Canning

Canning as used by The Family International refers to the practice of soliciting small donations at traffic lights. Canning is extremely low-cost, more so than many other forms of Family fund-raising, because the only literature given out to donors is an occasional pamphlet. This, combined with the sheer number of people that can be solicited in a single day, can make canning a very lucrative enterprise.

Because the time available to speak to each donor is typically less than 30 seconds, canning is generally not considered truly witnessing. For this reason, David Berg once forbade canning in a Good News magazine titled "Can the Canning." Shortly after his death, however, Family members began canning again in earnest, with the rationale that "even a smile is a witness." Later, this was again largely discontinued.