From My Front Porch

Poverty. We all know it's out there but how many people really know and understand what it is and what it's like? According to a 2015 Census report poverty affects approximately 43 million Americans that's about 1 in 7 people. An additional 19 million live in deep poverty, making less than 50% of poverty level income annually. So what exactly is poverty level income? Well according to that same 2015 report the federal poverty level for the continental US is as follows:

1 person-$11,880

2 people-$16,020

3 people-$20,160

4 people-$24,300

5 people-$28,440

6 people-$32,580

7 people-$36,730

8 people-$40,890

$4,160 is added for each additional household member.

A common misconception is that true poverty just doesn't exist in America. It's simply not true. According to a 2013 UNICEF report, the United States has the 2nd highest poverty rate in all developed countries with a staggering 20% of American children living in poverty. It should be zero, no child should wonder if they are going to eat during summer vacation. There are schools that have summer lunch programs but those programs don't begin until June and end in July. So are those kids supposed to be hungry the last of May and first of August? These programs are free for students under 18 but charge parents. Many parents will take their children for the free lunch and go hungry themselves because $2.00 is just too much.

What does poverty look like? It is not ratty clothes, dirty faces, and shoes with holes. There are many places that help with adequate clothing tremendously at low or no cost. Don't assume that because someone has decent clothes or wearable shoes that they aren't poor. Poverty has a different face that honestly is hard to see. Being poor isn't something you want to broadcast.

Poverty is a family of 6 making $16,000 a year. It's deciding which bills to pay and which ones can wait until next month. It's standing in line at food banks and school supply giveaways so your kids don't go to school with empty bellies or backpacks. It's the defeat you feel as a parent when the giveaways run out of supplies, your child doesn't even have a pencil and there's nothing you can do.

Poverty is one of the reasons multi-generational living is on the rise. In 2014 multi-generational households made up 17% of all households. My entire family lives multi-generational. In my home, there's myself, my husband, our 4 children, and my Aunt. One of my sisters and her 3 children live with my parents. Why? It's the only way we survive. We can't get into local housing programs applications have been closed and are only accepted one time a year. Income based housing "the projects", are being closed and remodeled into student housing for a new medical school. This is creating an enormous influx of homeless families with nowhere to go. Affordable housing is becoming impossible to find so families like mine band together to survive. More than 85 million families live in a multi-generational family home. Some out of desire and many out of necessity.

My family like many lives in constant struggle. Employers cut hours to avoid healthcare costs. Families can't afford childcare to work so someone stays home, in my family that's me. It's time for a real conversation on how to really change poverty in America before millions more are trapped on the hamster wheel of poverty.

Sources:

www.Obamacare.net 2016; Federal poverty level by number of household members in the continental US

poverty.ucdavis.edu 2015; Poverty Report 2015