Facing Poverty

We must face the facts. According to the United Nation's Millennium Project over one Billion people world wide live on less than $1.00 per day! Contrast that with an Aspen Colorado Millionaire Mountain's ski home on sale for only $65 million! http://www.businessinsider.com/aspen-home-selling-for-65-million-2014-10 Something's wrong with this picture.

Before you turn away and move on to other tasks, please stop for a few minutes and read some of the horrid facts. http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/3-MP-PovertyFacts-E.pdf

Our president has addressed the topic of income inequality. In February, President Obama sent a report to Congress on our Economy. It's called The Economic Report of the President.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/cea_2015_erp.pdf  I'm glad that he has a plan and is looking at the big picture.

Yet, we need to look at the faces of poverty. Abstract ideas and policies are wonderful but we need to ground ourselves in reality. Occasionally, journalists attempt to draw our attention to the topic. Bill Moyers shared a photo slide show back in 2013. http://billmoyers.com/content/slideshow-poverty-in-todays-america/

Another source for first hand information on what it's like to live in poverty is: http://americanpoverty.org/photoessay/index.html

Or you can read actual stories written by people who have lived it.  http://thevoicesofpoverty.org/

But, nothing will change if you move on and get busy with your life and forget what you've seen.

Act. Contact your representatives in Congress and at the state level and ask them what they are doing to address this issue. The Voices of Poverty website has a resources tab that details many programs which are trying to help. Pick one and send them some money. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or food pantry. Just don't ever forget those faces and stories.