Wednesday, 30 September 2009

• Non-Profit Programs: Living in Truth or Deception?

  Focus on the Family recently highlighted a youth ranch that rehabilitates horses that have been abused, neglected, and sometimes almost killed then pairs them with kids who have had similar experiences. Horses and Healing was an episode that I had to listen to because I've had some bad interactions with non-profit organizations in my time. I have been involved in some, gained faith in their supposed "goal", only to find the illegal things they would do by "twisting" and "bending" the laws to get what they wanted. These places did it on purpose, fully knowing what they were doing, and they weren't looking out for the true interests of the people they served. I was curious what kind of organization this was and whether it was truly doing what it claimed it was doing---bringing recovering horses together with recovering kids in order to promote healing.
  
  I was encouraged by the show when the woman talked about her horrendous experiences as a child knowing that her father killed himself and murdered her mother. Sometimes, I feel the best people to serve the hurt are those who have been severely hurt themselves. I am an example. I was abused multiple ways as a child and never really told anyone until I was an adult but by this time the nightmares had gotten really bad. I have since recovered, much through grief counseling and true forgiveness that only comes through Christ. Through all that, I realized my overwhelming desire to work with kids who are "at risk" or who have seen the same kinds of things I have, specifically abused kids. 

  Having these desires fpr and dreams of helping these kids recover, I was extremely angered by the conduct I found at some non-profit organizations that were claiming to help. They cut corners in daily care such as good healthy foods, instead only accepting donations from stores after the food is moldy, infested with bugs, or past experiation date. The organizations bought from food pantries in bulk or damaged goods. I remember eating some food at a non-profit, that I will not give any name or association to, and the food they obtained was stale and disgusting. I couldn't believe the people they were giving to actually ate it! I guess they can't be choosers, after all they are just people who need help because they've been abandoned, abused, or weren't emotionally healthy. But don't they need fresh, healthy, tasty food?

  Now don't get me wrong, they still bought fresh food for the residents, it's just that they were getting money from private payment families, local governments for residents who were in the program by order of the state, and money from outside donations---even actual fresh food from private donors who would just randomly drop food off because they wanted to give. Many of these places are honestly just trying to make ends meet. So let's now move on from money to conduct.

  Many of the staff members at these residential facilities aren't appropriately trained to care for medication dependent, emotionally disturbed, hurting, recovering, and sometimes physically dangerous clients. It doesn't matter the age group or the specific reason it was created, many organizations just evolve into whatever they become. Some, actually just start with a vision for one thing, then try to branch out to others. Sometimes because it obtains new, more qualified staff over time, who want to add things such as counseling centers for the community, it expanding genders, or it opens more facilities (some even open businesses such as thrift shops or fast food type restaurants in order to raise money and employ the clients). Either way, many get in over their heads because they don't really know what they are doing or don't have the actual training to offer their employees.
  
  I don't want to think about how many drug overdoses, physical abuse and other outrage victims that happen in these homes that don't really have it all together. I guess we will leave that to the state departments to investigate, if they ever find out. These places are good at cover up too! So please note, I'm not saying ALL of these organizations are like this. I was indeed filled with hope when I listened to the clip about Horses and Healing.
  
  How should Christians judge non-profits before getting involved with or funding them?

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