In response to:
If by "society" you mean churches and other volunteer organizations, I could agree. If you are speaking of "society" as the government, I can't imagine a worse idea. Government safety nets already exist. Being fraught with beaurocracy, they do not work in all cases. But the words "material support" confuse me. This woman did not appear to be lacking in "things" or finances, but rather in companionship. A government program to provide companionship? I can't imagine a worse idea.
One afternoon I stopped by the bank to make a few deposits. I was in a rush and needed to get in and out as soon as possible. I had places to go and things I had to do. I picked the worst possible time of day and the worst day of the week to do my banking. But I had been out of town and needed to catch up on errands before the weekend began.
There was only one teller working and the line was about fifteen people deep. After waiting patiently, I got close to the front of...
I disagree with the notion that companionship can not be provided by a govt program. An inexpensive intern position for high school or college students could easily provide warm companionship on a day of errands. Obviously this woman is getting around fine and probably doesn't need help at this moment. But connecting with compassion while considering her day of shopping can help us to realize that the day will come when she will need (and should have) our support.