>>>Since you like quotations so much, here is one in response:
>>>
>>>"The charity that hastens to proclaim its good deeds, ceases to be charity, and is only pride and ostentation." -- William Hutton
>>>
>>>I wonder if those benefitting from benevolence feel the same way.
>>
>>FWIW, in Judaism, charity is considered more honorable when neither the donor nor the recipient knows who the other one is. Here's the complete list: http://judaism.about.com/od/beliefs/a/charity_nine.htm
>>
>>Tamar
>
>Tamar
>
>That's always been something I really appreciated about Judaism. As it was explained to me, the sense of community is such that the idea of someone in the community being in need was looked upon as an embarrassment to the whole community if the community did nothing about it. But, by the same token, the community should never know who in the community was in need, which allows those in need to keep their dignity (for want of a better word).

Dignity is a big deal in Jewish attitudes. One of the things I'm involved with is our local Hebrew Free Loan Society; we give small interest-free loans to people in need. Free Loans have a long history in the Jewish community.

In many communities, there was also a practice where at the end of the Sabbath, each man would go alone into a room, where there was a pile (basket? something else?) of money. If he could afford to, he'd add to it. If he was in need, he'd take some. No one knew who added or who took.

Tamar