2006年VOA标准英语-Some Philanthropists in America Give More Than

By Brian Padden
Washington, DC
08 November 2006
 
watch Philanthropy in US

 
DC Central Kitchen
The common perception¹ of philanthropy in America is that of the very rich donating money to humanitarian² causes through non-profit foundations. But according to a study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, America's middle class contributes 59 percent of all philanthropic dollars.  And many believe that motivated individuals have a much greater impact than the corporate³ model foundations at solving the problems of poverty. 

 
Jerold Thomas
In Washington, DC, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol building, DC Central Kitchen is giving people a second chance at life. Jerold Thomas came here six years ago.  "I used to be an alcoholic⁴ addict⁵."

Now Thomas is working there as a chef and training others as well. "We are helping⁶ the community, giving people second chances, empowering minds, strengthening bodies, helping people who fell down on their luck by whatever means get back out in mainstream⁷ society," he says.

 
Robert Egger
DC Central Kitchen is the brainchild of founder⁸ and president Robert Egger, who makes very little money and works out of a small office in the back.  Seventeen years ago he came up with the idea when he volunteered with a group that gave food to the homeless. "I kept thinking there must be a better way to do this.  The restaurants and the hotels throw away large amounts of food.  Wouldn't it be interesting instead of buying food, which is what these groups were doing, if you could get that food and get it to a kitchen?  You could feed more people but you could also offer men and women who were outside a chance to get a skill and get a job."

Today, DC Central Kitchen utilizes⁹ more than one ton of surplus¹⁰ food each day that would otherwise go to waste, prepares more than 4,000 meals, and provides job training to many who were considered unemployable. 

 
Mary Kate Ruth, volunteer
The program has also attracted volunteers from around the country, such as Mary Kate Ruth and her church group from the U.S. state of South Carolina. "We wanted to experience what life is like outside of our small city in South Carolina and see how we can help out in other parts of the nation."

Despite its success, Egger says DC Central Kitchen is not the solution to an economic system, which in his opinion, forces so many into poverty in America, through low wages and lack of health care. "If somebody is working hard and doing everything right, shouldn't they be able to buy enough food and a place to live?  So the kitchen, I'm not interested in making a bigger kitchen. I'm interested in the kitchen running effectively while we have to be open but I am desperately¹¹ interested in making sure we have a conversation about why we are open in the first place." 

He is also critical of traditional wealthy philanthropists. "The model of philanthropy is based on Rockefeller, Carnegie, which were big philanthropists, in which you say, 'I'm going to make a lot of money in my life and then somewhere at the end of my life I'm going to give something back to offset¹² the damage I did making a lot of money in my life.'  That will never work.  It looks good.  It sounds good. It even feels good.  It will never work."

Egger says when consumers exercise their power and insist that companies provide a living wage and health care benefits to their workers, many non-profit organizations such as DC Central Kitchen will no longer be needed. 

1 perception   

n.感知，感觉，觉察(力)；认识，观念，看法

参考例句：

• What's your perception of the matter?你对此事有什么看法？
• He was a man of keen perception.他是一个感觉敏锐的人。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

5 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

8 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

9 utilizes   

v.利用，使用( utilize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• One highly successful approach utilizes a triplet aspheric lens array. 一种很成功的方法是利用一个三合非球面透镜阵列。 来自辞典例句
• The first utilizes a blend of finely ground ceramic powders. 第一种用的是一种磨细的陶瓷粉末混合物。 来自辞典例句

10 surplus   

adj.过剩的，多余的；n.过剩，剩余额

参考例句：

• The manufacturers in some countries dumped their surplus commodities abroad.一些国家的制造商向国外倾销过剩产品。
• The surplus steam was blown off through the pipes.多余的蒸气通过管道放掉了。

11 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

12 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。