Many people including me think that we can help others only when we become rich and self-sufficient. We all imply help as giving money to people. But unfortunately as we grow in our lives our wishes and acquisitions for many luxuries increase and we will never reach a position where we can qualify ourselves as self-sufficient. On the other hand we see many organizations are cropping up in these days on the name of charity and non-profit. But, most of them are turning to be fraud and selfish creating many doubts on their working and spending of the donations.

One of my friend once made fun out of me when I told him that I donate few thousand INR every year. He opined that few hundreds or thousands are not sufficient and he wanted to earn a lot to make millions of rupees to help majority of people. I thought he may be correct and was accustomed to the thought.

In these few days some events have changed my idea of helping entirely. I would like to share those simple ways helping people without spending a single pie. Here is how:

• I have been driving to Washington, DC every day as part of work. While returning to home, I used to see one person standing at the signals with a small board in his hands with content “I am homeless. Please help. God bless you!” Many would stop at RED and few would give him a dollar. I also donated one dollar and I knew it was not going to get him a home to stay and thought when he can get what he is getting. One evening, a person before me in the car lowered his window glass and gave him a small paper with some number on it. I never saw him after that day and then I realized the gentleman in the car would have given some contact number or some useful stuff that helped this homeless man to get a home to stay or a job to make his living. This was a simple thing to help a person with no money involved.
• One day while I was listening to a radio program where the host takes the call from people who are in need of help and let the listeners hear to their problem. If anyone has a solution, then they would call on the number and help the person in need. One single mother with2 kids called and she is need of a job to support her kids and she does not have money to pay her rent. Then one woman who was driving and listening to the radio program called and she gave a contact number to the woman. That was the contact number of a church somewhere and it gives shelter to single mothers who are homeless for temporary purpose till they get to their earnings. While the program was ending the same woman who requested for help has called and thanked the other woman for giving the contact number of the church whom she called and got a place to live-in till she gets another job.

These are two simple gestures of help where neither of those people had to spend a single buck to help other person. But the help they offered is more than what we people can offer in small amounts. These two incidents have changed my perception of helping others. This has taught me that to help others we do not need to be rich or self-sufficient but need a loving and caring heart.

Life teaches so many things in simple ways and we often go with complicated perceptions on doing the same. Correct????