anutter question

[Hope 98]

As I've begun to see the way that my husband and I take in strangers in need as a ministry, I went out on a limb to ask the pastor where we are attending if we could do something to make it official so that we could request donations.

Part of his response has me a little unsettled, though I overlooked it at first.

"I would hope that the possibility of financial assistance would not lessen the pressure on individuals to contribute to their own welfare with a clear expecation that they will maintain employment and pay a reasonable portion for their own upkeep. In fact, I would tend to see any financial help as being toward thosewho are not employed. I would tend to think that the employed could pay all of the extra expenses that their stay at your house creates. After al, the costs of an extra person in an existing house is greatly less than for that person to have their own space. So I am unclear as to why offering a room to an employed person should be a burden on your family's finances. In fact, it should actually east them as there should be some shared expenses. If this is not a correct understanding, perhaps the place to begin is by explaining the fallacy in this belief."

Um...
It's hard to respond to that without being defensive and that's the reason that I've avoided asking for financial assistance before now.

Can anybody help me put my finger on the problem I'm having with this response? Or am I being used by people who are greedy and lazy?