Technical assistance can address some of these problems but not in the short run. Auditing and accountability necessarily accompany public funds. Presently, private and publicly funded organizations, including faith-based, feed the hungry and provide shelter, but the need keeps growing. A recent report stated that shelters in New York City now have the highest census they have had in years. The reality is that only public policies can stem the tide.
Many people work fulltime and are still poor.
They need higher wages, affordable housing and other critical supports such as health care and childcare. Many parents who are responsible churchgoers find their families trapped in neighborhoods that are resource-starved. A moral society must address these issues on a societal level while it advances personal responsibility and community based efforts. Like the social service strategy, faith-based alone cannot solve the pressing issues of poverty and its attending consequences. Services are necessary but they are not sufficient regardless of who provides these services.