Project Space

Monica Diaz-Jimenez

PAS 113B

Professor D.A. Broadous

March 21, 2012

Understanding Poverty

            Imagine all individuals in America living in peace and harmony, Adults and children going to sleep in a warm cozy bed, and looking forward to each day as they wake up. With a job and a home, every family would have the fundamental requirement to a decent lifestyle.

            Unfortunately, about half of the population in America is living in poverty. The basic needs to survive have been destroyed. But how is that so? You may ask yourself. America is known as the ideal state to live in because of the opportunities. Correct? No matter what educational background you may have, one still has the chance to obtain a job. Humans are capable of solving problems, yet one out of two people are living in poverty today. This unfortunate epidemic has grown drastically over the years and it is changing and impacting civilians in a psychological and sociological way.   

            How can someone become poor? This is a question that has numerous answers. There is always a unique circumstance that puts an individual in poverty. For instance, one may say that drugs are a leading cause. An addiction to a substance can lead individuals to act in an unethical manner. The infatuation towards drugs becomes the main focus for an addict that all their responsibilities no longer exist. And soon, they have nothing to survive on but drugs. As the PBS video, “Remaking America” states, “Something bad with one’s character”. Others are born into poverty. They do not fall into bad choices; they simply were brought up in that atmosphere. Violence and abuse may also be a reason for one to fall into poverty.

Currently, the recession in the United States has been the main cause for poverty.  Individuals across the country have lost their jobs. Citizens were not prepared for an overnight notification. The accumulation of the personal savings that citizens collected was not enough to continue with the same life style as they were used to.  As the prices kept increasing, people didn’t have the significant amount of money to continue to buy their needs. Soon enough, affording groceries was one of the least of the issues. Paying the utility bills became nearly impossible. Homeowners quickly lapsed into an economic stress, which led to an unwanted outcome. Reality took action, and families started losing their homes. A total of 2,871,891 homes were foreclosed in the United States (Realty Trac Staff).  In California alone, “546,669 homes received a foreclosure” (Realty Trac Staff). These statistics show how many people’s life changed with the recession. Bank repossessions led families to become homeless.    

As a result of families losing their homes, there comes an occasion when they often get separated for multiple reasons. Envision the sensation one would experience knowing that you are without a home. Everything that you called your own is completely vanished. That warn cozy bed you slept in, will no longer be the bed you slumber in. Finding help within ones family is the first option. There are times when the children are able to stay with a family member, while each parent gets help somewhere else. But when one doesn’t have anywhere to go, they do not have another choice but to go to a homeless shelter to find help.  An organization can provide one with basic needs, for instance a place to sleep and food. The transition one may have to adapt to is awful. Living in a home filled with basic needs to survive is something people do not think about losing. As one reaches help, there are standards that each facility enforces. For instance, “families have access to their room from 5:00p.m. in the evening to 8:30a.m. the next morning” (Schultz-krohn). This example demonstrates that although there are places that offer shelter in those in need, one needs to follow the rules. In addition to shelter’s standards, “Families are not allowed to remain in the shelter during the day but are expected to be seeking housing, employment, or attending job-training programs” (Schultz-Krohn). Therefore, it is important to seek a solution. Finding another job is important to rebuild their life. Beyond to what a facility has to offer, there are other things to recognize.

American residents are being affected every day because of poverty. If one looks up the word poverty, this is how it is defined, “the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor” (Dictionary). Of course, it is simple to look it up at get an idea of what the word itself means, but it’s not just a definition that one can look up. For Instance, living in the Los Angeles area, one is capable of attaching a detailed picture to this definition in their mind.

In the paths of LA, one can usually find a homeless individual walking or simply standing in a spot while asking for money. Usually they’ll be holding up a sign, waiting to receive some help. Their appearance usually consists with, matted hair, dull skin, and worn out clothes. When walking by an individual with these characteristics, it is often that an unpleasant odor will be passed through the wind. There are times when the individual may simply have no energy to ask for help. Quickly they isolate themselves from society, with the sensitivity that they do not belong with the rest of the individuals in the community. The situation they dealt with through their life will never be seen with the naked eye. One can only see what they have become. With this in mind, one may be more sympathetic. It is important to recognize that despite the situations they are currently in, they continue to be a human being.

As a matter of fact, their state of mind has most certainly been damaged. Hope is no longer a feeling when a homeless individual has continuously struggled to survive. The few possessions that they have, means a significant amount to them. They protect everything they have left, a destroyed blanket, sleeping bag, even a cardboard box that they use to rest on top of. It is important to differentiate their image and their story. To clarify, understanding the circumstance that an individual is facing while in poverty will help give the society enough dedication towards developing a solution.

   Giving poor individuals an opportunity to get help is certainly a great action. However, decreasing the poor population is the only solution to this problematic condition. Each year the amount of homeless people increase. A CNN writer states, “nearly 36 million Americans lived in poverty in 2003” (Blanco1). 36 million is a significant large number, but today there is approximately 150 million Americans living in poverty (Remaking America). To formulate, in seven years the poverty population amplified significantly. If the United States would implement a solution to decrease this data, citizens would avoid the psychological and sociological crisis. Humans are capable of creating opportunities in order to live a stable life, so why is poverty a never ending issue?