Almsgiving is a duty of
charity, a commendable spiritual practice along with prayer and fasting, and a means for us
to win friends in eternity, whether by
giving money to organisations or
individuals who carry out the corporal works of mercy — saving the lives of pre-born babies by supporting pro-life work, feeding the hungry by the alleviation of famine, sheltering the homeless, welcoming the stranger, or the spiritual works of mercy, such as having Masses offered for people who are sick or in particular need, or those who have died and the souls in purgatory.