betterment | educational services
A New Model
Christian community developer Robert Lupton has created a social service model called “betterment to development” that progresses from doing things for people… to doing things with people… to empowerment that helps people do things for themselves.
Lupton has taken the Chinese proverb, give a man a fish; you have fed him for today… teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime, and made an addition: when the pond no longer has any fish get a grant to restock it… when tired of that, buy the pond. CCW has modified Lupton’s model of ministry to fit the context of street youth culture.
A youth enters Cup of Cool Water’s community of care through give a man a fish. Practically, this looks like providing food, clothing, laundry, showers, shelter, etc… referred to as “betterment.”
Next, the youth transitions to teach a man to fish. We call these our educational services. The staff and youth experience this through workshops (classes that teach basic life skills), Bible study, and mentoring relationships with staff and volunteers. In the future we hope to include Illuminations (education center designed under the free school model of education), drug/alcohol recovery processes, and other groups. Getting a grant to stock the pond involves employment at Cool Water Bikes (a small business owned by CCW) and other eventual job opportunities.
Finally the youth would move to buy the pond. At CCW, this means that the youth are able to live independent lives away from street youth culture, come back to volunteer, and eventually be core staff at CCW.
