Learn to fish: Salvation Army's new plan one that will help end dependency

No one wants to see a family or an individual suffer because of an emergency or an unforeseen circumstance.

But there is a reality to assistance. It is finite. There is only so much to go around.

When habitual users of a system become dependent on that aid, it makes it impossible to help others who might need a temporary helping hand.

The Salvation Army has decided that rather than simply handing out money until it runs out, that the charity has a duty to show people how to get out of poverty.

So now, if you receive assistance from the Salvation Army, in order to receive more, you must attend a life skills class. The idea? To give families and individuals the skills they need to get themselves off assistance and standing on their own two feet.

And that idea is nothing short of brilliant.

The vicious circle of dependency does nothing for a family. Unable to make ends meet, they do not take the steps to improve their lives because they think they can't.

That is not what assistance is supposed to be about. It is a temporary hand up for those who are struggling -- not a way of life.

By teaching the skills, the Salvation Army hopes that perhaps some of the people it is helping today will help others in the future.

And that means we can take care of more working families or others who need us.

This is the kind of program that makes a difference. And if other charities make the same vow, and a centralized system is set up to continue this class requirement, there might actually come a day when we help more people create better lives for themselves and their children -- and fewer people will need assistance in the first place.

And that would be an achievement worth celebrating -- and money very well-spent.

Published in Editorials on August 27, 2014 10:54 AM