Ahem, charity.

The other day at IMPACT we went downstairs to sort through these boxes of charitable donations brought to Lupeni by a German group of philanthropists.  The point was to create boxes of gifts to give to the neediest families in Lupeni--so I was looking, for example, for clothes and toys suitable for a mom and two little boys, ages two and five.  Easy, right?

Wrong.

I understand the good intentions of the German group.  I do appreciate their generosity, and the selfless service of driving all the way to Romania from Germany towing trailers full of clothes.  But honestly?  Most of it was, well, junk.

And I just couldn't help but wonder... what sort of love is this?  Now the IMPACT building is full of boxes of clothes, most of them out-of-style cast-offs of the 90's, which kind and well-meaning Germans have sent to Romania in an attempt to be nice.  Little do they know that Lupeni is full of second-hand shops where even the poorest of the poor can buy plenty of clothes.  Little do they know that what the people of Lupeni really need is a way to control the population of stray dogs that periodically attack people and roam the streets in packs, or a way to get the corrupt mayor out of office and replace him with somebody who will be held accountable by the public, or better training in medical ethics in the hospital so mothers won't be forced to bribe their doctors and nurses to get a C-section when it's vitally necessary.  I could go on.  I appreciate their attempt at love.  I don't mean to knock the German group.  I'm sure plenty of my own well-meaning actions have been just as naive.  I just wonder... what do we do when charity is so misguided?