In 2006, Jay and Julie St. Clair helped transform a ramshackle apartment complex known on the street as “The Last Resort” into an urban transitional housing program they christened “God’s Resort.” From the original few units, God’s Resort has expanded to now offer nearly 40 housing units...

Imagine a situation in which you learned that the water that you had been drinking for some time had been revealed to be toxic - what you thought was life-giving was actually bringing harm to those who consumed it. In 2011, Robert Lupton wrote an exposé of sorts entitled Toxic Charity that revealed to many that the charity they had practiced for years could likewise be toxic. It was important to realize this, but what does one do to replace toxic practices with those that are life-giving? Robert Lupton’s Charity Detox aims to provide the groundwork and methods for purifying one’s charity.

“We want to avoid a situation where people are unaware of what they’re entitled to,” said Vice President Harris last Monday. She was explaining the purpose of the Biden administration’s “Help is Here” tour, showcasing the third round of national stimulus legislation passed into law this month. I hope someone meets them along the way and hands off the book When Helping Hurts. This fundamental read highlights the harm done when indiscriminate charity fails to discern true need on an individual level.

You’ve identified some of your clients who could benefit from some new skills. It’s easy to say, “Let's teach a class.” But let’s be honest, running a class is tough. We’ve collected some advice from experienced leaders and programs so that you can make your class a time of real transformation and community—and something everyone looks forward to.

Several years ago in a meeting with some city and nonprofit leaders, I shared the need and vision for a long-term recovery center. The idea became a central piece to a ten-year plan to address homelessness. City-government leaders involved in the discussion voted to allocate $500,000 dollars as seed money to realize the new brick-and-mortar project. Some were shocked when we turned it down. Why would anyone turn away half a million dollars of free government money? Because it’s not free.