Toxic Charity #4.3: Making charity less toxic:

• Focus on relationships
  
  • As mentioned (several times) before, some of the best aspects of service projects and mission trips are relationships. It is not just “making new friends” which isn't to be sneered at, but is not the whole story.
    
  • In working together, from different cultures greater understandings occur in both direction. And “different cultures” isn't just different countries but different parts of the country or different socio-economic neighborhoods. Anything where stereotyping occurs.
    
  • Make sure work teams include people from both cultures
    
  • Try to make sure someone from the receiving culture can do something the sending team cannot do. They will appreciate being able to teach others their skill. Learning a new skill is always beneficial.
    
  • It always did my kids good to see elderly women (in Mexico) able to outwork and outlast them.
    
  • Require that every grouping including meals have a mixture of both cultures.
    
  • Under the topic of “trips” in this blog are a number hints on preparing a group to work with a different culture in a culturally sensitive fashion.