It seems that virtually every church either has a ministry or at least financially supports a ministry aimed at those in times of poverty. There is no doubt that giving to those in need is accepted as an intrinsically good cause, but it seems that few question the outcome and impact of the money donated. Historically the church has been a central institution in providing food, shelter, money and transportation to those in need. Regardless, according to the US Census Bureau, 15% of US citizens are at or below the poverty level, a number that has remained the same since 1965. Churches have been working to address the issue in various ways, some more logical, some , some more effective than others and some more harmful than others. For the remainder of this article, I will focus specifically on the people and churches of North America, particularly in the 21st century, rather than antiquity. The term poverty is a term of comparison and, whenever it is used, it is important to ask the question “compared to whom?” Take myself, for example, I live in an apartment with more space than I need, I have food whenever I need it, I have a heated bed, a 40 inch TV, a fancy laptop, I keep more aquariums, I have more clothes than I've ever had to wear, have a car with heat and air conditioning,. To the vast majority of the world, I'm disgustingly rich, because I only feel discomfort when I eat something I shouldn't eat, or if my roommates raise or lower the thermostat three degrees, and I don't know what that is. it means to really need something. However, at the same time, in some parts of the world, and even in some parts of my country, I have very little. I don't own a house, I don't have a kitchen, I...... middle of paper......n Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor... and Yourself. Chicago: Moody Publishers.Families USA. “Federal Poverty Guidelines.” US Families: The Voice of Health Care Consumers. Families USA, accessed 12/15/2013, 2013, http://www.familiesusa.org/resources/tools-for-advocates/guides/federal-poverty-guidelines.html.Forks Over Knives. Netflix. Directed by Lee Fulkerson. Monica Beach Media, 2011.Lupton, Robert D. 2011. Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It). New York: HarperCollins.Sider, Ronald J. 1999. Generosity Only. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.———. 1997. Wealthy Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Wealth to Generosity. 4th ed. Dallas: Word Publishing.Sider, Ronald J. and Heidi Unruh eds. 2007. Hope for children in poverty: Profiles and possibilities. Valley Forge: Judson Press.