Group+3

At first our group couldn't decide on one concern to focus on. There are many issues that need addressed in Cincinnati. We debated between mentoring needy kids to give them a chance to overcome the overwhelming high school drop-out rate in our city, and helping to give food and shelter to those who need it. We decided to go with the latter because of the alarming statistics about homelessness in Cincinnati. According to the [|Drop Inn Center], there are 8,392 confirmed homeless people in Cincinnati. Our group feels this number is much too high, and also that we can help reduce it if we put in the time and effort.

After viewing many agencies that address different concerns, we have decided to advocate an agency called The City Gospel Mission because of their excellent review, their care for people in need, and the personal experience of one of our members, Brandie Potzick. The City Gospel Mission meets all twenty of the standards for charity accountability according the BBB and spends 77% of their funds on programs that address issues that our group is concerned about including hunger, poverty, and homelessness. Only 5% of their funds are spent on administrative costs, so the agency is driven most by volunteer work and good will. There are plenty of programs to volunteer for that would be perfect for our philanthropy project because they are local, during school hours, and would help better the lives of many people.

The City Gospel Mission offers multiple programs that help thousands of homeless people not only by giving them [|a place to sleep], but also a place to escape the violence and drug abuse that surrounds them during the day called [|The Outlet]. There are other programs for which we would like to volunteer, including the [|Free Breakfast], which gives many homeless and poverty stricken people the chance to eat a hot meal. Brandie Potzick has volunteered for this particular program before and said that she really felt like she helped a lot of people, not only by giving them food, but by having conversations with them and interacting with them. Homeless people are often treated with hostility and disgust, so it must be nice to know that there are still people who care about them. The City Gospel Mission makes this possible and is the best agency for our class project because of it.