#1 surprised me, in a good way. Propping someone up before they're in dire straits is a great thing to do for someone. Identifying the need might be a little harder, but digging someone out of a shallow hole is easier and less costly than digging them out of a deep hole, and I bet that person will have a much better time not having to be in that deeper hole in the first place.

This reminded me how some municipalities with homelessness issues will often spend homeless-related funds toward subsidizing living expenses for people who are not homeless, but are living on the edge and would end up losing their homes if not for some extra help. It's much easier and better (and cost-effective!) to help keep someone in a home, than it is to wait until they are on the streets before helping them.