Bishop Michael Bird Photo Caption Contest

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The winning entry will receive a no longer needed Order of Niagara Medal.

My caption is: “I think I’ve nailed my thumb to this board”

Or, “Does this hat make me look like David Hodo from the Village People?”

6 thoughts on “Bishop Michael Bird Photo Caption Contest

    • Good point. I also have to wonder if this was at least partially motivated by a desire to seek publicity. And I will give some benefit of doubt here and concede that it is possible that Mr. Bird actually believes that he is doing something good. That being said, on the surface habitat for humanity looks like a “good cause”, but I sometimes wonder just how much good does it do. Giving (literally) people a house sounds good, but it strikes as being like “giving a man a fish”. You feed him for only one day. And so I am left thinking that habitat for humanity is more like a “hand out” (and a very big one at that) and not at all a “hand up”.

      • H4H requires sweat equity from the recipient, so this is far from a hand out. The new owner is responsible for all on going costs, taxes, utilities, maintenance and the like. One was built beside our Armories and as I recall it was treasured by the recipients. Your local Re-Store is part of the system and helps recycle building materials from renovations and construction left overs. I would expect this was no mere photo op for the good bishop, organizers usually expect a fair day’s work from volunteers.

        • Hello Steve L.
          I must disagree. Habitat for Humanity still seems to me to be a very big “hand out” and not a “hand up”. That the recipient is required to do some of the work of building the house is nice. But the value of this labour is insignificant compared to the cost or value of the house being built. That the recipient is responsible for the carrying costs (i.e. taxes, utilities) is irrelavent. Let me try to explain. If you give a person a gift, such as a TV or DVD player, and it breaks down. Who pays for it to be repaired or replaced? Not the person who gave the gift. This cost would be the responsibility of the recipient. The costs of home ownership can be considerable. And so Habitat for Humanity is potentially burdening someone with ongoing expenses that they may have difficulty paying.

          And all of the work that Habitat for Humanity does has no effect on changing/improving the recipients ability to earn an income.

          I do not disagree that Habitat for Humanity makes a significant difference/improvement in the lives of many people. All that I am saying is that the amount of time, effort, and money spent by Habitat for Humanity could likely be put to better use in some other way. A way that does make a significant difference/improvement in the ability of the recipient to earn an income.

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