A recent Newsweek article by Peter Singer points out correctly that we are much more likely to help a particular child than starving masses. One group in a study was given general information about “food shortages in Malawi causing the starvation of hundreds of thousands”. A second group was shown a photo of a 7 year old Malaian girl named Rokia and told that she is desperately poor and that “her life will be changed for the better by your gift”. People in the second group gave far more.

“Futility thinking” plays a role. Giving money to help the poor is, we say, just a drop in the ocean. We focus more on those we cannot save rather than on those few we truly can. Did you know that the more we talk about giving the more we encourage others…this is known as the bystander effect..when they see our action they are more likely to act as well….Tell you friends and family that you give!