Reply #23: So, in summary so far, zero secular candidate organizations nominated.

[ironbark]

The OP search question-
“..it would be nice if there were some secular organizations that did stuff like help run the local homeless shelter and send care packages to prisoners…
.I'm thinking of an organization like the Salvation Army, but without the "salvation" part. Does anyone know of any good national secular groups that accomplish the same general mission, without the preaching?

Some allude to such organizations or even claim there are “plenty”…but none are named that fit the OP criteria-

“about 120 non-religious charities each year. Most are global.”

“Most secular charities that work on the local level are individual and local.”

“There are plenty of non-religious charities out there.”

The ‘Union Rescue Mission’ gets a mention….but it turns out-

“Union Rescue Mission embraces people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ - giving hope and healing for a changed life.”

‘Oxfam?’

“…founded by a group of Quakers.”

Which leaves ‘Doctors Without Borders’…not fitting what the OP described and sought.

So….if you can’t find a secular equivalent of the Salvation Army…put the boot into the SA itself-
“These vultures are the lowest of the low, they prey on people…”


Then it can be restated that there are “plenty of secular charities”… even if no one can name one that fits the OP bill.

“There are plenty of secular charities, as you say.”

28 posts in and no one can name a single secular charity doing parallel work to the SA 'vultures'.

This, below, would be worthy of discussion and examination-
“There are few-to-no specifically atheist charities simply because the lack of a religion isn't really a starting point around which people gather”

But the history of the board is that the dynamic described is a no go zone that will receive zero consideration.

So the search goes on…“There are plenty of secular charities” out there… but no one can remember their names.