Simply invest the 5K and take out regular installments whose size is calculated based on your expected lifespan. Or buy an annuity.
I frequently do that when presented with a lump sum of money - although few others seem to.
I don’t think $16 a month is going to change their lives any more than buying necessities they need now with the $5k, but I guess we’d need another study for that :)
5k for 20 years with average 6% annual return on investments and 3% annual withdrawals (~$200 per year or less than $20 per month).
With 0% inflation over 20 years, this will yield you $9000 (in 2042 dollars).
The inflation this year is above 5%, and if this trend continues for long, your investment will pretty much evaporate slowly.
Since you’re not going to live forever, you could draw a bit faster—-but transaction costs are also going to eat into that too.