Faith-Based Programs?

By: Ron Mallett

Hold on there!

Before we stampede over George W. Bush’s proposals to make federal grants to religious charities, let’s hear the full story.

The proposals are not to give money to churches, synagogues and mosques, but to religious charities. The end effect will be to cut taxes, not increase them.

Truthfully, there are some things that government does very well, such as maintaining a military force and regulating interstate commerce. But, there are many other things that government does poorly. By ‘poorly,’ I mean wastefully and ineffectively. Volunteerism is a powerful tool for serving those local and regional needs where government approaches have failed. President Bush is proposing to harness the power of millions of American volunteers..

As a specific example, our Longmont-based prison and jail ministry has 200 volunteers serving in 25 federal, state and county penal institutions, including youth detention facilities. We also provide visitation services to 14 Northern Colorado nursing homes.

We have one paid staff member earning but $25,000 a year (after 20 years). We have seven office volunteers (all part-time), 148 jail, prison and youth center volunteers, and 29 nursing home volunteers, as well as a few occasional volunteers. This combined force provided more than 30,000 hours of service to the community in year 2002, with a conservative labor value of over $1.2 million annually.

And, our programs are highly effective. We have hard statistics proving that we can turn over 90% of our “clients” into law abiding citizens. This compares to the government record of 10-15% success. There are clear reasons why the government “solutions” fail so miserably – and we will explain these reasons to anyone sincerely interested in the issue.

But the point here is that the government cost of an equivalent program would be well over $1 million annually – and to what end? Over 70% of American prisoners are repeat offenders. And 80-85% of these will return to crime upon release. Something is horribly wrong with a system that produces such results.

Our programs run at an annual cost of $90,000. We’re efficient, cost-effective, and our methods work. For more on our finances, see Why Shekinah is a Good Choice for Charitable Giving Why would anyone want to fund failed government programs at 20 times the cost, when they could be funding a private effort that works? There are hundred of other charities in our region with similar stories.

Please, let’s listen before we overreact. Don’t let the voices of fear drown out the reasoned approach of the Bush administration. Hear them out before you join the hue and cry of the naysayers.