The Role of Faith-based Organisations in Poverty Alleviation Essay

To get a clear understanding of the contributions by faith-based social services and where they stand, it is important to first define a faith-based organization and explore the theories from which they derive. Staff of these organizations may most often share the same faith and provide service in accord with their beliefs. â€Å"For some faith-based organizations, faith is manifest in the act of service itself, conspicuous in the compassion inherent in the way work is performed. For others there are programmatic elements which may include prayer, the teaching of religious values, studying religious texts, and worship. These elements may be implied, rather than explicit -- integrated within an faith-based organizations services or segregated – and may either be mandatory or voluntary as part of a given service† (The Roundtable). Faith-based organizations can be made up of different categories such as, congregation-based, independent religiously-affiliated nonpro fits, large national faith-affiliated social service providers, and coalitions or intermediaries (The Roundtable). To provide a definitive breakdown of each organization could be everlasting, however, each organization involves some of the same aspects. Many of us might be familiar with the larger multi-service faith-based organizations they include: Life Catholic Charities, Jewish Family Services, Lutheran Social Services, Salvation Army, and Volunteers of America (The Roundtable). Faith-based organizations mentioned above are more likely than not to contain explicitly religious elements in their activities. â€Å"The Roundtable staff developed and refined a Faith Integration Scale that places faith-based organizations along a continuum ranging from those that are indistingu... ...ions provided love, nurture, and help which my provide long lasting support to an individual who was once ready to dive into a state of depression. Faith- based organizations work could be viewed as inappropriate in our current time, although little is known about the role that â€Å"faith† plays in bringing about desired change in the lives of social service recipients. In my eyes the services provided are in no way inappropriate. Religious or not, I believe most people have a sense of a higher being which is in control of our lives. Even if religion did not play a factor, faith-based organizations contribute greatly to aiding the ways of poverty. Works Cited Williams, Leslie. â€Å"A Free Clinic Is Providing Desperately Needed Health-Care Cervices In Eastern N.O.† The Roundtable on Religion & Social Welfare Policy. 19 Jun 2006. The Times-Picayune. 10 Oct. 2008