I would disagree. I'm no expert, but I think what you describe is something that benefits "the people". It seems to me that the Founders were very clear on this -- when they meant the people, they used the phrase "the people".
Article I, Section 8 refers to the general welfare of "the United States" which I take as a reference to the federal union of the several states. It's a national government body which has a defined role with limited powers. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government was not self-supporting and quickly ran into trouble. I think the general welfare concept here is aimed at making sure that the federal union is stable and supported. Not a terribly difficult task -- one which can be done some relatively small money.
Providing charity to "the people" is very much outside the scope of "the general welfare of the United States".