In honor of this day, I would like to now talk about poverty and homelessness rates in the United States, the causes of poverty and homelessness, how you can help those who are impoverished and/or homeless, and how you can save yourself and your family from poverty.
The Problem:
First, here are some statistics. In November 2012 the U.S. Census Bureau said more than 16% of the population lived in poverty, including almost 20% of American children, up from 14.3% (approximately 43.6 million) in 2009 and to its highest level since 1993. In 2008, 13.2% (39.8 million) Americans lived in poverty. According to Huffington post, “More Americans said they struggled to buy food in 2011 than in any year since the financial crisis, according to a recent report from the Food Research and Action Center, a nonprofit research group. About 18.6 percent of people — almost one out of every five — told Gallup pollsters that they couldn’t always afford to feed everyone in their family in 2011.” According to Business Insider, in the current economy in America, some Americans can’t afford to buy new clothes.
The Cause:
So why are some many Americans living in poverty? Isn’t this supposed to be the greatest country in the world? How are so many people suffering with no support?
The causes of poverty include changing trends in a country’s economy, lack of education, high divorce rate which causes feminization of poverty, mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse, having a culture of poverty, overpopulation, domestic abuse, epidemic diseases such as AIDS and malaria, and environmental problems such as lack of rainfall.
One of the main causes of poverty is a lack of money. The United states reduced part of this problem with the creation of the social security, the most successful anti-poverty program in the United States.
Another cause is hopelessness. If you’re sleeping in a parking lot in clothes that haven’t been washed in a long time, and you’re starving, at this point, it may seem like there is not hope. It’s not as easy as we think it is to ‘man up’ and get a job. Minimum wage is not enough money to live on as an adult. Minimum wage is for teenagers starting their first jobs. Without a college education, it’s hard for an adult to earn enough to money to survive.
How You Can Help Others:
Numbers like 43.6 million seem daunting and overwhelming. With a number that high, it seems like nothing can be done to help.
Fortunately, if you feel this way, you would be wrong, and the solution to this problem can be solved very easily. Here is a list of ways you can spend National Thrift Shop day helping those in need.
1. Donate clothing that you don’t want anymore– Goodwill® has a more than 110 year-plus track record in providing services that meet critical human needs in local communities in the U.S., Canada, and 14 other countries. Goodwill is a leading social services enterprise, and consistently ranks among top charities that make your donations go further. If you have clothes that don’t fit anymore or that you don’t like anymore, put them in a garbage bag, and donate them to the closest Goodwill to you. If the clothes are not ripped, dirty, or falling apart, they will sell your clothes for a very, very reasonable price to those who need it. Goodwill Industries International earns a $5 billion revenue per year, and they spend about 83 cents of every dollar on programs and services for people in need.
Donating food to the Food Bank is also an amazing way to help. 48.8 million Americans—including 16.2 million children— live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. As a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year.
According to Feeding America, here are the kinds of food that you can donate:
Feeding America’s Network of food banks commonly accept the following items from food drives:
• Canned foods like soup, fruit or vegetables
• Fresh produce & frozen foods
• Dairy & juice within the expiration date
• Excess food from promotions & seasonal products
• Excess food from trade shows
2. Volunteer– One of the best ways to help the less fortunate is to volunteer. You could volunteer at a variety of centers, such as, Goodwill, the Foodbank, and homeless shelters. Volunteering for even a day helps more than you could ever know. Two summers ago, my grandparents and I volunteered at the Foodbank, sorting out food, and giving out free vegetables to anyone who came. It was a really nice way to spend our time (even though, it was crazy hot!).
3. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, GET THE WORD OUT!– Like and share posts from the Foodbank, Feeding America, Goodwill, the Open Door Mission, or whatever charity you like the most. Tell everyone about the poverty rates in this country; let them know what is going on! Once people understand that there are millions of Americans living in poverty and how easy it is to help, we can begin to end this horrible problem in our country. ‘Knowing is half the battle.’
How You Can Protect Your Family:
So, with this is mind, what is the best way to really end poverty in this country? By never becoming impoverished, obviously. How can you stop yourself from becoming one of the 45.3 million Americans in poverty as of 2013? Here are some tips:
1. Budget, budget, budget– Every time you receive a paycheck, before even spending a penny, budget out where you need the money to go. The most important things you must budget for are rent, car payments, gas money, electricity, water bills, gas bills, heating bills, life insurance, health insurance, car insurance, home insurance, etc. Second thing to budget for are non-necessity items, that you still technically need, such as internet bills, cell phone bills, cable bills, etc. Third thing to budget for would be savings. Depending on how much money you make, you should set aside a certain amount of money that you save every month for emergencies, like your car breaking down or going to the hospital. Lastly, and always lastly, budget for fun things to do, like going to the movies or concerts. You should absolutely be able to have fun after working hard to get your money, but having a home is more important than anything else.
