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Health & Fitness

Poverty is A Problem We All Need To Address

U.S. poverty rates have hit a 50 year high and it can affect us all.

The United States has enjoyed the reputation of being a land of opportunity and endless potential for those who have a dream. Sadly, we are also becoming a country that is suffering from it's own social cancer: poverty.  The front page of the Los Angeles Times this week declared that  U.S. poverty totals have hit a 50 year high. In raw numbers, more than 46.2 Americans are now living in poverty. I find that statistic to be sad and shameful. Our country can do better by it's citizens.

There are now more people living without health insurance and with drastically reduced household incomes than should be allowed in a country with our earning potential. Obviously, sluggish economic growth is causing real problems for many people. Tent cities are popping up more frequently and being populated, not by stereotypical homeless people, but by people who have lost jobs and families that cannot afford a simple home because they've lost the one they had.

In California last year, about 6 million residents had incomes below the federal poverty level of $22,113 for a family of four. That's 16.3% of the population. These are statistics that could severely impact our state. Children raised in poverty are less likely to be successful in school and often have more health problems. They are also more likely to turn to crime. By allowing poverty to flourish, the government is, in effect, setting up our society for the possibility of greater problems in the future that won't be so easy to fix.

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I am stunned and outraged by the poverty in this state and country. But like many others, I'm not sure where we begin to fix the problem. I don't think that stand-alone, "give-away" programs are effective in the long run (although I donate to Union Rescue Mission and other charities annually so families will enjoy a Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and I encourage others to do the same).

I really believe that the key to raising the quality of life for people is to help families and others in poverty to learn how to help themselves. We need more job training and job opportunities made available. Sadly, the politicians prefer to sit around and argue and posture to see whose plan gets chosen rather than solving the problem itself. Therefore, very little actually gets done. But we have reached a point where something needs to be done.

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If people paid attention to history they would understand that disenfranchised people who have nothing to lose do not exactly strengthen a society. Those societies  eventually imploded throughout history. We don't need a revolution or anyone overthrowing our government to elicit change. We need to harness the intelligence , experience and compassion that has turned this country into the entity that used to be emulated and admired by every other country and turn things around. We have the people, resources and ability to do that.

What we need more than anything else at this point are people who will set aside personal agendas and egos and focus on problems that need to be solved. I'd like to see them work to diminish the growth of poverty and not just shrug shoulders and accept that nothing can be done.

Realistically, poverty will always exist. Even in a country as rich as ours it will always exist. But, like any other social issue, it can be managed and controlled with greater empathy, hard work and commitment than is in play now. It's time to do what we can.

On a very local level, if you're interested in helping families in the area, I recommend that you donate to the Holiday Basket Hotline, a program run by the Glendora Community Coordinating Council. They collect and distribute food and gift cards to over 273 families in the Glendora area during the holidays. If you wish to volunteer your time or know of individuals who would benefit by receiving a basket, call the Holiday Basket Hotline at (626) 857-3025. This program is for Glendora residents only. It's not going to fix the lives of those in need, but it's a good start.

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