Blog Action Day 08 - Poverty

"Once a year, BlogActionDay.org gets thousands of blogs big and small to unite and talk about one issue. This year’s conversation is on poverty." What a great idea! Let's get the conversation started and THEN let's get the action going. That, however, is the hard part. At least for me. BlogActionDay has a spot on its site to read blogs, watch videos, and listen to podcasts. Lots of mediums to get informed and inspired to do something for the poor, needy and outcasts of our nation and world.

One of the things that Kelly and I are wrestling with is adopting one child for each person in our family from a third world country from World Vision or Compassion International. We've got to get on board in a tangible way to fully express our salvation and Kingdom mandate from God in the world. Plus, we desperately want Sarah and Parker to know that following Jesus isn't another self-help program, but a radical shift in heart and soul about how we see the world and respond in love to its needs.

Then we have to get our hands dirty. By that I mean, getting involved in with an organization or people that we can see face to face and touch physically. That's where the rubber meets the road. That's the real challenge for a white, middle-class, suburbanite like myself.

I have some other friends out there that are doing some good stuff personally and as a family:

1. My friend Marko and his family - Walk Their Walk

2. My friend Steve Longest - Loving South Africa

Here are some other simple ways to help via the web:

1. TheHungerSite

2. FreeRice.com

3. One.org

4. Kiva.org

5. EndPoverty.org

6. Invisible Children - I posted on it here.

Does anyone in the Dayton area know of anything that is happening in our neck of the woods? If you are visiting from other cities in the US, what is happening there?

Here's a cool piece I watched the other night on ESPN on how one LA rescue mission is using basketball as a tool to help the homeless.