What is charity?
Having and not giving is sometimes worse than stealing. © Maria E. bner-Eschenbach.
What is charity? Is it everyone’s business or just the rich? Should we talk about it "loudly" or should we help "quietly"?Some will say, quite an amazing question, some will call it strange.
To answer these and other questions, we came up with a series of publications "What is charity?". In this section, we will talk about charity in general, learn from famous and beloved artists, writers, scientists, public figures and many others, what is this process and why is it for each of us?
We asked these questions to the first three participants of our column. They are all involved in charity, each in his own way. Tina Mikhailovskaya, co-founder of the Life Lover Foundation, for example, helps the elderly to live fully, she organizes their leisure time, Alla Martyniuk as a volunteer collects aid in the ATO, Alla Shlapak organizes and supports charitable projects that help develop and realize young people.
Tina Mikhailovskaya - co-founder of the Life Lover Foundation:
Tina, what does charity mean to you and why is it worth it or not?
Charity is the norm. This is not something out of the ordinary and not a special event. I would like to cultivate such an attitude to this as an integral part of life without special emphasis.
Are you for or against public charity, or should it be everyone’s business?
Each person decides this question for himself, depending on his worldview and goals. If you want to do good and throw it in the water - that’s right. If you want to involve as many people as possible in the good, set an example and share your experience - this is also right.
Shares, is it the duty of rich people or their voluntary choice?
The task and responsibility of absolutely any person is to learn to share and share. But it should also be remembered that this is not coercion, but the good will and personal desire of everyone.
Alla Martyniuk is an actress, singer, poetess and volunteer who helps ATO fighters:
Allah, what does charity mean to you? Why do charity work?
I have been a volunteer for 3 years, I travel around the ATO hotspots. I believe that the charity of each of us, in this context, is a contribution to ending the war in eastern Ukraine. And you know, usually not too rich people help, it’s middle class people, retirees and students. There are, of course, oligarchs and deputies, but unfortunately they are a minority.
Are you for or against public charity, or should it be everyone’s business?
In general, I do not support publicity, as they say, money loves silence. But I, for example, can’t help but talk about what I’m doing. Because I get money from a lot of people, and I have to report for that money. And to collect help, you also need to be public. But there are rich people who ask never to be mentioned for helping. And there are those who really want "glory" and passing, for example, 100 UAH. or a bag of potatoes then they call me and say that I forgot to remember them in the comments, it’s funny.
You have already mentioned the rich people who sacrifice in the anti-terrorist operation. Do you think it is their duty or good will?
You know, it’s a karmic thing, if you will. And this is not necessarily material help. It is a waste of one’s own strength, energy, time and often health. It is sacrifice when you dedicate yourself to other people who need help. Whether it’s sick children who become relatives, or fighters from the anti-terrorist operation, where work is an incredible psychological stress and often a physical threat to life ... with this you probably need to be born. This means giving more than taking ...
Alla Shlapak is the head of the Social Justice NGO.
Allah, in charity the main thing is to feed and warm?
We must understand that charity is not always material help. What comes to the fore now is what happened in the 17th and 19th centuries, when the ideas of democracy and human rights were introduced through great spiritual and educational work. And the world today is on the verge of such charity, when you save a person not even by feeding him, although this issue will not leave the agenda
(the number of people in the world suffering from hunger is growing every year), but the spiritual component is important - to help people to find your place in the world, to support ...
Today it is only the lot of the rich and successful, and what is it for you personally?
For me, it is good to act in all areas where there is such an opportunity. You see what you can do - don’t pass by.
This is not the lot of the rich and the public. There is a stereotype that if you are public, then you are definitely rich and obliged to help everyone. This is an individual thing. We must not demand that someone be a benefactor, we must reduce the gap between rich and poor, make transparent the income and expenditure of all Ukrainians, and when we have this common responsibility and willingness to meet each other, then the spiritual will become more.
Should this process be loud and public or vice versa?
When it comes to private charity, it is better when it is not done in public. But when it comes to charity, publicity is needed for reporting and promotion. And there must be strict control by the state. We often have charitable foundations that deceive both those who collect donations and those who allegedly collect money. Therefore, I have been saying for a long time that we need to revise the law on charity: tighten registration requirements and write stricter reporting requirements.
