 |
| Been in the backyard today. Here is an abandoned nest I found in the wood shed. The eggs are so delicate! |
Our Community Christmas day dinner is an interest exercise. Thankfully we have heaps of volunteers ring up to offer assistance. This is great, but just sometimes they want to come "on their terms" do what they think best. There are some who want to come with their kids to "make the kids appreciate what they have." I want to scream down the phone, "These people are not zoo animals for your kids to get educated about!" When we say that we encourage hosts to sit and eat with guests some will say, "I don't want to eat with them!" in an almost derogatory fashion. Others just want to do "such and such". I often think we want to help the "unfortunate" but we want to do it on our terms. Do we listen to them? Do we respect them? Are we flexible and willing to do what is needed? Are we willing to give ourselves, our personality, our love and drop our guard so they can sense another human being?
Good grief WINZ!
We have a guy in our church who is in his mid 50's. He is a "simple guy" though far from having an intellectual handicap. He came to us via the drop-in centre. He is a dyslexic and reading is a slow process for him. In the time I have known him he has had two different full time jobs. He was a cleaner/morning tea room man in an engineering factory and he has been a street sweeper. He is a conscientious worker but in both jobs because of changes in each firm, (loss of contracts) he was twice made redundant. Of his own initiative he participates in a Task Force Green job scheme which has him doing some useful work with just a little extra in his sickness benefit. He is hearing impaired and cannot afford hearing aids. He gets gout from time to time and when he does he finds it difficult and painful to walk. He had a small stroke recently, from which he has virtually recovered but is still coming to terms with it. If he goes to the doctor he struggles to pay the fee. When he was first unemployed he did search for jobs. I did a CV with him. He was then put on a sickness benefit. He helps out on a Sunday morning by coming early and setting things up, making coffee and doing simple jobs in preparation for worship. He helps out at the drop-in centre, helping to set up and clean up. But the other day he got this officious letter from Work and Income New Zealand, demanding that he must go look for work. In it they give web sites he can look at so that he can check out opportunities. Now I once taught him to play solitaire on a computer, but he would never even know what a web site is, let alone workout how to navigate the internet! Get real WINZ. There are no jobs out there for the likes of him! You say he is now not on sickness benefit, but he is in worse shape now than he used to be. He is not on drugs, he does not do criminal activity, he does not drink, he does not smoke, he is only a little over weight. He is not a bludger! It is not his fault he is unemployed! It is the result of the "system". The super efficient workplace scene these days has no space for him. He came to me very upset (while I was at the urinal he was standing behind me expressing his anguish - in my "private space!") fearful he was going to lose his benefit. "The're telling me to get off my arse and get a job! I could lose my money! There are no jobs!" I wish I could get Prime Minister John Key and others down to my drop-in some Friday night and tell them to find the jobs they say are there for these people! Back off WINZ. Try something more sensitive. Invite them in for an interview then write your letters. You are causing unnecessary anguish!
Help expected
I sometimes get annoyed with the people I try to help. Let me say I do not want to generalise, but there is a group of people who act as if the world owes them a living or anything going. I sense this as people ring up for the Christmas dinner. There are those who really appreciate what we are doing. But there are those who think it is their right! That the transport provided should be there, and they hope its properly cooked and can we have Karaoke again! It is that sort of attitude. It is similar at our drop-in centre. One man, an alcoholic, said to me, "If it wasn't for the likes of me you guys would not have a job!" I nicely pointed out that we were all volunteers. Another was worried about recent government funding cuts to social work agencies and asked, "Will they cut your funds?" Well no! Donations from us and other caring people pay for the drop-in centre. "The government should give us these things!" he replied. Some will complain because we have not had savaloys in a while, and "when are the cakes coming out?" I have had them banging on the church door if we are a few minutes late getting things ready. They now know not to do that because I will wait longer before opening. :-) I have heard them telling door bangers off... "Don't do that! Dave goes slow if we bang on the door!" Even some of the Habitat for Humanity people I have worked my guts out to help have come across like I was a paid lackey doing their bidding!. ... It sometimes annoys me... but I do not let it stop me doing things for people. Their attitude, their reaction is their responsibility, their problem. I am called to give people a hand, to give to the poor and help the oppressed etc, that is my responsibility. Just because their nature is to be selfish and self serving, why should I change my nature to give and to care? That's the ideal, but just sometimes I get a bit annoyed. Sometimes people will say, "They are pulling the wool over your eyes! They are just using you!" "No they're not. I know what they are like, but that is their problem, not mine!" Let me say I am not a pushover, I do give wisely. A man once said to me, "If you try to sort out the needy from the greedy, you will do nothing!" I think he was right.
No comments:
Post a Comment