We believe the poor typically have a greater capacity to help themselves than they are often given credit for. Most of the poor we work with only need the opportunity to help them selves.

We believe the best way to help the poor is to not be too helpful. Being overly helpful creates dependence in the lives of the poor. Our goal is to foster independence.

We believe education of the young is key to long term independence for the family.

We believe that in helping the poor, we are also helping ourselves. The help we receive is not always immediately apparent. But, as we look back on our lives, we normally recognize that from our helping of others, we learned something about life or about ourselves or met some wonderful people or had wonderful experiences, etc. any of which missing from our lives would have left us poorer. In other words, when we are engaged in authentic service to others in need, we are helped as much as we help.  The universe seems to operate on the principle that those being helped and those helping both receive from the effort..

These beliefs are woven into the fabric of all Art For Humanity projects.