Times are tough in Youngstown.
Question
Is it better to make a donation to a local charity which feeds the poor or is it better to keep someone employed by patronizing a local business?
Give to the poor. At least someone has a job in the other instance, give to someone who does not.
Kill two birds with one stone ... shop at those stores that aid local food pantries and place some food items in the boxes set aside for the food pantries. Sparkles Markets; Save-A-Lot; and IGA Supermarkets are such stores.
To help our city, we should support the businesses within our city. Both the businesses and the employees pay city income tax which provides services for all of us.
Side Question
Should people receiving food donations be asked to perform some type of service for the organization providing the food and/or some service beneficial to the public?
With our country in the most dire straits - the first "Great Depression" of the
21st century - I think that those who ABLE to work for food and other charitable
benefits should do so. By working for food, etc they would be doing a valuable
service for the entire community, however big or small.
There have been many "Work for Welfare" programs in various parts of the country,
which have been successful to varying degrees. In the current economic times,
it makes sense to help those in need, AND to promote a "barter system" economy
for the time being.
:)