Here is an abstract for a recent study on poverty in the United States. I’ve italicized the key consideration for Christians who want to develop well-informed (not just well-intentioned) policies and strategies to minister spiritually and physically to the the needy (as we are called to do):
For decades, the U.S. Census Bureau has reported that over 30 million Americans were living in “poverty,” but the bureau’s definition of poverty differs widely from that held by most Americans. In fact, other government surveys show that most of the persons whom the government defines as “in poverty” are not poor in any ordinary sense of the term. The overwhelming majority of the poor have air conditioning, cable TV, and a host of other modern amenities. They are well housed, have an adequate and reasonably steady supply of food, and have met their other basic needs, including medical care. Some poor Americans do experience significant hardships, including temporary food shortages or inadequate housing, but these individuals are a minority within the overall poverty population. Poverty remains an issue of serious social concern, but accurate information about that problem is essential in crafting wise public policy. Exaggeration and misinformation about poverty obscure the nature, extent, and causes of real material deprivation, thereby hampering the development of well-targeted, effective programs to reduce the problem.
You can access the whole study here.
A couple of helpful books on poverty relief include Marvin Olasky’s influential
The Tragedy of American Compassion and Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett’s When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself.