Author Evgenia Motrich
What is charity? Is it everyone’s business or just the rich? Should we talk about it "loudly" or should we help "quietly"?Some will say, quite an amazing question, some will call it strange.
To answer these and other questions, we came up with a series of publications "What is charity?". In this section, we will talk about charity in general, learn from famous and beloved artists, writers, scientists, public figures and many others, what is this process and why is it for each of us?
We asked these questions to the first three participants of our column. They are all involved in charity, each in his own way. Tina Mikhailovskaya, co-founder of the Life Lover Foundation, for example, helps the elderly to live fully, she organizes their leisure time, Alla Martyniuk as a volunteer collects aid in the ATO, Alla Shlapak organizes and supports charitable projects that help develop and realize young people.
Tina Mikhailovskaya - co-founder of the Life Lover Foundation: Tina, what does charity mean to you and why is it worth it or not?
Charity is the norm. This is not something out of the ordinary and not a special event. I would like to cultivate such an attitude to this as an integral part of life without special emphasis.
Are you for or against public charity, or should it be everyone’s business?
Each person decides this question for himself, depending on his worldview and goals. If you want to do good and throw it in the water - that’s right. If you want to involve as many people as possible in the good, set an example and share your experience - this is also right.
Shares, is it the duty of rich people or their voluntary choice?
The task and responsibility of absolutely any person is to learn to share and share. But it should also be remembered that this is not coercion, but the good will and personal desire of everyone.
Alla Martyniuk is an actress, singer, poetess and volunteer who helps ATO fighters: Allah, what does charity mean to you? Why do charity work?
I have been a volunteer for 3 years, I travel around the ATO hotspots. I believe that the charity of each of us, in this context, is a contribution to ending the war in eastern Ukraine. And you know, usually not too rich people help, it’s middle class people, retirees and students. There are, of course, oligarchs and deputies, but unfortunately they are a minority.
Are you for or against public charity, or should it be everyone’s business?
In general, I do not support publicity, as they say, money loves silence. But I, for example, can’t help but talk about what I’m doing. Because I get money from a lot of people, and I have to report for that money. And to collect help, you also need to be public. But there are rich people who ask never to be mentioned for helping. And there are those who really want "glory" and passing, for example, 100 UAH. or a bag of potatoes then they call me and say that I forgot to remember them in the comments, it’s funny.
You have already mentioned the rich people who sacrifice in the anti-terrorist operation. Do you think it is their duty or good will?
You know, it’s a karmic thing, if you will. And this is not necessarily material help. It is a waste of one’s own strength, energy, time and often health. It is sacrifice when you dedicate yourself to other people who need help. Whether it’s sick children who become relatives, or fighters from the anti-terrorist operation, where work is an incredible psychological stress and often a physical threat to life ... with this you probably need to be born. This means giving more than taking ...
Alla Shlapak is the head of the Social Justice NGO. Allah, in charity the main thing is to feed and warm?
We must understand that charity is not always material help. What comes to the fore now is what happened in the 17th and 19th centuries, when the ideas of democracy and human rights were introduced through great spiritual and educational work. And the world today is on the verge of such charity, when you save a person not even by feeding him, although this issue will not leave the agenda
(the number of people in the world suffering from hunger is growing every year), but the spiritual component is important - to help people to find your place in the world, to support ...
Today it is only the lot of the rich and successful, and what is it for you personally?
For me, it is good to act in all areas where there is such an opportunity. You see what you can do - don’t pass by.
This is not the lot of the rich and the public. There is a stereotype that if you are public, then you are definitely rich and obliged to help everyone. This is an individual thing. We must not demand that someone be a benefactor, we must reduce the gap between rich and poor, make transparent the income and expenditure of all Ukrainians, and when we have this common responsibility and willingness to meet each other, then the spiritual will become more.
Should this process be loud and public or vice versa?
When it comes to private charity, it is better when it is not done in public. But when it comes to charity, publicity is needed for reporting and promotion. And there must be strict control by the state. We often have charitable foundations that deceive both those who collect donations and those who allegedly collect money. Therefore, I have been saying for a long time that we need to revise the law on charity: tighten registration requirements and write stricter reporting requirements.
Author Evgenia Motrich