Saturday, February 10, 2007

Peace and Buck returned and spoke about the unsual phenomenon which happens every year in"Scouting for Food". The Boyscout troop left grocery bags all over the front door knobs and mail boxes of Loudon County last week and went to pick up those same bags filled with canned goods from the residents. The collected canned goods will go into a church food pantry for the poor. The astonishing thing is that each year, the boys report the same thing- the richest neighborhoods always give the least, and the poorer parts of town are the most generous. Buck and Peace were assigned the largest million dollar housing neighborhood of about 50 to 70 houses, and my men returned with a whooping total of two bags. I pray these folks simply may give big in other ways, because "to whom much is given, much is required".

7 comments:

Pilgrim said...

That's interesting. I've heard something about that from my sister, in the area she lives. I've wondered about it, in the area where I live.
I think some people often appear to have a lot because they put their money into visible, rather than invisible, places. They have to choose between the two.
Nice to see your picture.
:-)

truevyne said...

Wow,so your sister has the same experience? What part of the world is she in? Interesting.

Kat said...

I've seen this as well, and discussed it with friends who have been in similar situations. It applies to other things as well, such as tipping a delivery person or waiter. One summer during college I delivered pizza, and the best tips always came from blue-collar neighborhoods, not the multi-million dollar homes that were in our area. I think it amounts to this: people who have worked for tips know what it's like to depend on them. They know what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck and are more likely to open their pockets. Likewise, people who have been hungry are more likely to share what they have, even if it's only a little, because they have walked in those shoes. I don't mean to paint everyone with a wide brush, or say that they poor are always more copmpassionate than the rich, but I think the "been there" factor does influence people's giving.

truevyne said...

Good thoughts, Kat.

Pilgrim said...

She lives in a central Ohio suburb.

Truth said...

In my experiences, I have learned the same thing. The poorest areas seem to give the most because they have "been there." They know what it is like to struggle and need a bit of help. The wealthier people often have no idea, nor do they care to know in their pompous arrogance. Maybe it has something to do with what Jesus said about it being harder for a rich man to get to heaven...they don't know what they really lack/need.

truevyne said...

Truth, I just think about how much I have as an American compared to the rest of the world. I am not rich by any means according to America, but by world standards, my family has a fortune.