Poverty In America – Blog Action Day ‘08
I had every intention of writing about poverty in third world countries for this year’s Blog Action Day’s theme of Poverty and about the pain and devastation those millions of people have to deal with every single day. Since our financial system is now collapsing here in America, I think it would be more appropriate for me to address the coming onslaught of many middle class families falling into real poverty over these next few years. I feel many don’t even realize yet how badly they will be affected.
The way many Americans have been living – paycheck to paycheck with credit cards as a backup in total denial that they are spending way more than they bring in so they can have their toys and keep up with the Jones’. When your entire way of living is cut off at the knees and you have not really saved any money in an emergency fund or put away any bulk food or gathered any extra blankets or winter coats to stay warm because heat is now too expensive for your home and everything else one needs to do to prepare for that “just in case” scenario well, these people are in for a rude awakening.
Every single industry will be affected in some way and will feel the effects- even the ones who say they are “recession proof.” A large economic slowdown the likes of which we have never had to deal with is upon us and will get worse before it gets better. What we are now entering is way more than just a recession. I heard it quoted this week as “We are entering a time that will rival the great depression if not surpass it.” That is one serious statement and it was made by a CEO of a Fortune 100 company.
When you lose your job and have to figure out how you will be able to keep your home with no income and no savings, the fact is many won’t be able to and will become homeless. Financial advisers tell you to save up 6-8 months worth of monthly expenses in a savings account just in case this scenario happens. Shelters in America have already seen a large rise in homelessness and people in shock and dismay that they can’t find another job. Many more job layoffs are predicted to happen in many industries over this next year and what happens then? We have millions more falling into poverty right here in America.
It is good to have a network of people you and your family know well in case you lose your job and your home and become truly homeless. Think about who you know, friend or family member that would let you and your kids stay with them until you can find some kind of work again. Families doing this will become more common over the next few years until our economy stabilizes and we can start to turn ourselves around.
Working together with others in a bad economy can help to save at least one home by moving in together and pooling all of your resources and money so you all have someplace warm to sleep at night and some food to eat. Our world is changing and we all will have to rely on each other to rebuild it. Growing food with others will be necessary as will preserving whatever food you can. It’s amazing how much food can be grown on a very small section of land in your backyard.
Children will be really affected by all of this, hopefully attending public school will help give them some sense of normalcy and a rhythm to their day. They would also qualify for the free lunch programs public schools have to feed the low income children breakfast and lunch which may even be the only food they get to eat on those days.
The sooner we can get jobs going here in the green technology and alternative energy sector to save on cost of fuel and create work for the masses, the better. I just hope our next president realizes this and works to get it going right away.
These will be trying times for everyone but for those of us who are lucky enough to keep a job throughout this upheaval, we need to remember to give back – donate food to the food banks, clothes, blankets, winter jackets to the charities that help the homeless, extra money donated on your utilities bill that goes to their program that helps low income families keep the heat and electric on while they still have a home to live in, invite a family that you know is suffering hardship over for a dinner and give them a care package to take with them, etc.
While we of the middle and upper-middle class are not used to living at the poverty level, millions all over the world still have it much worse than we do. We are not being shot at, raped and terrorized like villagers in Somalia, we have homeless shelters and soup kitchens to help us out even a little bit unlike the starving masses in Haiti who resort to eating dirt cookies and we have food stamps especially for women with infants and young children. There are even some programs like Medicare and others where if you are destitute, you can receive free medical care – especially for your children. So our poverty does not rival extreme poverty in third world countries but the emotional pain and physical toll on the body will still be felt just the same.
I hope we can all learn a big lesson from this – don’t live above your means. You can be happy with less and there is a real art and satisfaction to living simply on the Earth in harmony with nature. I hope you all will get to keep your jobs and homes and will help your local community out in whatever way you can.
October 15 2008 06:00 am | activism and government and news and special events
October 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Despite the layoff news, I see thousands of high paying jobs posted on employment sites –
http://www.linkedin.com (networking for professionals)
http://www.simplyhired.com (aggregated listings)
http://www.realmatch.com (jobs matched to your skills)
Good luck to those that need jobs!
October 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
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