Faith-Based Social Services: The Challenges of Providing Assistance

Many faith-based organizations (FBO) provide services to poor people. Amajor challenge for these organizations is to determine who is eligible to receive services. Thus, these organizations seek to make sure that that the poor are "truly worthy" and do not take advantage of a particular charity. The purpose of the study is to determine the kinds of barriers to service delivery that confront volunteers as they provide services to the poor. Volunteers possess the motivation to assist; however, many volunteers are given limited training, which may only include a basic understanding of the resources available at the center. We used a combination of qualitative methodologies to observe two FBOs in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. We observed and interviewed a total of 24 volunteers; 12 from each site, over a 3-month period. The two sites were similar in that they were faith-based and relied on volunteers. One site was located in a middle to lower economic area and the other site was located in a more affluent area of the county. Support provided included donations of food and financial assistance for eviction, utilities, and other emergencies. From this qualitative analysis, four working hypotheses emerged: (1) Volunteers expressed a sense of frustration over the limited resources and the increasing number of people in need; (2) Many volunteers expressed frustration that increasing burdens limited their ability to utilize the centers as a place to obtain friendship and social networks; (3) Volunteers expressed concerns and praise for the leadership at the two sites, and (4) Volunteers commented on how their faith influenced their decision to volunteer. The authors explore methods to address these challenges so clients in need can be better served. (C) 2007 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.