No wonder people with disabilities rebelled. And so are many other people once portrayed is needy and pitiful. What's needed is self-help. That's part of the Y's mandate. People learn how to think, how to speak, how to organize, how to overcome shyness.
People make new business contacts, and new friends.
Fundraising campaigns are a community service to many of the volunteers. Fundraising builds communities. People discover they can get money, and feel empowered. They learn to work in teams. They go on to tackle other problems.