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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.

As the government continues to provide monies for corporations to bail themselves out of financial ruin, and AIG officials tackle their personal grooming habits with retreats to California at the country’s most expensive spa, spending nearly $900,000 on, among other things, manicures and pedicures, cities are reporting record numbers of homeless families who have lost their homes due to foreclosures.  As if 49 million uninsured Americans weren’t bad enough, families - with children - are finding themselves on the streets with no idea where to find the solutions.  Cities like Atlanta, New York and Seattle are seeing record-breaking numbers of homeless people.  It’s been said a combination of job losses, the high number of foreclosures and rising food and fuel costs have contributed to this crisis.  Up until this year, the numbers had been declining.  Some cities had reported as much as a 12% decrease of people living on the streets.  Now, though, the city of New York had less than 2,100 homeless families this time last year.  One year later, the number is at 2,750.  These numbers reflect the number of families - not individuals. 

I remember thinking after Katrina how much we take for granted.  No electricity for a week was tough, but this?  It’s a whole new ballgame.  At least in the days after the storm, we knew the power companies would be appearing any second to restore power - and air conditioning, specifically.  August in the South - you’ve never known a hot day until you’ve experienced 100% humidity with heat indexes above 100 degrees.  I have a feeling that a few hot days are nothing compared to what some of these people are facing with winter knocking at our doors. 

So while the American Big Businesses are clawing their way to the money tree, mothers are clawing their way to the nearest food banks and shelters in their efforts to ensure their little ones are warm and fed.  There’s something insanely wrong with this picture.   Even with the new federal law that’s providing nearly four billion dollars for cities and communities to buy foreclosed properties to house the homeless, it’s of little comfort to those who don’t even know it exists.  My guess is with no roof over their heads and no food in the pantry, they’re not likely to have access to CNN or Fox News or any other media that announced this new law. 

Are representatives from local Social Service agencies setting up tables at the food banks and shelters to notify people that help is out there?  Is the right information being funneled to the right people in the right departments?  We all know the evils of the red tape.   And if AIG officials have enough free time for a week long manicure, perhaps they could find a little time to volunteer at a food bank.  A little perspective is good for the soul.  Better still, perhaps a good use for their hands might be to pick up a hammer with Habitat for Humanity instead of picking their hands up and out of the cuticle conditioner.    It might serve as a reminder the very ones they need as customers for their insurance and other financial offerings are the ones who are most betrayed.