When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself

The authors emphasize that this can cause a harmful cycle where North American churches provide material resources and evangelism to the poor, which reinforces the poor people's sense of inferiority and lack of self-esteem, which in turn increases the original problem. They promote the use of asset-based community development as a strategy, arguing that focusing on what resources and abilities that the community already has is often more helpful and more empowering than focusing on what the community doesn't have. This prevents paternalism where outside workers provide the "only" answer.

The book was originally divided into three parts: The second edition added a fourth part that gave additional resources to bring about real change in church and community. According to the authors, the Christian view of poverty comes from a proper understanding of why Jesus came to earth, namely, to bring healing to the entire cosmos and be supreme over all the universe. They cite a model Bryant L.

Myers develops in Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development that describes humans as being in relationship with God, Self, Others, and the Rest of Creation.

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This comes from the concept that God originally designed humans in His image , and therefore as relational beings. This contrasts with a view that Jesus came only to save mankind from their sin so they could go to heaven. They quote Bryant Myers, "Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings.

No one wants these attributes in their daily lives but this is what a person in poverty feels everyday. Unfortunately, when people think of the word poverty their mind immediately thinks of material things or money. It is not just hunger and need for shelter or clothing. Many poor people are plagued with social and spiritual poverty, and their view of their value is also affected. For many, especially in the western world, poverty is seen as a lack of material things.

If this is the Christian view on poverty than material things are not going to be able to provide what is really needed. Not only may this be the wrong approach but you may end up doing more harm than good. Material things are not always the answer to everything. But is that really what they need when a family has just been killed? No, they need emotional support like any other person.

A must read for anyone who works with the poor or in missions, When Helping Hurts provides foundational concep Churches and individual Christians typically have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty, resulting in the use of strategies that do considerable harm to poor people and themselves. A must read for anyone who works with the poor or in missions, When Helping Hurts provides foundational concepts, clearly articulated general principles and relevant applications.

The result is an effective and holistic ministry to the poor, not a truncated gospel. A situation is assessed for whether relief, rehabilitation, or development is the best response to a situation. Efforts are characterized by an "asset based" approach rather than a "needs based" approach. Short term mission efforts are addressed and economic development strategies appropriate for North American and international contexts are presented, including microenterprise development.

Now with a new preface, a new foreword, and a new chapter to assist in the next steps of applying the book's principles to your situation, When Helping Hurts is a new classic! Paperback , pages. Published June 24th by Moody Publishers first published To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about When Helping Hurts , please sign up. Have you read Walking with the Poor by Bryant? If so, how would you compare the two books? Lydia Lee I've read both. Walking with the Poor provides a helpful framework in understanding poverty, while When Helping Hurts expands on that with practical …more I've read both.

Walking with the Poor provides a helpful framework in understanding poverty, while When Helping Hurts expands on that with practical examples. Am grateful for the authors for articulating my current struggles as someone involved in transformational development work and for helping me understand why I'm struggling so.

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See 1 question about When Helping Hurts…. Lists with This Book. Jan 25, John Martindale rated it it was amazing Recommended to John by: A very good book, though it is messing up my world. Their chapter on why short term mission trips are typically more harmful then good, was unsettling Especially since my job is to host short term mission teams , I disagree with them on some points for example, they claimed short term trips don't result in more full time missionaries, but I am a full time missionary because of going on short term mission trips and practically ever missionary I know has the same story.

The authors explained many ways where our helping, actually hurts the poor. This brought to mind the countless times I've been employing the very methods they condemn and I can't say it felt good to recognize this. I have so much more to learn It is unnerving for me, because I have noticed how the governmental programs trying to reduce poverty often create a bigger mess; politicians have great intentions and mean well, but their helping truly hurts the poor.

Oh I vaguely knew much of what the authors shared in the book, but they really crystallized it to a degree that it demands that I seek more understanding and change my ways. View all 3 comments. This is a hard one to rate as although I agree with the basic principles of the book; that sharing the Gospel, long term work and relationship building should be the priority when helping the poor, I also felt that the emphasis was wrong in lots of areas.

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I hope this book has not stopped, and will not continue to stop, people helping the poor as they fear getting the methods wrong and hurting people. My general advice would be to pray for wisdom and then to give generously and, if you get it wro This is a hard one to rate as although I agree with the basic principles of the book; that sharing the Gospel, long term work and relationship building should be the priority when helping the poor, I also felt that the emphasis was wrong in lots of areas. My full review is here http: View all 5 comments.

The first half of this book should get 6 or 7 out of five stars. The principles, concepts, and framework it presents are ministry and mindset altering. For me, as someone who gravitates toward that kind of instruction and thinking, it was priceless. The second half of the book looked deeper at particular areas of ministry such as short term missions or micro finance, so it was aimed a bit more at practitioners.

Over all, this is one of the few books that I think every single missionary, pastor, The first half of this book should get 6 or 7 out of five stars. Over all, this is one of the few books that I think every single missionary, pastor, and para church leader should read. And the congregants would benefit massively from it too. Sep 23, John rated it it was ok. I read When Helping Hurts: Instead, I found the two books to be cut from the same cloth, and very much redundant of one another. They stress taking into account the emotional well-being of those being served, promote taking a holistic view of the situation to understand that material poverty is just one issue facing the recipients of our charity, and encourage relief organizations to use objective business-minded measures to judge whether relief programs are having the intended outcomes.