2. Don’t Smoke, Drink, Use Drugs, or Buy Things That Waste Money– One of the biggest problems facing homelessness is drug and alcohol addiction. Here’s some simple math to prove my point. In Nebraska, currently the average price of a pack of cigarettes is $6.39. If you are an experienced smoker, let’s assume you would smoke two packs a week. By the end of year, you will have spent $664.54 on cigarettes. Another example, a 20 oz. bottle of Coca Cola usually cost about $1.79 each. If you buy one every day for a year, you would be spending $653.35 on soda. Lastly, the cost of beer. A pack of Bud Light goes for around 8.99 per pack. If you bought a pack of Bud Light once a week for a year, the total would end up being $467.48. If you were a smoker, a drinker, and drank soda, the total would be $1,785.37 by the end of the year.
3. Teach Yourself Priorities– Discipline yourself when you are out in public. If you see a very nice purse, but it’s $250, imagine how many groceries that money would buy for you and your family. Look at the old purse you have and understand that, even though it may not be top of the line, even though it may not be name brand, it is functional. You will be thankful you saved that money for something important later.
4. Set a Budget When Going Out– Part of the problem of over spending is access. If you and a group of friends are going to a bar or to an event, bring a set amount of money, like $40. Once you leave the house, even if you really want something, you will only have a certain amount of money to spend.
In conclusion, please spend part of National Thrift Shop day helping the homeless and poor in America by doing any of these things, or anything else you can think of to help! You are their savior, as well as your family’s and yourself’s.
Sources:
“Census: U.S. Poverty Rate Spikes, Nearly 50 Million Americans Affected.” CBS DC. Feeding America, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 16 Aug. 2015. <http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/11/15/census-u-s-poverty-rate-spikes-nearly-50-million-americans-affected/>.
Reuters, Thomas. “Poverty Rate Hits 15-year High.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 17 Sept. 2010. Web. 16 Aug. 2015. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/09/17/us-usa-economy-poverty-idUSTRE68F4K520100917>.
Woolf, Stephen H. “U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health.” U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health. National Academies Press, 2013. Web. 16 Aug. 2015. <http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13497&page=171>.
Lutz, Ashley. “Americans Are Too Broke To Buy New Clothes.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 14 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 Aug. 2015. <http://www.businessinsider.com/americans-arent-spending-on-new-apparel-2013-8>.
Eichler, Alexander. “Growing Number Of Americans Can’t Afford Food, Study Finds.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 16 Aug. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/28/afford-food-hunger_n_1308020.html>.
“Food Drives.” Feeding America. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015. <http://www.feedingamerica.org/ways-to-give/give-food/food-drives/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F>.
Goodwill. “Think Before You Donate – and Get the Facts about Online Rumors! | Goodwill Industries International, Inc.” Think Before You Donate – and Get the Facts about Online Rumors! | Goodwill Industries International, Inc. Goodwill, Spring 2015. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.goodwill.org/uncategorized/think-before-you-donate-and-get-the-facts-about-email-rumors/>.
Cooper, Ryan. “The New GOP Anti-poverty Agenda Examined.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/01/08/the-new-gop-anti-poverty-agenda-examined/>.
“United States Census Bureau.” About Poverty. United States Census, 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/>.
3. VOL 3.11Microbrews (n.d.): n. pag. Wine Access. Web. <http://www.wineaccess.com/file/store/totalwine/beer-corridorwine.pdf>.
“Why Does a 2 Litre Bottle of Soda Often Cost Less than a 20 Ounce Bottle?Frequently Asked in.” Why Does a 2 Litre Bottle of Soda Often Cost Less than a 20 Ounce Bottle? Quora, n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.quora.com/Why-does-a-2-litre-bottle-of-soda-often-cost-less-than-a-20-ounce-bottle>.
Maranjian, Selena. “The Surprising Cost of a Pack a Day in All 50 States.” The Motley Fool. N.p., 27 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Aug. 2015. <http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/09/27/the-surprising-cost-of-a-pack-a-day-in-all-50-stat.aspx>.
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