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Poverty is best defined as those who experience a shortage of food, shelter, access to medical attention and even clothing.  Unfortunately, too many people in America live in poverty.  Even worse is the number of programs currently available that fall short, despite monumental efforts made by selfless people who volunteer their time on a daily basis to offset the increasing numbers of Americans who fall into the federal government’s guidelines of poverty.

Even in the current economic times, we are living in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.  Our resources are unlimited, our technological advances are mind-boggling and the numbers of us who contribute portions of our salaries in an attempt to do our part continue to rise; yet even with the countless numbers of shelters, food banks and clothing banks, still the numbers continue to rise.

It’s estimated nearly 37 million Americans are living in poverty this very minute.  The latest census statistics show a population of just over 306 million.  That’s over 10% of Americans who don’t have enough to ensure their children are eating nutritious meals, who can’t provide adequate homes for their families and who may be living with medical conditions that if go unchecked, could result in dire health consequences.

Job losses, foreclosures, lower wages and a multitude of other social problems are all contributing to this crisis.  The fact is, people are trying.  Once the vicious cycle sets up and a series of unthinkable events begin to happen, it’s almost as though a domino effect happens.  Now, there are more dominos that are falling.  Food and clothing banks as well as homeless shelters are all feeling the pain of the recession too.  This means precious few resources available to help those who are attempting to pick up the pieces of their lives.

Maybe the solutions lie within each of us, not so much as in a collective sense, but maybe what each of us can do in our own way and in our own day to day lives.  Some of the most successful stories we hear   are a result of those who make a phone call to their local electric company and ask to make a payment to a family that seems to find itself on the cut-off list each month.  There are stories of anonymous phone calls that have served as the gateway for a small business owner who needs a trustworthy carpenter and an out of work carpenter who has a family to support.  These two people might never have known of the other had a single phone call not been made.  We hear of food baskets being delivered to doorsteps with nothing more than a knock on the door to announce its arrival during the holidays; but when did it become acceptable for this to be a holiday-only tradition?  Hunger doesn’t make the distinction in holidays versus the remaining days of the year.  Stories of mortgage payments miraculously being made that keep a single mother and her children in their home aren’t uncommon either.  Is it really this simple?  Will small efforts such as these be what ultimately turn this country around? One thing’s for sure; we won’t know until we try.  Foreclosures don’t occur if payments are made, electricity isn’t disconnected if the arrears are brought current and poverty can’t exist if there’s enough food available where it’s needed.