I believe that some of the points that Corbett and Fikkert make in their book are valid and can be useful to any relief organization as they periodically self-assess as to the path that they are on. In the end, I believe that the reader can be left thinking that trying to help people is such a precarious endeavor, they would be better off to not even try because they will probably do more harm than good. Corbett and Fikkert are direct in stating that they write their book from a distinctly Evangelical Christian perspective.

As a devout Catholic Christian myself, I did not expect that point-of-view to take me into uncharted territories, but I found some of their positions to be extreme. For example, they are absolutely convinced that no aid organization will be successful unless it offers material assistance while simultaneously working to spreading the Christian faith. To proclaim that Christians have some sort of monopoly on being able to help people is rather ignorant. As a Catholic, I have never been prone to interpreting the book of Genesis as a literal historical account. But regardless of that interpretation, writing off ineffective and unjust systems as the inevitable outcome of a decision made millennia ago seems to me to be a rationalization for inaction.

There are stances against women in the workforce: There is blaming of the victim: My fear with a book like this is that the reader can be left with the conclusion that trying to help people is futile. Corbett and Fikkert warn repeatedly that it is possible to help too much: They give plenty of other reasons why individuals would be better off to not try to alleviate poverty at all. They recommend that local organizations familiar with a specific region are likely better equipped to deal with the situation than we outsiders.

Corbett and Fikkert emphasize that the charity recipients are probably suffering from more than just material poverty. All of this is coupled with pointers on how one can distinguish the deserving poor from those just seeking to take advantage of big hearted do-gooders. If you are seeking a book that will inspire you to give back to your fellow human and propose how you can do your part to make the world a better place, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Dec 04, Emily rated it it was ok Shelves: I could not be bothered to finish this.

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I agreed with many of the cited information and claims that the authors made, but not with any of the conclusions that they drew from this information. I'm not crazy about short-term missions and I deplore many of the things that the author condemns, such as the "poverty as deficit" model, paternalism towards the poor, and blaming the poor for their situation. I appreciated Chapter 8, but feel that it fell short. However, the author often backtracks or rew I could not be bothered to finish this.

However, the author often backtracks or rewords what they're condemning others for as his own claim.

When Helping Hurts

For example, the denouncement of paternalism is followed by the idea that poor people need non-poor people to introduce a new way of life to them. This was way too Ruby Payne-esque for me to handle, as was the idea that poor people are ashamed of their situation, so charity is offensive. Nevermind that a great number of low-income people have protested for better wages and against the systems that create and perpetuate poverty throughout the world.

There were also massive oversimplifications based on anecdotal evidence that often had me shaking my head. Apparently the only thing that the US needs to work on is job preparedness and financial education programs, with some microfinance thrown in for good measure. I also find it ironic that the author takes great trouble to mention the poor people in the US constantly, yet continually refers to the US as a monolithic group made of "economically rich".

I'm also not sure what the author really wants people to do. He fully changes the definition of poverty from a lack of material resources to include a lack of spiritual resources. So essentially, if you want to alleviate poverty, just redefine the term, so by preaching the Gospel, you're reducing poverty! These people put his faith to shame and he was clearly inspired by them; according to the author, these people, who lived in literal shitholes, need no material or financial alleviation, because their belief in the Holy Spirit was so strong. I will stick to non-spiritual relief efforts if this is the crap that gets published.

Nov 06, Christy rated it liked it. So here's the thing. This book contains radically important and often overlooked information. Sometimes the band-aids we put on what we view as poverty ends up causing much more harm than good in the long run, in ways we've refused to see. It points out that we sometimes see ourselves as some kind of savior, perfect and needing to share that perfection which is just all wrong.

I get that too. I also feel more and more that we should help smarter-put our time and effort into the ways So here's the thing. I also feel more and more that we should help smarter-put our time and effort into the ways of helping that pack the most punch.

But, I also felt like parts of the book were just paralyzing, like anything I've ever done that I felt God leading me to do was really just aweful and I would've been better off just going along my selfish, comfortable way. Kind of depressing and made me second guess TOO much. However, I think this book in the long run has been very helpful in teaching the church to be more effective but for me personally it was often just discouraging. Sep 23, Jason McIntire rated it it was amazing. While I already knew the general direction of this book, I was surprised by all the new perspectives and light bulb moments I encountered.

Even if you don't agree with everything Corbett and Fikkert say, it's worth a read for the fresh ideas and insights. Just be sure you get a recent edition, as some areas of potential misunderstanding have been cleared up. Oct 09, Sandi added it. One of the best books I've read on the issue of poverty and challenging one's definition of what poverty means and to approach relief and development. If you every work with people in any situation, this is an excellent read.

