Reasons to Give
Why Give Money
It may sound ridiculous for me to suggest, but I believe that even a person struggling to escape poverty should give to a worthy cause. There is something very powerful in the act of making a personal sacrifice with the goal of being able to contribute towards a cause you feel is worthy. I don't mean to imply that you should give so much that you jeopardize your ability to escape poverty, but definitely consider making a sacrifice here and there so you can afford to give a little something towards a cause you find worthy.
Why Give Time and Talents
Even if you can't afford to donate money towards something you undoubtedly have some talents and time you can contribute. It is difficult to add up all the many good things that can happen when you work with the goal of helping others. Obviously, if you are poor you need to focus on helping your own situation, but don't completely neglect the power of donating some of your time and talents to help others.
Giving Hones Your Power of Sacrifice
When you sacrifice time or money to help others you send yourself a powerful message. You affirm and enhance your ability to make sacrifices in order to achieve something more important than your immediate gratification. This is important because you need to hone the power of sacrifice to remove poverty from your life.
Giving Helps You Value Your Time and Money
When you donate your time and money you are very conscious of the fact that you want your donations to be put to good use. You had to make sacrifices to give so you consciously reflect on how you want your donations to be used in meaningful ways. Giving helps you value your time and money and this is very important in your mission to overcome poverty.
Giving Gives You Perspective
Helping people in need will give you a perspective that enables you to more fully appreciate the opportunities you have. Appreciating the opportunities you have will inspire you to create more opportunities and this is another powerful key to overcoming poverty.
Giving Forms Meaningful Connections
Connections are formed when people give towards a common cause. Think of all the connections that are formed at something as simple of volunteering time at a soup kitchen. You connect with fellow volunteers. You connect with the people you are serving. You connect with the soup kitchen staff. Your new connections also bring you closer to the connections of your new connections. Connections are important for many reasons. One reason is that the probability of getting a good job is greatly enhanced by having connections.
Giving Enables Meaningful Community Involvement
In certain environments people are willing and able to help each other out to a high degree. Finding a community where you can help and be helped can be a valuable asset in your escape from poverty. This type of meaningful community involvement isn't possible if you are unable or unwilling to give.