick up the entire meal from the local supermarket and save yourself the effort. Why even slice vegetables when a machine can do it for you and put them in bags already washed. The same goes for helping others, why put yourself out there when (place charity name here) can do it for you. Yes, send in the financial aid and someone else can make your impact in the world for you.

Does it not count? Sure it does, give and when you can give big. Without these ministries and organizations in the world things would be a lot worse. Yet, what if instead of simply giving we made an effort to participate in the work? Maybe for every dollar we give we donate an hour of our time down at the local shelter or soup kitchen. Instead of leaving it up to Tom Hanks and Don Cheadle we started our own outreach down the street? This is where we come short in putting an end to poverty. We leave it up to the "saviors" to do the saving instead of going out ourselves into the world and saving people. This is what churches and charity works should be pushing, getting people out doing it on a daily basis.

One of the major sins of the churches in the nineties was asking people for money all the time. It became a joke that the preacher only wanted your money and saving your soul was secondary. The reason for this was the churches desire to prove they doing their part in helping the hurting within the community. It takes money to buy the soup and gas up the van to shuttle people. The problem was the church ended up doing all the work and people simply gave. If the churches stopped asking for money and instead inspired their parishioners to give within their own world around them, more people would be helped. The churches impact would cross race and economic barriers faster than if it was doing it alone.

This is what's needed to defeat poverty and devastation in the world. Money yes, but people more. Not organized groups taking one trip across the globe every other year, but individuals living a life of charity day in and day out. Buying an extra cheeseburger at lunch and slipping it to the homeless guy on the corner, donating an hour of your time each week reading to the kids at the hospital suffering with cancer. Each person alone has an entire charity work at their doorstep if only we would teach them to see it.

Now the draw back is there are no fancy t-shirts to honor your work. No one is going to do a story in People magazine about you either. You won't need to spend millions to host an arena large enough to hold a hundred bands to raise money, or split your donations with a textile company. People could think your crazy or that it doesn't really count, but you'll make a difference that's for sure. Churches used to ask for missionaries now they just ask for money, but people do the work. It's time to inspire people to give where they are as a way of life, that's when poverty and pain will begin to disappear.