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seen posters in New York subways asking people to donate coats and reminding them to keep in mind the preservation of the beneficiaries' dignity when giving by donating clothing that are still in good condition. They are asked not to donate coats that are torn or damaged in such a way as to be something, they themselves wouldn't want to wear. Someone who gives grudgingly is more likely to easily and/or willfully trample that dignity at any time.

Some people already morally and emotionally beat themselves to a pulp with guilt feelings after finding themselves in a predicament through unforeseen circumstances that compels them to seek help and even charity even if only for a brief period of time. As a result they feel shame when compelled to seek out and ask for charity and even more shame (albeit mixed with relief for having been able to fulfill a need) while receiving it. Imagine what it's like for them to have their self esteem and dignity trampled in the process of seeking and receiving charity.

Gratitude and a thank you are the salary for charity paid to the giver by the recipient. One cannot trample another's dignity in the process of giving and expect to receive a sincere and heartfelt thank you in return.

One who gives willingly and from the heart doesn't do so for the thank you's or the recognition but for the warm feeling of satisfaction of having been able to help out another person in some way however small, and if they receive some recognition or a sincere thank you for it somewhere along the way, well it makes that warm feeling even warmer and more pleasant and makes them want to give again.

There's one classic example of charity in the US that everyone knows about and has been the topic of heated debate for years: welfare.

Welfare is a form of charity aimed toward providing some form of support to the disadvantaged people of American society. I purposely used the word aimed because regardless of whoever is on welfare and however welfare recipients use their money the above was the intended purpose and we all see the results.

Granted that taxpayers are the givers but they are such in an indirect way. The government is actually the one doing the charity not the people who are paying their taxes because the government decides where the money goes.

No one gets to choose to retain whatever may be the percentage of their taxpayer money that goes into welfare. They just have to pay or get in trouble with the IRS - an entity no American wants to mess with,

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