Often when we think about giving to those who are in need, we think about the things we might supply temporally. Perhaps we consider families we visit teach who might stand in need of temporary financial help from the church, or who are struggling to feed their families and require assistance from the bishop’s storehouse. However, meeting the immediate needs of those requiring assistance is not the only – or the best- way to serve. We can often serve them even more by using our skills.
Having moved from a fairly well-to-do ward to a very poor branch has provided me with a very definite contrast in living conditions. There are many people in the area, and in our branch, who lack even a high school degree. This makes finding a job above minimum wage more difficult. Other sisters in our ward cannot read. You can imagine how this impacts them in the employment field.
As a Relief Society presidency, we have sought ways to overcome these problems. We are looking for methods to obtain a GED. We have talked to our Young Women, who are looking for service projects, about helping sisters learn to read or to take a driver’s test. As we help with these more basic skills, it is our hopes that they will impact the homes these sisters live in. Similarly, we have sat down with families to work on how to construct and live by a budget. Many people think that there is no need for a budget when there is no money, but that is not the case; a budget is a plan you develop to determine how to spend what money you have coming in.
Sisters aren’t the only ones who can help. When my husband was laid off from his job (twice in an 18 month period!), he utilized his knowledge to work in many short-term arenas. He helped build a house, he did some wiring, and he cut grass and worked on cars. One couple in our church, knowing that we were struggling, hired him to help build a large outdoor shed. Because of these numerous short term jobs, we were able to hold on until he could obtain a more permanent position. Brethren in our church can help teach others how to work on simple tasks, giving them the opportunity to take that knowledge to other places. In all honesty, I think the couple from church hired my husband not expecting him to have the skills necessary for the job; the wife (my best friend) told me they were surprised by how much my husband could do. They thought that he, coming from an office job, would not have the needed skills for the job. In this case, I believe they were asking for help with the idea that they would be teaching as they went.
Think, then, about tasks you might hire the young men to do, and offer them instead to a struggling family. The aforementioned couple often hired the youth to mow their lawn and do basic yardwork. This would be a task that could be completed easily by an adult willing to work. If, for some reason, the husband didn’t know how, teaching him could help him to find other work.
Of course, unless you are in a presidency, you may not know for certain which families are most in need. However, you could let the Relief Society or Elder’s Quorum presidency know of your willingness to help share your skills with others in the ward. They could then counsel with families who need assistance and have them contact you.
Related Articles:
Unconventional Methods of Service
Gospel Doctrine: His Hands on Earth