Poverty

Poverty.... what a subject. I am surprised it took me so long to deal with this topic. I guess the basic reason is that no one wants to be associated with poverty much. Those living in poverty live a much different life then those who do not and are not always looked upon in a positive nature. If you listen to all the varying opinions on poverty, it can get quite confusing. At any given point a person just feels like hiding. Especially, if you are dealing with it.

Like everything else I deal with on this site, Poverty is something I have dealt with and continue to struggle with. No way!!!!! You are probably saying. The person who operates this massive web site could not possibly be dealing with poverty.

Well, I have a whole lot of support in keeping this site going. Though I may be surviving at the moment here, most of my life has been a never ending struggle with trying to have enough to eat, keeping a roof over my head, and trying to maintain my life along with all the other problems and abuses I have suffered. Dealing with all of this was another reason for the move of this site in 2005. I had to cut costs.

Many will probably not like the information I provide on this page and not much will be links, but offering poverty as one person struggles with it. Oh, I will offer some, but most will be my own opinions, based on my life. I wish to not offend anyone. Feel free to disagree. I hope you will consider the information and understand a little more about this problem.

Like with all other pages of this site, keep an open mind and know it is another way for me to open my life up to the visitors of this site. My life is an open book and another chapter has opened up to all of you.

I am only going to give my own basic opinions on this page. I am placing this page here to show my support for this problem and put this cause in the for front of the minds of my visitors. I hope this page offers support and help to those who need it. I also wish that all my visitors will take this problem seriously and help those in need.

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My Life Struggles with Poverty

Imagine being a small child and having your stomach feel so empty you actually feel sick and week. I know this feeling. Growing up with my mother, who was unable to handle a small child, I went to bed more nights then not hungry. We had a place to live, but it always had roaches, was next to being torn down, or being condemned.

When I moved in with my aunt, food was plenty, we had a house to live in, and only the basics. I never had the chance to take life much for granted. Fancy cars, fine clothes, long shopping sprees, and other grand luxuries were never a part of my life. A bus trip was a grand adventure.

As I got older, the struggle got worse. Once I was married and had small children, life was a never ending struggle to keep food for the kids and roof over our heads. We did not have the luxury of picking and choosing much, we just had to take what was available. Money came from public assistance.

Before anyone gets the idea of a lazy woman having kids to avoid working, I was married, I had 2 kids, and a drunk to try to survive around. Yes, I could have not had my kids or gave them up for adoption, but being poor should not be a deciding factor in whether or not the children should be with their father and mother. Granted it was not the best situation, and when he became abusive, leaving the kids with him was not an option. Finding babysitters was hard because I would have had to work for the babysitting money.

* How many of you have had to wash dirty cloth diapers by hand because you could not afford Pampers, the Laundromat, or a washer and dryer? I have!
* How many of you have had to wear old rages when that time of the month came along because you could not afford pads or tampons? I have!
* Have you ate macaroni and butter because that was all you had to eat? I have!

There are many stories from others much worse. Elderly people eating cat and dog food, kids eating from garbage cans, people sleeping in cars or on the street, and many more similar or worse.

It is easy for people who have good jobs and enough money to meet their needs to say we are poor because we choose to be, are too lazy to work, can't manage our money, and the many other references made to us which represent us as negative people with no direction in life.

We are givers. You go to my house and I may only have 2 slices of bread, but if you are hungry I will give you one. Don't laugh at the analogy, because I have done just that and know others who have also. If a person needs a place to stay, my couch has been known to be supplied for that purpose. We share what we do have with others who are less off then us.

Don't feel sorry for us because we are poor, but don't put us down for it either. We are mostly people who have not had the greatest of opportunities presented to us.

I am a college graduate, I have worked a great deal of my life, I am currently living on the minimum of Social Security Disability (600 dollars a month), and struggle to keep a roof, food, and the basic essentials. I ask for very little. When I do, I try to give something back.

That is the one concept of the poor most people fail to realize. Most of us will not ask for help. We manage on our own with just what we are given, but we do not criticize those who do ask if they need it. We understand that as bad as we may have it, there is always someone else who has it worse. Most people could benefit greatly by adopting our morality to their own lives.

My life now is not a rosy one most of time to most people's standards. I live on a minimum of money, have a disability which limits me a great deal, and do not have the advantages many have, but I am productive, happy, and sharing what I do have with others. I live to help others cope with their problems, and to share what I do have with those who have less.

My life is not rich in money, but it is in love and compassion. These riches are worth more then all the gold in the world. Through the support of great friends this site continues to exist. I am grateful for the all the help I do receive.

