Blog Action Day: Poverty Brings To Mind…
In the spirit of blog action day, Oct. 15, I’ve decided to veer a little off of our usual discussions on http://dietivity.com, and participate as bloggers around the world share thoughts on the subject of poverty.
Perhaps as little as a few months ago, the word “poverty” would have immediately brought to my mind the images on TV of emaciated children suffering in third world countries, single mothers in inner cities struggling to raise their families in run-down, crime infested neighborhoods, or migrant workers living under the radar, working for less than minimum wage just to send it home to their families to whom those few dollars make all the difference. Yet, now with this economic crisis gripping the US, the spectra of poverty is showing how close to home it’s always been lurking.
Before the meltdown, I remember reading in the papers that the income gap between rich and poor has been widening, and that upward mobility of the past generations is not as easy to obtain for today’s children. I thought that was bad.
Now in the papers, I’m reading about food banks all over the country running out because demand has outstripped supplies. For instance, take Escanaba, a small city in my fairly remote region of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Salvation Army alone has seen a 15% increase in new cases. People, who thought they had good jobs, and always managed, now have to ask for help. People, who had always been on the edge of poverty, are now slipping into it. It seems that being in the “middle class” is just not what it used to be.
While the government, and greedy corporations have a lot to answer for, those of us whose neighbors are being pushed over the brink have to help out. The organizations that provide help to people in need are facing worse difficulties than ever. Donations are harder to come by and demand is increasing. The government is not going to fix things overnight.
In these tough times, we need to remember that we are all part of a community. We need to recognize that poverty can affect anybody, and it is not just defined by images on TV, but that it can hit very close to home. If we can get through this in our small part of the world, then that is the first step toward helping those in other nations.
To find a local food bank near you click on a link below:
- www.feedingamerica.org/
- povertyinamerica.psu.edu
- Living Wage Calculator
- New Poverty figures do not reflect current condition
About the Author: 
Meg | Oct 16, 2008 | Reply
Great post. Its so true that in times like these we need to remember we are part of a community and do what we can to help our neighbours/neighbourhood!
Megs last blog post..5 Things You Can Do to Help End Global Poverty
cheritycall | Oct 27, 2008 | Reply
How are you?, Give something to help those hungry people in Africa and India,
I added this blog about this subject:
on http://tinyurl.com/5t2jg6