Current Events: Oregonians Helping Oregonians

The Preamble of the Constitution includes the goal of promoting the “general welfare” yet few provisions of the rest of the document explicitly address the concept. Since the inception of the United States, an ongoing debate has been had about balancing government’s role in supporting its citizenry with concepts of personal liberty. Is it solely up to individuals to take care of themselves? What happens if there is a natural disaster or an economic crisis? Should government help those who can’t make ends meet because of illness, disability, or old age? If parents are unable to provide, who ensures basic needs are met for children? Should society rely on the charity of others in times of need or should taxpayers provide assistance in a more programmatic way through government agencies? While the policy debate over these questions continue, needs are immediate.

Many non-profit organizations are charities that help fill a particular gap between people’s needs and what government programs provide. As federal budget cuts hit Oregon, the state and local nonprofits are stepping up to catch as many people in need as possible. Some of these are focused on food insecurity, homelessness, and health care needs while others support wildfire recovery, environmental protection, or cultural resources.

This week’s Current Event resources examine some of the needs that exist in Oregon and what nonprofits and foundations are providing assistance. The CLP lesson plan engages students to consider the role of philanthropy in their own community and the economics of the nonprofit sector.

Essential Questions:

Essential Question #1 – What economic needs do nonprofits address that are not met by markets or governments?
Essential Question #2 – What organizations help those in need in our communities?
Essential Question #3 – What charity would you give your time, talent, and resources to? Explain.

Vocabulary:

social safety net: a collection of government programs and policies designed to provide a basic level of financial and social support to individuals and families in need
philanthropy: voluntary giving by an individual or group to promote the common good
non-profit organization: an organization whose aim is to make money for a social or political purpose or to provide a service that people need, rather than to make a profit.
charity: nonprofit organization whose efforts are focused on aiding those in need
public goods: things that benefit all, but won’t be produced by the private market for profit (e.g. clean air, public broadcasting).