Thor1964.
You have a good heart. To come as far as you have in 24 months is a real achievement. Keep up the good work. I do want to point out that by doing your “Christian best” you are only delaying the pain of these people that will seek you for help. So, why not take the “help” up a notch. Instead of just giving them some food and a few items that will just bring them back to your door when they are desperate again, open that door and bring them in!
Don’t send these folks back out into a world gone crazy to try and survive alone. They are at your doorstep because they CAN’T! They are asking for assistance, not trying to take what is yours. This is especially true of those that you already know! I am not advocating for taking in every stranger that shows up, but the first people to come to you for help are those that know you, and they are looking to you for leadership and help! Friends, family, and neighbors will all be in the same boat– the one that is sinking. Because you are preping, you don’t just have a lifeboat, you are sitting on an island! You are the “dry land”, and no matter how much you give them a bit and push them away, they will come back and need more. So, if you are going to open that “Christian best” door and give them a month worth of supplies to “get them through”, why not get some really good value for those priceless supplies at the same time?
We all know the folks that we have tried to get to prep. We have all heard the “we will just come to your house” answers over and over. I say to that, “Good! We will really be able to use your help on night guard. Your wife can help cook in the kitchen. Even your kids can help with the chores. How about we get together and talk about what you should pack up in a hurry to bring with you?” That is how I have things set up with my whole family. They don’t prep; they know they are running to Momma when things get tough. They know I have done the preps for them and theirs, and that when they get here they will be a valuable member of our clan. Even though many of us don’t want to really face this, as preppers, we have been training ourselves to be clan leaders. All that we have learned, all that we practice, all the lists and preps and inventories, even right down to our gun collections, position us as the leaders our family and friends are going to need. The people in our lives are going to look to us, and if we are ready to take on that mantle in a loving, Christ-like way, we will increase all our chances of survival. So don’t just put together charity buckets. Load up more buckets. Think about housing and sanitation. Get more tools, and be ready to show these folks how to do what is necessary for everyone to survive.
Be bold with those you know are coming, and let them know you are getting ready for them to be there. Let them know that they will not have to go it alone back at their home; you all are going to group together. Let them know that they will have a job when they get there. It is insane to for anyone to think that in a survival situation that some will get to sit in the house while others do all the work. Let them know that will not be the way. They will NOT get to continue life like it was, and that they will have to work for their provision. Then put them to work right after that first meal! Even if it is just something small. Start as you intend to continue. “Everyone works; no one shirks!” is our motto here.
It may be tough for some. You may have to install some disciplinary procedures. You know best the personalities, and yes, there may be some that you will send away empty handed just because you know them! We all know folks like that, but with the help of the others that you have taken on, you can be secure in sending those away. There is safety in numbers. We will not be able to stand alone, so prepare for those that will stand with you. – J.O.
HJL Adds: An additional concept to think about is “authority”. Will the person whom you are bringing into your group subject themselves to the authority over the group? Without that, it is foolhardy to bring them in, no matter how charitable you feel. A person who has been part of your group and then ejected due to rebellious behavior is now a danger to you and your group. They alone may not be a threat, but the information they have about your “clan” may be enough to get them membership in another “clan” which can cause serious problems down the road.