4 The Hampton Roads Messenger Editorial


Why Americans Should Use Discretionary Income to Help Starving Children in Africa


One might ask, “Why adopt a


child from Africa rather than a needy American child?” Because children in regions with food scarcity issues are at risk of dying, their needs are more dire than the needs of American children. With food stamp programs and organizations like churches and food banks, American children are more likely to live through their food shortage ordeals.


Africa has an abundance of BY ANGELA JONES Discretionary income is defined as


the amount of an individual's income that remains for spending, investing or saving after taxes and personal necessities, such as food, shelter, and clothing, have been deducted. Today, Americans with discretionary income use it in a variety of ways including donations to nonprofits and churches or just spending it to keep up with the latest technology gadgets or fashion trends. It would be ideal if Americans, especially African Americans, would tap into the empathy they feel for those less fortunate and adopt an orphaned child from a poor region in Africa.


Few Americans, if any, should use


the word “hungry” to describe the way they feel when they have not eaten in a couple of hours. In some regions in Africa, children do not have anything to eat for days or weeks. The difference between helping a hungry person in these regions as opposed to assisting a person in the United States, who does not have as much to eat, as they would prefer, could be compared to the difference between pulling someone in out of the rain or providing shelter for someone during a hurricane.


orphans who do not have enough to eat. Even during the worst of times in recent years, the quality of life for Americans exceeds the quality of life for most of the world, on average, by leaps and bounds. Most Americans would consider it a bad day when their favorite restaurant runs out of their favorite dessert. Conversely, in some African villages, a bad day is not having a morsel of food to eat for the third day in a row.


One may also ask, “Why is it


necessary to take the drastic step of adopting a child rather than giving money to an organization which provides food to starving children in Africa?” The answer is two fold; first, it is difficult to determine how much of one’s donation to any organization will be used to directly provide meals for children who are without food. Also, each time an orphaned starving child in Africa is adopted, donated resources from outside the region can be stretched further to feed the fewer children who remain.


Children are needlessly dying


everyday in Africa because they do not have enough eat. If anyone with disposable income has space in their home and space in their heart, saving the life of a child is a great way to fill that space. There is no doubt that the adopted child and world will be eternally grateful for such a generous act of kindness.


Volume 7 Number 11 Financially Fit FROM PAGE 1


and meet your savings goals. Some of them offer retirement planning advice and calculators to help you figure out such things as whether you should refinance your mortgage or how much you need to be saving for retirement every month.


While not directly related to


banking and not a new service, many consumers may wish to consider using tax-preparation software that can make preparing federal and state income tax returns easy and much less expensive than using a paid preparer.


Depositing checks using your


smartphone or other mobile device: Many banks have rolled out a “remote deposit capture” (RDC) feature that allows customers to take a picture of a check with their mobile phone and deposit that check electronically, without visiting a branch or using an ATM. This service is becoming popular, especially among customers who don’t live or work close to a bank branch. “Mobile RDC can provide convenience to a variety of consumers, from young people to senior citizens,” noted Elizabeth Khalil, a Senior Policy Analyst in the FDIC’s Division of Depositor and Consumer Protection.


If you use mobile RDC, carefully


keep track of the checks you deposit. For instance, you can write the date you deposited the item on the front of the paper check and hold onto it until the check has cleared and the money is in your account. Then you can destroy the check, preferably using a high-quality paper shredder. Contact your bank with any questions.


Account alerts: Most mobile


banking systems will allow you to sign up to get text messages on your mobile phone or e-mails if your account balance drops below a set dollar amount, which can help ensure that you don’t overdraw your account. You may be able to receive text alerts if your bank observes “suspicious” — potentially fraudulent — transactions involving your account. Another possibility may be to get a notice of a certificate of deposit about to mature. “Mobile account alerts are probably the easiest and most effective


way to monitor what is going on with your checking account in real time,” suggested Kopchik.


Mobile bill paying: Most mobile


banking services allow consumers to pay companies that already have been added to their “approved list” on their bank’s online banking Web site. However, if you want to make bill payment even easier, some banks allow customers to use their mobile phone to take a picture of a paper bill from any merchant (provided the bill shows the company’s name and certain other information) and then click the “pay” button. “This new service eliminates the need for you to enter merchant payment information into your bank’s bill-payment service. Your bank will take care of that automatically,” said Khalil.


As with any mobile banking


service, always check with your bank before signing up to make sure you know about any fees or other key terms.


“Loyalty” discount programs


with retailers: These are new and not in widespread use, but here’s one example. You may be able to give your bank permission to analyze your debit and credit card transaction records and automatically arrange for some of your favorite retailers to send electronic coupons or other special offers to your home computer or mobile banking device. Some mobile payment programs that utilize a “mobile wallet” (an application that can be loaded onto your mobile phone) will enable specific merchants to send discount offers directly to your phone as you are walking by their store. Keep in mind that if you sign up for these programs you will have to share information about your buying habits with merchants or other third parties.


Finally, when using any mobile


financial service, keep privacy and security issues in mind. “For one thing, mobile phones are much easier to lose or misplace than a desktop computer, so make sure that you keep track of your mobile phone and password-protect it,” Kopchik advised.


You are cordially invited to attend...


City Council meetings... Norfolk - regular meetings are held on the first and fourth Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. and the second and third Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.


Chesapeake - regular meetings are held on the second, third and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.


Established 2006 Angela Jones, Publisher Chris Parks, Editor


Rae Willis, Graphic Designer Ida Davis, Contributing Writer


PO Box 10414 ● Norfolk, VA 23513


Sales and Information 757-575-1863 info@hamptonroadsmessenger.com Copyright pertaining to contents of this edition. All rights reserved.


Newport News - regular business meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m.


Suffolk - regular meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.


Hampton - typically take place on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m.


Virginia Beach - meets on the first four Tuesdays of each month. In July the meetings are scheduled on the first two Tuesdays only. Formal session begins at 6 p.m.


Portsmouth - meeting dates are the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.


July 2013


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