Poverty

Poverty is defined as the lack of basic human needs because of the inability to afford them. Needs such as clean water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing, shelter, etc. I know that this is a very controversial topic, but it is something I'm VERY passionate about. Here are a few numbers on the current poverty levels in the United States. In order for a person or family to meet federal poverty guidelines, their income must be below the $ amount for the number of people living in the home. Some of you reading this may even fall in these levels.

Persons in Family Unit	48 Contiguous States and D.C.	Alaska	Hawaii
1	$10,890	$13,6000	$12,540
2	$14,710	$18,380	$16,930
3	$18,530	$23,160	$21,320
4	$22,350	$27,940	$25,710
5	$26,170	$32,720	$30,100
6	$29,990	$37,500	$34,490
7	$33,810	$42,280	$38,880
8	$37,630	$47,060	$43,270
For each additional person, add	$3,820	$4,780	$4,390

I cannot wrap my mind around how people making money below theses levels survive with even their basic needs met. My husband and I are blessed that we earn enough money to not only meet our basic needs, but to even be able to buy things for pleasure and go out and have fun from time to time. Like everyone else, money does get tight from time to time...but NOTHING like the people living in poverty experience. I can truly say that I have been blessed my entire life for always having the things I need. 

Families I work with every day have difficulty providing for their children. It really breaks my heart when a parent tells me they cannot take their ill child to the doctor because they can't afford it. Or they can't buy their child glasses for the child to be able to see so they can learn because they don't have the money for it. Luckily there are resources out there for some of these people to take advantage of. But what about those that don't qualify? What about those that don't even have the luxury of getting an education? What about those that are lucky to even be alive from day to day due to wars or illness going on in their countries? What about them?

We are all blessed beyond our wildest dreams to live in a country that is as wealthy as we are. I know a lot of the time it does not appear that way. I know we do not always agree with how things are being run. But ask yourself...would you rather be living in some parts of Africa where AIDS is rampant and you wonder if your family members will survive through the night? Or in other countries where you are unable to obtain an education because you are needed at home to work on the farm just to put enough food on the table to sustain you another day? Or even in the poorest parts of our own country, enduring the violence around you because that's the only place you can afford to live? NONE OF THESE PEOPLE DESERVE THIS!!!!!

I know I will get some criticism for that last sentence. I know some of you feel that you get what you deserve. I will admit that there are some people out there that take advantage of the system...but those are not the people I'm referring to. I'm talking about the people that bust their butts every single day to provide for their family, yet they're still falling further and further behind. Those people that don't even know that running water exists in the world...that have to walk miles daily just to get clean water to drink. Why do we have professional sports players making million dollar salaries, yet there are people in our world that don't have a place to sleep or food on their table? I just can't figure out how the world has come to this and why is it ok? It saddens me.

God has begun pressing this on me more and more over the past year. There's got to be something I can do to help these people out!! Justin and I have a meeting this weekend with one of the pastors at our church. Please pray that I can find a place to put this passion to use to make a difference in the lives of these people. I hope that some day I can travel some place on the other side of the world...where people just need a hug to know it will be ok...to let them know to hang in there for just another day...to show them that someone in the world loves them, and that My God loves and cares for them even at their lowest points so they can have the hope in a future with Him. Until that time comes, I want to be able to show people in our own communities that they deserve God's love just as much as the rest of us do...and that there really are people here and now that care about them and what they're going through.