Jacob Cabral

Professor Broadous

PAS 113B

22 March 2012

Stuck In a Hard Place: A Life in Poverty

            Much has happened since the early dawning days of America. There have been wars, catastrophes, and major political events. Many of these events in our history have changed the way we approached things and reformed our mindset of how we live our everyday lives. The recession of America’s economy, including the downfall of jobs, have been going on for a lot of years. Throughout these years, numerous amounts of people have lost their jobs and have gone into poverty. That is still the case now. It is sad to see families living in poverty and not being able to live the average American life; to not be able to prepare and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with their family. Majority of families in poverty consist of two parents, but there are some consisting of a single parent. Among these families are the kids. They take it the hardest when it comes to adjusting to living in a car or on the street. It is a struggle and a major life adjustment. By changing the place where one lives so drastically, it may alter their well-being. Poverty does shape a person's worldview. It impacts that person in every way thinkable. Poverty is destroying the lives of many Americans and the reason why is due to the lack of jobs, the descending economy, and the misuse of welfare.

            Before collecting the data for this essay, I went to a shelter to observe and study people in poverty. The shelter I attended was made for families in need of a place to stay, known as Los Angeles Family Housing. At L.A. Family Housing, they also provided classes to build their well-being and to help them create a better budget when using their money. Places like this shelter are what keep families from living on the streets when losing their job. When losing a job, it is hard to get back on track financially and in life. It might take a while for them to find a decent paying job unless they are determined and look for a job continuously. Therefore, when there is no more money to spend and they realize they no longer have a place to stay, shelters are a good thing to have. However, having so many shelters can also keep people from working hard. Some might think of it as a way to have free housing. Majority of parents do not stop working just so they can have a free place to live; they actually care enough about their children to keep a steady and well-paying job. It is heartbreaking to know that there are parents willing to do this so they can get by freely. Overall, it is hard for the majority of families to live the perfect life and not have to struggle with financial obligations. Nowadays, it is rare to see the average American not in poverty. It is becoming a normal situation, sadly. “By some measures…two parent families are the least secure members of society, for they get little in the way of income or medical supports despite their vulnerability to swings in the economy” (Ellwood 81). Parents are fighting to keep balanced lives for their children and it is unfortunate to see that two parent families are the least protected.

            America’s economy has been drifting further and further into debt. This has been an ongoing process for many years now. “During the first half of the 1900s, the widening gap between the rich and the poor continued and the growing distance between the wealthy and the middle class became apparent” (Axinn & Levin 306). From this quote, you can see that our country’s economy has been taking an immense toll on the lives of its citizens, especially the lives of the children. “Twenty-six percent of all children under the age of 6, some 6 million children, were poor in 1992.” (Axinn & Levin 308). This is disturbing to know that only 20 years ago, kids were living their lives in poverty. That amount has now increased to even more children living day to day without a single meal or bed to sleep in. In the video, Throwaway People, families were shown living their lives while in poverty. There was a scene in which it depicted the family residing and sleeping in their minivan. The children talked about and described the ways they would get dressed and how they would eat. They would use the public restrooms in parks to merely brush their teeth and wash themselves off; a simple way they were able to bathe themselves. When it came to food they would "ask other kids if they didn't want what was on their plate" or "if they were going to finish that" just so they could eat and share what they were able to scrap with the rest of their family (PBS: Throwaway People). It is horrible to see families, especially children, have to search and always be on the lookout for food. They should be able to have three meals a day and not have to worry about at least eating once a day. Places like the L.A. Family Housing Shelter help those types of families. At this shelter they provide three hardy and healthy meals a day for the families staying there. Without these places, members of families would be so hungry they'd be in pain and might die. Spaces like this give me the vision of a better place for those in poverty in the future.

            The welfare system was introduced to the United States beginning in the 1930s during the Great Depression. From this plan, the government would aid those in need by providing general welfare payments, health care through Medicaid, food stamps, special payments for pregnant women and young mothers, and federal and state housing benefits. This was a big deal for those in poverty. Due to the welfare system, the growing inequality of income and wealth occurred. "To 'get the economy going'," Ronald Reagan decided that "the federal budget was to be balanced...by cutting back on food, health, housing, job training, and income programs for the poor while simultaneously cutting taxes for upper-income groups hoping to increase their investments" (Axinn & Levin 306). By doing this, citizens in the U.S. were unable to fully live their lives how they used to. Nonetheless, this inspired some people to work hard for what they needed and encouraged them to get jobs. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan told a story to an audience about a woman on welfare and how she dealt with the cut on welfare. He talked about how his cuts "allowed her to break free from welfare dependence" (Chappell 199). This woman didn't have to rely on welfare after Reagan's bold decision. She was able to take care of herself because of the courage and faith that the cuts on welfare gave her. Welfare is a good thing for those in need, but it also may hold others back in attempting to get jobs and living an independent life.

            Poverty is in our everyday lives. It surrounds us no matter what. Many things can lead someone to go into poverty, but there are ways to stay out of it. Avoid poverty by keeping a budget of how much you spend and make sure you have a job that keeps you financially stable. If you do not have a job you're sure about, have a backup plan. Reasons behind people ending up in poverty are low wages, having children when not financially able to take care of them, and having only one parent work and make money instead of the two. In addition, the Los Angeles Family Housing shelter is a great way to get back on your feet if you're struggling with money. It helps you get back on track with your life by providing shelter, classes on overall improvement, and meals. This type of space is what makes life better and those in need happier. You can get out of poverty, but it just takes time.

Works Cited

            Axinn, June, and Herman Levin. Social Welfare: A History of the American Response to Need.      New York: Dodd, Mead, 1975. Print.

            Chappell, Marisa. The War on Welfare: Family, Poverty, and Politics in Modern America. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2010. Print.

            Ellwood, David T. Poor Support: Poverty in the American Family. New York: Basic, 1988.          Print.

PBS: Throwaway People