US Branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses provides little support to “Distressed Households”

The United States Branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses has released a 7-page document to elders in the U.S. entitled, Resources for Distressed Households. Instead of providing practical support to members in need, they provide links to “non-profit and government agencies” to find that support. They demand recipients not to “post this document publicly on any website, social media, or sharing service.” This is a charity not providing charity; instead directing its members to other charities! It is for this very reason that we are publishing this document on this website and making it available to all people who are interested in how lacking the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ organization is when it comes to being charitable even towards its own.”

The organization behind Jehovah’s Witnesses, Watch Tower has often been criticized for providing no practical support to Jehovah’s Witnesses who are poor or sick. In an effort to appear charitable, it has created a series on its website, jw.org, entitled, How Your Donations Are Used. As of February 16, 2023, they are 25 articles posted. None of the articles mention that they use donations to feed the poor, clothe the needy, or heal the sick (James 1:27). Instead, most of the articles are about activities that benefit the organization in terms of construction, growth and reach, few are about disaster relief. Yet none include providing help to the sick and the poor. There is an element of appearing loving, but appearances can be deceptive/ (Compare John 13:35).

This latest document, dated February 6, 2023, gives the appearance that the organization is concerned about its members. It is concerned in so far as it costs them little or nothing in monetary terms. It’s very easy to assign one or two of the thousands that serve at their world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses to create this 7-page document, which is essentially just a series of links to resources.

The document is divided into three sections: Federal, Nationwide and Undocumented Immigrants. These are then broken down into 5 or more sections, including financial assistance, food assistance, housing, medical, unemployment and other resources. At the bottom of every page, except the front page, is written, Please Reach Out to Your Local Elders for Assistance, as if the elders are experts when it comes to the content available within each of these resources. I’m sure most, if not all the elders, are as clueless as the individuals this document is geared towards.

The release of this document begs some serious questions: Why is a religious group, that claims to be a charity, directing its members to seek charity elsewhere? Why is the Watch Tower not providing charity for its own members when it is constantly asking members to donate, providing numerous ways for them to part with their money? Why is the United States Branch Office demanding that this document not be posed publicly? The last question is probably the easiest to answer, given that the organization provides no support to “distressed households”.

Comments on Reddit*

The user, lacervezas, drew our attention to this document and we would like to thank her/him for providing us with access to it.

One user says, “Funny how WT isn’t on the list of “available resources” for assistance…” Another responds, “That is very true, I remember during the pandemic when the hall was giving out free food, all you would hear about is how “loving” the org is. Turns out it was actually your worldly Uncle Same providing the food through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).” And yet another agrees, “Hell, yes. It was a government program. Those bloated chucklef***s on the Gibbering Boobies (Governing Body) wouldn’t loan you a dime to call 911 if they ran over your foot with a truck.” And to explain how bad the organization is, a user claimed, “It’s actually worse. The government did set up a program for non-profits where they could be given food to help distribute throughout their communities – as in neighborhoods. When it was discovered that JWs weren’t helping the community, rather only their own, the US nixed them from the program.”

In comparing Jehovah’s Witnesses to other religions, the user Jeffh2121 says, “Go to the local Catholics church, Baptist church, or any other community church, most have food pantries, emergency funds, and other helpful programs for folks in the community. They don’t care what religion you are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Maybe the Jehovah’s Witnesses could learn how to be charitable from the very people they ridicule.” Another user verifies this claim, saying, “I know I have shared this before but, when we had to evacuate because of a fire in 2020, the local schools and churches contacted me. When I went to them, they loaded my vehicle up with all types of items not just food but clothes, diapers, wipes etc. Yet, the brothers only brought us a few pizzas the entire two weeks we were displaced. Just yuck!”

*Some comments have been revised to improve readability; the intent remains the same.