Blog Action Day: Poverty
Poverty is a very touchy subject – so much so that I don’t even know where to start talking about it. But when Blog Action Day said we are writing about poverty this year (last year was environmentalism), I openly took on the challenge.
I’ve personally come into contact with poverty on numerous occasions. As a kid, my family was never homeless, but we came close many times thanks to being lower-middle class in Indiana. Now, living in San Francisco, I come into contact with some of the city’s over 6000 homeless folks on a daily basis.
Homelessness is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of poverty, but countless people live at “poverty level” while still maintaining housing. With the United States economy on such a strong downswing, the possibility of literally anyone dropping to poverty level in a matter of days has become a reality.
I can’t influence the stock market to rise 1,000 points. I can’t help people save their homes from foreclosure. What I can do is help those that have fallen on hard times. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the mass of problems going on in our society that we forget about the simple things we can do to make a difference:
- Share with your neighbor.
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
- Help build homes with Habitat for Humanity.
- Donate extra clothing to the Salvation Army or Goodwill.
- Barter with friends in exchange for services, such as childcare, food preparation, cleaning, pet care, and more!
By no means am I discounting the severe poverty going on in third-world countries, but we mustn’t forget the millions here at home that need our help every day. I’m a firm believer that we should start locally before we move globally.
The excuse of being “too busy” to help others is total bullshit. It is great excuse, I admit, but that is all it is – an excuse. Some people don’t want to come into contact with the grim conditions others have no choice but to exist in. Not only does helping others perform a vital service, it also fosters a much-needed sense of community.
Helping others isn’t an inconvenience - it is a vital part of saving our human decency. Don’t want to miss out on a chance to be with your friends? Have them volunteer with you! If going green is becoming chic, why can’t helping others be the “it” thing to do!?
[Image courtesy of greefus groinks on flickr.com]
for my part, i turn to sites like freerice, kiva, and goodsearch, as ways to help alleviate poverty online.
saw this post via the front page of blog action day. it’s great that you’re participating.
Thanks Victoria for weighing in.
If we look at global poverty and then look at our personal resources we can be overwhelmed, but if we look at the poor as individuals it all changes. People move out of poverty every day. Mohammad Yunis, Paul Polak, Kiva, are inventing sustainable ways to help people out of poverty in a way that dignifies the individual.
The principles we learn from organizations and people must be applied locally. It is much more effective when we know the individuals and context.
The last thing I will say is the biggest obstacles for me to fully engage these kinds of big problems is me. My skills, ability what I allow myself to see, and to then to actually have the balls to do something about it. I can see the potential, but can I reach it?
[...] Blog Action Day: Poverty: “Poverty is a very touchy subject – so much so that I don’t even know where to start [...]
How you think when the economic crisis will end? I wish to make statistics of independent opinions!