I am deeply skeptical of a national problem being dealt with by charity. That model was tried all through history up to the early 20th century in the form of poor houses and soup kitchens. And it was a national shame, with people dying of malnutrition and preventable diseases. Furthermore, charitable giving dries up in times of economic difficulty.
I wonder if a better solution would be a nationally coordinated (by government) system of charities (private) providing most of the assistance, with government stepping in to fill the gaps?