Here in the U.S., we like to idealize the holiday season as a time for merriment, family and feasting. While most of us, including Ira Riklis, realize that reality often falls short of this ideal.
But even he was shocked some years ago when he learned of the plight of New York City’s poor, elderly and homebound residents. Largely invisible to most of us, the elderly poor make up a rapidly growing segment of our population. Many have limited mobility, few relatives or friends and household incomes of less than $10,000 a year.
For nearly thirty years now, an organization called Citymeals On-Wheels has been working to make the lives of these people a little better by providing meals delivered to their homes. The organization was founded in 1981 after Gael Greene and James Beard read an article about homebound elderly New Yorkers with little to eat on weekends and holidays.
They rallied friends, including Ira Riklis to raise funds to supplement a government-funded weekday meal delivery program. The program now serves 18,000 people with nutritious meals and human contact every day.
“I believe the power to make money is a gift from God . . . to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind.”
-John D. Rockefeller
I’ve talked a lot about the causes that Ira Riklis believes in and supports. “Entrepreneurs in this country are some of its most charitable citizens.” Some credit their success because of their giving. Can this be possible?
Here are some common myths about wealth in the US
Myth: Americans are stingy
Fact: The average American citizen gives away 3.5x as much money each year as the average French citizen,7x as much as the average German, and 14x as much as the average Italian.That is per capita.
Myth: As people get wealthier they give less.
Fact: The average American family between 1954 and 2004 (adjusted for inflation) showed a 150% increase in real purchasing power. Family charitable giving also increased over the same period—on average by 190%.
Myth: You can’t profit by being charitable
Fact: Using happiness as a currency — people who give to charity are 43% more likely than people who don’t give to say they’re very happy people. People who give blood are 2x as likely to say they’re very happy people as people who don’t. People who volunteer are happier too. Studies show that when people give, it lowers their levels of stress.
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