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The Homeless

Well, now here is a subject that has as many opinions as there are people to give them. It is something that most people have seen or dealt with, and yet the stigma still exists. It is because of this that I will keep this section short by only offering my own perspective on this issue.

The mentally ill, veterans, families, people who lost their jobs, etc. are living on the streets of many towns. They are passed and ignored by many people. Oh I am sure there are some who are there because of something they did or a choice they made, but why should we look down on them. It is not like many of our choices ended up so good either. None of us are perfect, yet we find it very difficult to deal with the mistakes of others.

Whatever the reason a person ends up homeless, we should all care about it. We may have things good today, and tomorrow the bottom could fall out to find us in the same place as those who are living without a home. That nice home you enjoy today could be gone tomorrow. None of us is immune to the fact of being homeless.

I have been homeless. I know how it feels when others pass you and look at you with contempt on their faces. It is sad that many have not learned the importance of compassion.

Only when one has lived it, can one totally appreciate truly how difficult it is to be in this situation. We should all try a little common compassion and understanding for those who are dealing with these hardships.

Get the facts from others who are homeless. Check out the The Homeless Guy Blog and read the stories.

There is many things which causes a person to be homeless. I could fill pages and pages of the reasons and situations of the homeless. The bottom line is that it is a problem which everyone needs to work to end. The person we save to day, could be the one who offers the hand to us tomorrow when we need it. The future will look brighter if we are there for our fellow man now. Check out Homeless Resources, for tons of information on this subject.

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Poverty Facts and Basics

Information in this section comes from Office for Social Justice

* The number of Americans living in poverty has grown significantly in recent years, swelling to 37 million people in 2005 - nearly one out of every eight people in the United States. Poverty's rise to 12.7% of the total population represented an additional 7 million people falling into poverty since 2000.
* One in five children is poor during the first three years of life – the time of greatest brain development.
* Most Americans think that it takes about $40,000 annually to adequately house, clothe and feed a family of four.

Hunger Persists in the US (Taken from Hunger Basics/Hunger Facts)

* 38.2 million people—including 14 million children—live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger. This represents more than one in ten households in the United States (11.9 percent). This is an increase of 1.9 million, from 36.3, million in 2003. 1
* 3.9 percent of U.S. households experience hunger. Some people in these households frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day. 10.7 million people, including 3 million children, live in these homes.1
* 8.0 percent of U.S. households are at risk of hunger. Members of these households have lower quality diets or must resort to seeking emergency food because they cannot always afford the food they need. 27.5 million people, including 10.6 million children, live in these homes.
* Research shows that preschool and school-aged children who experience severe hunger have higher levels of chronic illness, anxiety and depression, and behavior problems than children with no hunger.

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Some Closing Thoughts and Ideas

The main problem with the way poverty is handled in our country is that of equality. When it comes to medical care, getting out of abusive situations, or any other of life's problems; our lives are often further complicated because of our lack of money. We go to shelters for help, but many times we end up back with abusers because life gets harder without the proper funds to make it happen.

People say there is public assistance to help the poor. Not if you have a job and do not have kids. If you have a job, even one which only pays minimum wage, there is nothing there to help. No food stamps, no Medicaid, and no help at all because you make to much money. My daughter is dealing with this right now.

Many people who are not making enough money to afford their medical care are doing without it because they can't afford it. Services to help are limited. So many people have no choice but to let their health problems escalate. People get sicker because of this and many will die. This is the serious aspect of poverty, and the inequality of financial resources.

I get the medical care I do because of being disabled, but it still many times is not of a high status. Doctors give the basic care according to what type of insurance you have or how you pay for it. I am more fortunate then many others in that area, but I do not take it for granted because at any time a cut could come a long and take it from me. It is happening now in many areas of my home state.

I do not have the answer for this problem except to say that if the government and everyone handles these problems with love, compassion, and equality the results will be positive.

I was raised with a fundamental principle from my Aunt, "Don't criticize your neighbor until you have walked a mile in his/her shoes." Meaning until you have lived the life someone else has lived, you have no right to criticize how that person has lived it. Don't put down a poor person until you yourself have done without the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, and utilities.

I know most people who could not survive without their cars and vehicles. I have never had my driver license nor an automobile in my name. I know many other who have not either. I could never afford one. Now I am not allowed to because of medical reasons. Amazingly, I have survived without it. We learn to adapt to what we have and not worry about what we don't have at any given moment.

You do not miss something you have never had. I am grateful for what has been given to me and do not care about what I have not. I do not need much money to live and as long as my basic needs are met I am happy.

This country is spoiled. We have gotten to use to living the high life. We forget in our lives that we must be there for others in need. Let's all do our part to make life better for all. The future of our country demands it.

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