Why Churches Alone Cannot Solve the Problem of Poverty

The Hartford Institute for Religion and Research estimates there are 335,000 religious congregations in the United States. If the (U.S.) House’s proposals to cut SNAP by $133.5 billion and $36 billion are enacted, each congregation will have to spend about $50,000 more annually to feed those who would see a reduction or loss of benefits. The message from the House is that every church in America—no matter what size the congregation—must come up with an extra $50,000 to feed people every year for the next 10 years to make up for these cuts. Churches do amazing work in their communities to meet the needs of the vulnerable. However, without the help of government programs, this responsibility would be too much for religious organizations to bear. It just doesn’t add up.


http://religionandpolitics.org/2012/06/04/churches-need-strong-federal-programs-to-help-the-vulnerable/