Status report: 10 years of faith-based initiatives

There should have been a LOT of frustration with President Obama for continuing this grotesquely unAmerican and unconstitutional initiative. This is even apart from the use that George W. Bush and Karl Rove made of the faith-based money as a political slush fund.

The idea that there is a Baptist way of accounting or a Presbyterian way of driving school buses is staggering.

As an "equal opportunity heathen", I volunteer at the Salvation Army thrift store in the book section a couple of days a week and also at the St. Vincent de Paul "help" office where we do basic social services such as food vouchers and bags of food for families, utility help, medication payments and more.

At neither place am I the victim of proselytizing and appreciate that. At neither place am I required to be a member of a church or religious group. They appreciate my help and don't care if I am Presbyterian (baptized many years ago), Catholic, Baptist or whatever.

These are the types of groups that, in my opinion, are the ones most worthy of help since they help all who are in need no matter what their religious affiliation. If helping at a religious organization depends on being a member of that certain church, then count me out!

And I, too, object to the non-profit status of any religious group or sect that pokes its nose into government issues. You want to lobby? Then lose your non-profit status and be honest about it.

kudos to Obama for continuing a much needed program. its a bipartisan initiative(Clinton, Bush, Obama) that aids are communities. A couple of corrections though to the story..the purpose wasnt to expand services by churches that werent currently providing these services but to allow those faith-based organizations that were providing them to better partner with government. Also there are still about 30 liasions or offices at the state level.

THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO WASTE OUR TAX MONEY ON ANYTHING FAITH BASED...IT'S A LIE!!!

KEEP THE PHONY RELIGIOUS RIGHT OUT OF OUR GOVERNMENT!!!

I DON'T WANT MY TAX DOLLARS TO BE GIVEN TO ANY CHURCH THAT FORCES PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN THEIR GOD BEFORE THEY GET ANY HELP!!! FACT!!

ALL CHURCHES SHOULD HAVE THEIR TAX EXEMPT STATUS REVOKED...YOU RUN YOUR CHURCHES LIKE BUSINESS...YOU LOBBY GOVERNMENTS ON YOUR BEHALF AND YOU SPEND MONEY TO SUPPORT POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS SO YOU DO NOT DESERVE ANY TAX FREE STATUS!!!

PAY YOUR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES YOU CROOKS AND EVERYBODY WILL BE BETTER OFF BECAUSE OF IT...NOW THAT WOULD BE A TRUE MIRACLE!!!

Many faith-based programs would seem to be somewhat immune off many of the failings of NFP service programs.
So many NFP service programs fail because they rely on volunteers, resources, expertise, solutions, methods that are alien to the service population. Or consequently, rely on resources and talents exclusively from and developed within the service population. The latter tends to fail due to a lack of resources and discouragement that leads to corruption, mismanagement and fraud.
In the case of the former, think of your typical DC NFP, think of NW volunteers, NW attitudes, NW solutions coming to NE and SE to address NE/SE people with NE/SE problems overwhelmed by NE/SE culture. The service population isn't served, volunteers quit, partnerships never bear fruit, leadership struggles, support staff discouraged.
So much money and resources are spent on support services, site locations, transportation, partnerships, and community involvement programs in an often fruitless attempt to correct for the problems.
Faith-based groups tend to be involved in the community of the service population, organized in their partnerships and administration, and guided by an unified mission that promotes service and encourages commitment and resolve of volunteers.

Every day there is a new "church" somewhere, but what makes it sad is the non-profit status they are granded with no credentials other than "god". They all claim missionary work but not before they get paid very well. Pat Robertson and the latest missionaries in Haiti. God is Good but God should not post profits as The 700 club does. The same bible he preaches also tells about Jesus destroing the shops set up in the church in His time. You want to have a religion you may. However pay taxes like everyone else. Also all the renegate churches are not afiliated with any recognized religion around the world [Catholicism, Orthodox etc.] So again STOP using god for profit. The IRS should get involved and after that you will see a reduction of all the missionaries and churches around the Great U.S.A
Faith is a very powerfull idea.

Very interesting comments related to this article. I would refer all readers to view the Family Promise website at www.familypromise.org. A non-profit and faith based connected organization that has operated in the U.S. for over 20 years and assists homeless families return to sustainable lives with employment and housing. We have been an affiliate for 14 years and I can state that this program works and achieves incredible goals. We do not proseltyze and we colloborate with people of all faiths. In Las Vegas, we partner with Catholic,Jewish, Muslim, Protestant congregations in an organized and well directed program. Family Promise should definately be on the short list of faith based non-profits that serve as a best practice model for our nation.

Faith an Charity: see photo, T.G.I.F.",
at www.efn.org/~hkrieger/xhope.jpg.

From the series, "Churches ad hoc".