Helping a Person Stand on His Own
The highest level of tzedakah, in the Rambam's ranking, is to strengthen a Jew who has fallen into hardship so that he need not ask others.
The Rambam lists eight levels of tzedakah. The highest, beyond which there is none, is to support a Jew who has fallen into poverty: to give him a present or a loan, enter a partnership with him, or find him work, so that his hand is strengthened and he does not have to ask others. He adds the verse "You shall support him," and reads it to mean that we should help a person before he falls and becomes needy. The lower levels follow in order. The best giving protects a person's dignity and gives him the means to stand on his own.
Source: Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Matnos Aniyim 10:7
Think of one person you know who is struggling, perhaps with work, a business or a new start. This week, offer more than money. Introduce them to someone who might hire them, share a skill, or help them draft a resume or plan. Do it quietly and respectfully, so that they feel like a partner and not a recipient. Giving tzedakah is a mitzvah in any form, and the Rambam teaches that the highest form is the one that lets a person stand on his own.