Do charitable donations benefit your health? This nonprofit is trying to find out.

Unbound, an international nonprofit founded by lay Catholics and inspired by the principles of Catholic social teaching, has partnered with researchers at the University of North Carolina and the Nebraska-based nonprofit Chronic Care International to analyze the health benefits that can arise from relationships. between North American donors with diabetes and elderly Filipinos affected by the same condition.

The new program will pair U.S. sponsors who have been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes with a senior in the Philippines; the program will include a contribution of US$40 per month towards the elderly’s medical care for one year. UNC researchers will administer at least three 30-minute surveys to sponsors throughout the year. The Filipino people who benefit from the sponsorships will receive direct cash transfers in addition to medical coverage.

According to Unbound, “The research study provides regular laboratory tests, quarterly A1C tests (a measure of blood sugar levels), exams and consultations, necessary medications, diet and exercise training for the participating seniors.”

Pritha Hariharan, chief of staff at Unbound, said the goal of the study is “to try to see if we could make diabetes care affordable.” But researchers are also interested in the ways in which the act of charitable giving can benefit both the donor and the recipient.

“Does the connection and sense of community that comes from sponsorship have a positive health outcome for the sponsor?” Mrs. Hariharan asked. She noted that many people in the United States may not be able to bear material poverty, but they can suffer from the spiritual poverty of loneliness.

She suggests that the health benefits that a connection with a Filipino senior could bring to a U.S. donor are almost as important as the medical impacts of sponsorship on the seniors themselves. “We want to see if they will have a better health outcome with this greater sense of connection.”

Deshira Wallace, lead researcher at UNC, phrased the research question in similar terms: “We are eager to learn whether peer support plays a role in improving health and well-being. In short, can helping others also help you?”

The issue of elderly care is expected to occupy an increasing place in Unbound’s work in the coming years. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world population over 60 years of age is expected to almost double, from 12% to 22%; and by 2050, 80% of older people will likely live in low- and middle-income countries.

For older people in vulnerable circumstances, loneliness is expected to be a particularly serious problem. “Loneliness is often the dark companion of our lives as elderly people and grandparents,” Pope Francis said recently. “In many places, especially in the poorest countries, the elderly find themselves alone because their children are forced to emigrate.” A large component of Unbound’s mission is to foster human connection among these impoverished seniors.

Tammy Marino, media relations manager at Unbound, said America that the organization strives to treat each beneficiary of its projects with “autonomy, humanity and dignity”. The prevalence of direct cash transfers is evidence of this approach. Rather than subjecting each beneficiary to a one-size-fits-all approach, direct transfers allow recipients of Unbound aid to determine for themselves what they and their families need most.

According to the association’s website, “no one understands better what a family needs to overcome its challenges than this family.” The sponsorship program under development for Filipino seniors follows this paradigm.

The project is still in its early stages and Unbound, UNC and Chronic Care International are still actively recruiting potential sponsors with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. US residents interested in participating in the project should call 800- 875-6564, extension 9, or email [email protected].

Unbound was created by lay Catholics in 1981 with the aim, in the words of co-founder Bob Hentzen, to “free the people of God from hunger, from slavery, from pain”. In the 43 years since its creation, the association has engaged in ministry throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, with a particularly robust presence in Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines.