Look around yourself. What do you see? If you are reading this, then you must have access to the internet and something electronic. As human beings we have access to many materialistic things such as books, food, clothing, home, and technology. Since the society is divided into class not everyone has the same level of access. Many struggle to get the simple necessities they need in order to survive. For some being able to financially provide for themselves becomes harder as the economy advances. When finance becomes a problem this tends to lead families to live in poverty.
As human beings go through their daily schedule they come into contact with many individuals and at least one out of seven of those individuals live in poverty. On a daily note it is common to see at least one person who is struggling to make a living. However, it is difficult to look at someone and tell if they are living or not living in poverty.
According to povertyusa.org and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), 46.5 million people lived in poverty in the United States during the year of 2012. Whether someone lives in poverty or not is determined by looking at the Federal government’s official poverty threshold which can be found on census.gov. According to National center for Law and Economic Justice, women, children, racial and ethnic minorities, and families raised by single women tend to be more at risk of living in poverty.
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Those living in poverty bring out a different perspective of life. Their life experience is different from others and for many their stories are not heard. Only those who live in poverty know the struggle and what it truly is like. However, I believe that it is time that people become aware of the stories of those who are struggling to survive every second of their lives. |
In 2012 reporter Andrea Elliott, from The New York Times, did an investigation where she followed around Dasani, a child living in poverty, to learn about her homeless life. In New York Dasani lives with her family in the Auburn Family Residence, where she shares a 520-square-foot room with her mother, Chanel, stepfather, Superme, and seven younger siblings. The room contains piles of dirty laundry and coats, shoes under mattress, and bicycles. There are no desk or chairs, only mattress, dressers, and a flat-screen television. The children sit on the room’s cracked floors as they eat their dinner. Sometimes the children get so hungry that it causes them to lose their attentiveness in school. The rooms small space causes Dasani to think that “There’s no space to breathe ’cause they breathe up all the oxygen,”. When children in school talk about the new things they receive, she stands there with nothing to say and works hard to hide her struggles. The family receives $1,285 in food stamp and $1,122 in survivor benefits because of Supreme’s first wife’s death. He holds a tight control over the families money and sometimes refuses to give Chanel money to wash laundry, causing the family to have dirty clothings. Just like Dasani there are many other children in the United States who are living in poverty with their families. One-third of those living in poverty are children.
Across the country, as a new day starts it brings challenges that stand in the path of survival. This brings up the story about 58 year old Vicki who has a son who is diagnosed with autism and a baby girl. In order to provide food, clothing, pay for rent and gas for her car, she has had to sell a lot of her belongings. Vicki says, “Not having money for necessities takes a toll on my mind… it really takes a toll on one’s self-esteem and confidence to move forward.” In order to have money people have to work for it and getting a job is definitely not easy. Those who want a job, go out in search for a job and apply to countless amounts of jobs but at the end their hopes are broken. They end up not getting replies or getting denied. In situations like this, climbing out of poverty is not easy. Like Dasani and Vicki there are just a few who are able to share their stories with others. However, there are plenty of others who are going through the path of poverty and their stories are not told or heard.
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We live in a country where everyone is given freedom of speech. A country where because of democracy we have the right to stand up for what we believe in. As a result of that its is also our responsibility to help one another. In our society, it is our responsibility to open our ears and hearts and learn about the stories of those who need a helping hand.