A Giving Heart in Ukraine’s Time of Need

As our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine, people are asking how they can help the millions of people who have fled to neighboring countries. The European Union officials predict that as many as 7 million could eventually be displaced. Several international humanitarian groups are providing goods, services, food and water, even cash assistance to help families resettle. 

“The Virgin of Pochaiv,” Ivan Honchar Museum, 1840/1860 (photo: Public Domain)

Following is a list of donation sites actively helping the people of Ukraine. Most do far more than our brief description, so please visit their websites to learn more and to make your monetary donation. 

  • CARE: Emergency aid for food, water, and hygiene kits. See more »
  • Convoy of Hope: meals, food delivery, water. See more »
  • CORE: Cash, food, water, hygiene kits, thermal blankets. See more »
  • Doctors Without Borders: Medical and humanitarian support. See more »
  • International Committee of the Red Cross: essential human services, reuniting separated families. See more »
  • International Medical Corps: medical, mental health, protection services for refugees. See more »
  • The 762 Project: Volunteers tracking Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine. See more »

Various Catholic agencies are collecting donations. Among the many, please consider Caritas. They provide shelter, water, safe transport for women and children, and build child-friendly play spaces for youngsters who are otherwise bored and scared. See more »

The Knights of Columbus’ Ukraine Solidarity Fund has committed $1 million for immediate distribution to support Ukrainian refugees and will match all funds raised up to an additional $500,000. Donations provide shelter, food, medical supplies, clothing and religious goods for the men still in Ukraine and and the families in Poland’s refugee sites. See more »

The Catholic Review can provide links to additional Catholic agencies. 

To find a cause that closely fits your heart for giving, search online “help Ukraine” followed by the keyword(s) of your choice. And from NCR, this prayer:

O Lord God of powers, and God of our salvation, O God, who alone work wonders:
look down with mercy and compassion on Your humble servants,
and out of love for mankind hearken and have mercy on us
and on the land of Ukraine. Continue entire prayer »

The Power and Impact of Giving

Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others. It is expressed by the generosity of monetary giving to people or causes that focus on helping others solve problems over the long term. While philanthropy may seem new, its roots lie in the ancient world, in all belief systems, and has endured for centuries. It is part of the fabric of our modern world.

What is the difference between philanthropy and charity? When we drop a dollar in the Salvation Army bucket at Christmas-time, that is charity — a way to provide immediate relief to the people whom the Salvation Army help. Our response is usually driven by emotions.

Photo Credit: Eric Onyiego/USAID Kenya

When we give a monetary gift to bring about positive change in the world and in people’s lives over the long term, it is philanthropy. Philanthropists give of their money or their time, and often both. Our response is usually driven by the desire to make a difference, and often, as an opportunity to “give back” for having good fortune in our life.

Delivering bottled water to a drought-stricken area in East Africa is charity, but building wells for poor East African villages is philanthropy. 

Charity is giving to relieve an immediate problem. Philanthropy can be defined by the love of mankind. It is planned giving designed to address the root cause of a problem that can be solved over a period of time.

“Wealth is not new. Neither is charity. But the idea of using private wealth imaginatively, constructively, and systematically to attack the fundamental problems of mankind is new.”

John Gardner (1912 – 2002), founder of Common Cause

As we move headlong into a new year, let 2022 be our year of selfless charitable giving, meaningful philanthropic giving, and above all things, a year of “love of mankind.” 

Time, Talent, and Treasure: making life better for other people.

As always, we invite readers of our newsletter to allow the Stewardship Foundation to be good stewards of God’s abundance and your partner in life-affirming change in our communities.

The Virus of Abundance

The long months of COVID-19 are weighing heavily on our hearts, minds, and spirit. But perhaps, on reflection, we can discover that we caught the virus of abundance.

Life is good

“There is a lie that acts like a virus within the mind of humanity. And that lie is ‘There’s not enough good to go around. There’s lack and there’s limitation and there’s just not enough.’” 

This quote is from Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder of a spiritual center in—of all places—Beverly Hills, Calif. Agape is not your traditional church in any sense of the imagination, but at its core are ministry programs to feed the homeless, serve the imprisoned, advocate for the planet, and care for children that are victims of war and AIDS. Michael and his followers put no limits on the good they do, even during Covid.

Most of us have been dealing with an Orwellian life for over a year. The Year of Denial! Don’t go to the store, don’t go out to eat, don’t go to school, don’t board an airplane, don’t get married or die because no one will show up to celebrate your marriage or your life. We feel deprived because we are deprived. But no one can take away our abundance if we don’t let them take it.

We all have a choice between an Abundance Mentality or a Scarcity Mentality. If lockdowns have left us feeling as though we aren’t living a full life, we can choose to feel overcome with negativity, or we can choose to celebrate the gift of time with family, less time at the mall, home delivery, less gasoline consumption, or freedom from the dreaded commute.

We can choose to live with an abundance mindset and find a “revised world” still full of possibilities. This decision toward positivity leads to opportunity, and when you believe that there’s enough opportunity for success to go around, you’ll catch the virus of abundance.

As money-wise Suze Orman once said, 

“Abundance is about being rich, with or without money.”

If you are a current client who would like to review your investment portfolio to better understand how we are being good stewards with your money in 2021, or if you are interested in working with a principled investor such as us, please call our office today (614) 800-7985.