A Cure for Double-Dipping
Churches in the small prairie towns along Interstate 70 east of Denver get a steady flow of travelers asking for money. "We're only three blocks off the highway," says Paul L. King of Deer Trail Friends Community Church, "and the people who come to our church door often try the other churches as well, just going down the line."
To prevent multiple handouts and also to spread the financial load. King and half a dozen other pastors in the four-town ministerial alliance set up a cooperative fund with a voucher system. "Each participating church puts $50 a year into the fund, and more as needed," he explains. "We also raise money through offerings at the Good Friday and Thanksgiving community services."
In order to disburse funds, a church first phones the association treasurer for authorization, giving information about the traveler in need—name, address, car model, color, and license number. Anyone trying to collect twice is thus quickly exposed.
Qualified persons are then given a voucher for $5 to $10 worth of gas or food at a specified service station, grocery store, restaurant, or motel—all of which have agreed to bill the association. No cash is handed out. The voucher includes not only information about the traveler but also the signature of the authorizing pastor and the date (including year, to prevent reuse or duplication).
"We ask to see a driver's license or ID," King adds, "in order to spot anyone involved in illegal activities. We also usually ask for work in return—mowing grass at the church, weeding, painting, or cleanup. And people do it—if they're truly in need."
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