Throwaway People

Jenniffer Ochoa

Professor Broadous

PAS 113B

22 March 2012

Disadvantages of Poverty

“More than one billion people in the world live on less than one dollar a day. Another 2.7 billion struggle to survive on less than two dollars per day. Poverty in the developing world, however, goes far beyond income poverty.” (One United Nations Plaza)

As time unfolds poverty in the U.S has been proliferating through decades causing an arduous impact in today’s economy. Every year more people are found above or below the poverty line trying to seek a way out of it. And as far as poverty maintains existing, food insecurity is sure to exist as well. Living in poverty has brought many negative outcomes, making people choose form one possible choice after another. Poverty is affecting individuals economically, socially, and by not assuring them a bright future, because even people with a degree can be found in poverty.

The Place I went to analyze was a place called Women in Deed located in Pasadena, which made me realize what many women and people in general are going through. Approximate 18 women were in the facility getting provided with food, clothes, shower, a bed, and as they are being helped there, they seemed optimistic that they will find a home and a job. Another thing that caught my attention is how their new space changes who they are our now. A couple of women did not feel comfortable in socializing with me while a women opened up and told me life is not easy, even though she a bit seemed ashamed were she stands now. She explained me on how she obtains a degree in Public Relations and is found homeless, but is positive that she will get back in her feet.

People living below the poverty line have experienced, “One of four major hardships…very low food security, overcrowded housing, late rent or mortgage.” (Cohen, Philip) The majority of people, being families of low incomes are becoming more relevant in today’s society causing them to have vulnerable results, such as job changes, unemployment, public assistance, and variations in family needs. In order for an individual or parent to do well economically they need to have a good and stable job that will prevent them from falling down and being categorize as homeless. But as statistics show, the official poverty rate in 2011 in the United States was, “15 percent, representing 46.2 million people…largest number ever recorded and still rising.”(Cohen) As people become to hit the poverty line, they have to consider on taking wise choices with the money they spend in necessities. For example, during periods of cold weather, poor families and elderly individuals are far more likely to experience food insecurity as they have to choose between spending their money on heat or food.

However, people tend to presume that hunger is occurring through scarcity of food and having less amount of food being produce. There is more than enough food for every individual and trucking industry ready to import food wherever it needs to go. What the problem has been for the past decades is customers not having money in their pockets. Poverty has been as essential highlight in the U.S causing, “Ups and downs in food insecurity living up closely with the changes in poverty.” (Isserman, Maurice) Poverty spoils every meal making it uneasy for every family to survive, but even tougher for elderly people.

Hunger is a simple issue to family who qualifies for Food Stamp programs, (WIC), and easier for children who receive free school lunch. When it comes to elderly people, Philip Cohen concludes that, “Many families of poor children have benefit for food stamps, which pulled 2% of children above the poverty line…and in addition to people of the age 65+ are found below poverty line.” Seniors are found in a stressful situation that leaves them to poverty due to medical costs. Many programs have been offered to low income workers with children, as seniors are neglected more and getting harmed by healthcare costs. Furthermore, as families and individuals try hard to overcome poverty it has gotten arduous as they begin to get tied with money and eventually lose their home.

The majority of poor people in America experience real lack of basic material necessities. At times families are unable to purchase adequate food or healthy living for the entire household due to insufficient money, causing stress and anxiety with living so close of falling short. Stress that affiliates families is causing long term effects on their everyday life. It has been portrayed that, “Economic insecurity is the number on predictor of overall health problems, depression, sleep difficulties, and stress among everyday workers.” (Sethi, Arjun) On the other hand, not only does it affect parents, but children as well. Children who experience crowded housing conditions or multiple residential moves, display health and developmental problems.

Children have been struggling more at school for the purpose they want to quit school to get a job and help out their parents out. Children experiencing parents unemployment has, “Increased a child education to be held back by 15 percent.” (Isserman) Many people neglect how bad poverty can affect a person social life. Many poor people that are found in poverty are ashamed on the situation they are found, that they do not like to socialize among others and eventually they begin to isolate themselves. In Maria LaGanga’s article “Tent city USA” explains how a man living in Sacramento who had held a job and an apartment, and now he struggles to stay clean and fed. He shares that, “The only work I have found is holding an advertisement sign on a street corner.” (LaGanga, Maria)

Many economic changes are sprawling every day; people holding a second shift, wage earners getting laid off, ad millions of people moving from middle class to near the poverty line. It has been estimated, “40% of people being unsheltered” making things harsh to see people become homeless every day and not being offered enough help. The poor are the ones that are getting sick more often than anyone else in the society. Despite that they get decent medical care, they have a higher rate of getting sick because of the slums they live on, being jammed together in unsanitary conditions, and having inadequate diets.

In order for homeless people to be heard it is up to people with a stable life to acknowledge what they are going through. Poor people are, “Not simply neglected or forgotten...what is much worse, they are not seen.” (Isserman) Many people in poverty cannot be heard if they do not have an address of their own when it comes to voting or applying for a job. Poverty is an arduous condition to shed. Even people that continue on their career are not guaranteed a successful future. Many students continue on going to school being optimistic they might obtain a stable job, but is all depends to the characteristics they bring to work and the field they hold a degree on. “Education alone is much less successful in raising employment and earnings prospects, than education combined with a strategy of focused job training.” (Bernstein, Jared) What this quote implies is that in order for a person to pursue their ambitions in their career they need to maintain good job training to be above the poverty line. Education has only been a partial cure for poverty, because of all the other recent changes in the labor market. Many labor markets are paying the minimum wage to the majority of the workers, making them struggle more and considering on them obtaining a second job.

Poverty has ridiculously increased, and there needs to be positive changes before everybody is near the poverty line. Without anyone standing up to make changes poverty will always be neglected. Even if education improves the quality of workers, it does not improve the quality or quantity of jobs. Many people have hit the poverty line as economy has gotten tougher, causing a great impact on their social life.

                                            Work Cited

Bernstein, Jared. "The American Prospect." Http://prospect.org/article/article/education-cure-provety. 22 Apr. 2010. Web.

"Causes of Hunger in the U.S." - Bread for the World: Have Faith. End Hunger. Sept. 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. http://www.bread.org/hunger/us/causes.html

LaGanga, Maria. "Tent City, USA." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2009. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. http://www.latimes.com.

Cohen, Philip N. "Poverty, Hardship, and Families: How Many People Are Poor, and What Does Poor in America Really Mean?" Welcome to the Child Trends DataBank. 5 Dec. 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/alphalist

Sethi, Arjun. "Homelessness Treated as Criminals in America." Web.ebscohost.com. Aug. 2011. Web.

Isserman, Maurice. "50 Years Later: Poverty and the Other America." Winter 2012. Web. Mar. 2012.