Dec 28, Jonathan McIntosh rated it it was amazing Shelves: A must read for any Christian or local church that is serious about serving the poor. This book totally challenged my existing ideas of poverty, poverty alleviation, and practical steps local churches need to take to serve the poor both at home and abroad. Oct 25, Belphoebe Merkle rated it it was amazing. Seriously changed my view of what poverty is and how you should deal with it, also I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in, or considering short-term missions trips.

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Jan 12, Dale rated it it was ok. This book was a helpful reminder of things that many authors have previously said "give a man a fish But there was a general tone, especially in the Forward and the Preface, towards Marxism. In the Forward, Dr. John Perkins calls for the need for "social justice.

In the Preface, the authors favorably discuss the This book was a helpful reminder of things that many authors have previously said "give a man a fish In the Preface, the authors favorably discuss the need for Christians to lobby the government "to promote justice for the poor through public policy. View all 11 comments. Feb 17, Dana rated it liked it. This is a very eye opening and thought provoking book on an important subject. The authors do a great job of explaining what poverty truly is and then offer different solutions to aid in poverty alleviation. The greatest thing I took away from this book is the authors worldview that all people are made in the image of God and are meant to glorify God by fulfilling their vocational calling.

This idea is the foundation of their solution. The authors have a humble attitude and stress that all peopl This is a very eye opening and thought provoking book on an important subject. The authors have a humble attitude and stress that all people are impoverished in some way and that we can all learn from each other. There are some great practical ideas of ways to help the poor but this book is geared more towards organizations than individuals overall. A must read for anyone who works in poverty alleviation and church deacons. Jun 03, Deane Barker rated it it was amazing.

Excellent book about the inadvertent damage we do when trying to help. It discusses how to help other communities and countries without accidentally making things worse -- how to help in such a way that you build the community itself up, instead of just throwing money and volunteer hours at something and therefore holding it down.

Some of this is "tough love," but that's valuable. Sometimes it needs to be. Immediate help and relief are important, but communities need to build themselves up, rathe Excellent book about the inadvertent damage we do when trying to help. Immediate help and relief are important, but communities need to build themselves up, rather than depending on an outside force, and sometimes we need to be counter-intuitive about what we do to make sure we're not just "puppeteering" people from the outside.

Sep 16, Amy rated it liked it. There are some things I like about this book. I grew up as an MK in East Asia, and totally agree on those points. For instance, the book seems like a large discussion about how giving money to the poor often creates dependence so people should be really careful about it. For instance, here is one list: How does the author deal with these verses? Or how does he deal with Deuteronomy The Lord your God will bless your work and everything you touch.

There will always be poor people in the land. So I command you to give freely to your brothers. Give freely to the poor and needy in your land. Sometimes giving is not about fixing poverty but about loving the poor. At the end of chapter 10, the author briefly deals with these sorts of verses, but not in a way that satisfied me. There are people who for whatever God-ordained reason that I will never be able to know are poor because of situations of injustice or personal illness and are thus forced to be poor and perpetually dependent on those around them. Even of Peter, Jesus said to him in John Many of the ideas in the book are rational, and I agree with them to some extent.

A lot of its ideas for helping the poor are great, and it was helpful to think through those. There may be some free-loaders, but I believe that to be the minority. Is the book saying that financial giving by individuals, churches, and governments often creates dependence and is most of the time bad? In some parts of the book it sounds like that is what the author is saying. In my opinion, people should often be more thoughtful about giving, but most of the time just less prideful about it. To me, the book ultimately came across as a Christianese book supporting Republican-sorts of financial decisions.

I liked some parts of the book, though, and it did get me to consider things from different viewpoints. Oct 12, Matt Hartzell rated it it was amazing Shelves: Let's cut to the chase: When Helping Hurts is a critical and indispensable work for anyone even remotely thinking about how to love and serve people on the margins. Reading this book was a life-giving and invigorating experience on multiple levels. Even if you are not directly engaged in poverty alleviation at home or abroad, there is enough here to make this a worthwhile read for just about anyone.

There are a handful of things that Corbett and Fikkert do well that really make this text enormou Let's cut to the chase: There are a handful of things that Corbett and Fikkert do well that really make this text enormously helpful and beneficial. The most obvious is their general knowledge, in how they draw from decades of involvement in poverty alleviation, and in how they bring best practices and timely wisdom for the forefront.

Where this plays out is in the first third of the book or so, where the authors provide an all-encompassing philosophical and theological framework for how to provide poverty alleviation. This is absolutely critical, because much of the North American church's efforts in this arena have created much harm and found little success. We have a lot to repent of, a lot to consider, and a lot to learn. Providing a definition of poverty that is not born out of a lack of material goods is fundamental, because how we define poverty greatly shapes the programs and solutions we bring to the table.

I loved this part of the book. I loved the terminology used by the authors, such as the term Majority World, to hammer home the point that literally MOST of the world lives in poverty, as well as the term Materially Poor, to help draw a specific distinction between the definition of poverty and those who don't have enough stuff hint: I love the framework given by the authors that places the materially poor front and center in their own rehabilitation, that assigns intrinsic value to them and allows the resources, gifts, skills and abilities that they already posses to drive the majority of alleviation efforts.