It may be shameful to say this now, during times of plenty, but charity isn’t a good survival skill after the SHTF… unless you think of it as investing. In a survival situation, even the most prepared Prepper can’t afford to waste resources. When sharing labor or resources, think of the transaction as making an investment into a relationship that will probably pay off later.

This article provides a few thoughts on how and why a survivalist should invest resources.

Be Selective with Charity

A wise survivalist must be selective when investing resources into a person or family. Only donate supplies to people who have a good chance of survival, or to those who have specialized skills you might need in the future such as: medical, mechanic, or general construction trades (plumbing, carpentry, masonry, blacksmithing, etc.). 

Assuming you invest wisely, the person you help should be willing to return the favor when you need it in the future.

What to Say While Giving

There are a couple things you must say when donating time and resources to anyone.

I don’t have much to give.

Make it clear you’re in the same boat as they are and don’t have much to offer them. I don’t care if you have enough food to last several lifetimes. Say it anyways. The last thing you want is for someone to blab about the wealth of resources you have at your home. Before you know it, people will start lining up for a hand out because they think you’re a bleeding heart they can take advantage of.

Or worse, you’ll become a target for burglars and raiders.

You are important to me.

Another thing to mention is how valuable your relationship has been, and their well-being is important to you. If you don’t know the person or family very well, claim that you’ve always respected and valued them as a neighbor. If you notice they have a garden, flatter them by claiming to enjoy how skilled they are with their green thumb.

Say these things even if you don’t give a shit about the person, and you absolutely hate the allergies their flowers give you every spring. Expressing how valuable or important someone is to you forces them to look back at the relationship in a better light. It makes you more relatable too, which means they’ll be less likely to suspect an ulterior motive (like the expectation of a return on this investment).

Charity for the Helpless

There’s bound to be people who can’t contribute to the community because they’re too old or disabled. You can’t be expected to provide for their every need, but it’s a good idea to help these individuals when possible. Even something simple like donating meal leftovers can benefit both you and them. They get a meal, obviously, but the modest act of kindness will help your public image when other neighbors check in on the disabled/old person.

Start a conversation with these people when offering aid. You’ll learn more about the person and what skills they had when they were younger or able-bodied. Maybe they can teach you a long-forgotten skill or trade, or teach your kids these skills (free school and daycare). They may have knowledge of the unique features of the land, like information about an artesian water source nobody knows about or where “there’s gold in them thar hills”

Charity is a Double-Edged Sword

News of your charity is bound to spread, and that can be good and bad.

• It’s good because neighbors will see you as a kind and contributing member of the community for helping others who can’t help themselves.
• It’s bad because the neighbors who won’t help themselves will become resentful and complain about not receiving a handout.

You can mitigate the bad aspects of being charitable by doing a few things:

• Always remind people that you’re struggling, just like they are.
• Listen and be on the lookout for any signs of animosity toward you and your family. No matter how many times you remind people that you are struggling and don’t have much, the story will always get blown out of proportion and people will start to believe that you’re sitting on a mountain of food.
• Be prepared to defend your home and supplies from looters, even from cordial neighbors.

Not being Charitable is Bad Too

Being charitable after the SHTF is starting to sound like it’s more trouble than its worth. Yes, it may cause complications, but consider how it’ll look if you don’t help others in the community.

• You could be seen as selfish, unkind, or an overall bad person. Which means the community will be less willing to offer help when you need it.
• People will resent you and your family if you appear to be better off than the rest of the community.
• An unwillingness to interact with other community members could cause people to wonder if you’re hiding something. Are they so cagey because they’re hiding a mountain of food at home?

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No matter what your moral views are on being charitable, the act of giving something to another person could be complicated after the SHTF. Resources will be scarce, so I like to think of charity as investing into a relationship that will pay off later. However, such an investment of time and resources must be done wisely or it could have grave consequences for you and your family.