Helping the Working Poor

Joshua Noon of Denver, Colorado, writes:

Marilyn: How can I, as an individual, get more money into the hands of people I would call the "working poor"? I mean people who work hard at jobs that don't pay much, yet make them ineligible for other types of assistance.

I don't have much money to give for this purpose, and I don't want to give it to organizations with administrative expenses.

Marilyn responds:

Consider playing Santa Claus all year. Whenever you see someone you would like to help or reward, hand him or her a $10- or $20-bill (or whatever makes sense for you and the situation) and say, "Thanks for doing what you do. You're very much appreciated."