What is your view on poverty?

1. 60

   Justin McMarshallposted 14 years ago

   What is your view on poverty?
   
   Evryone has an idea what "poor" is can you describe the worst experience you or someone you knew had being "poor"?

   replyreport
2. 74

   someonewhoknowsposted 14 years ago

   Being poor is when you own a car and are paying insurance,but the car is twenty years old and is about to stop running altogether,though it still drives a few miles before it overheats
   
   poor is living on unemployment with very little savings to speak of,no health or life insurance.
   
   poor is trying to find a job when you can't go to school while your getting unemployment.you either give up your unemployment and use what savings you have to support yourself and hope you can find a job quickly enough to keep yourself from losing everthing you have.
   
   But seriously ,if you think that's not poor enough ,I guess If you were poor enough you wouldn't even be answering this question at all unless you went to the library because you no longer have a computer or internet access.
   
   I'll let let you know if and when it happens to me !
   
   Ultimately your poor if you can't help yourself or don't have any friends that are willing or able to help you out of your situation

   replyreport
3. 63

   kmackey32posted 14 years ago

   oh my poor sounds alot like me. Although i do have internent only because i pay rent and my landlord owns a computer store which i pay his electric for.

   replyreport
4. 59

   mzronnyposted 14 years ago

   To me being poor is not being able to pay for anything because you don't qualify for unemployment, welfare or any assistance. Child support is not coming in and you can't buy the kids clothes that they can fit so they are wearing last years clothes. You can't afford to feed your children if you run out of food stamps. And everybody can get food stamps even single people with no kids just as long as you meet the income guidelines. Poor is no place of your own. Many people can crash at a friends/family members house or go to the shelter. And if you have a car and can afford gas and insurance you are blessed. Even if you can only get a few miles. How about looking for a job and the only thing you qualify for is in a city where the bus (public transportation) won't take you. So if you do take the job you will have to catch the earliest bus and walk a few miles to work to make minimum wage for a few hours a day, did I mention that the job was only part time? And even if you do that you still will show up late everyday cuzz it takes too long to get there! LOL How about have a college degree to only take a job that doesn't even require a college degree because that's all you could find and you can't even afford your one bedroom apartment! (which happened to a friend of mines)
   Although I'm laughing poverty is not funny at all. I've been in poverty my entire life. I remember days when I could not eat. The only thing we had in the fridge was a box of baking soda and a jug of water. I remember not having clothes and shoes to fit. Not being warm in the winter. Not being able to see in the dark. I remember it all. One thing I can say: I am truly blessed. Going through a childhood like that made me a better parent. Although I live off of child support payments and food stamps, my children are blessed enough to not have to go through the things that I went through as a child. It taught me to appreciate things and life and to be responsible with what I have.

   replyreport
5. 57

   Jane Taxpayerposted 14 years ago

   How about this(and I used to live in a homeless shelter, which is why I have such heatrstrings for the Canadian Impoverished):
   
   Waking up at 5.00 in the morning, having to stand for an hour while tables are set up so you can sit down, sitting at a table for four with six chairs around it, and then after being awake for two hours, having to stand in line for an hour just to recieve a bowl of cereal (125mL measured in a cup) with powdered skim milk, and that was all you could have for breakfast.
   
   If you worked and had to be at work by 5.00 like I did, you may not even get that. You may get a stale donut, or a couple of donut holes before starting an eight hour shift. And you might not even get lunch, unless you wanted to waste all your money on expensive fast-food lunches, or the local coffee truck, which is also costly.
   
   That is truly poor.

   replyreport
6. 59

   Kebennett1posted 14 years ago

   When I was 11 years old, my brother 12 and my sister just a year old my step father had moved us to San Jose, Ca. from, Indio, Ca. Not long after, he left supposedly to go to work on a ship and later we found out he bailed on us. He took all of the money out of the checking account with him. My mother had the 3 of us to care for. She used to go to trash cans behind restaurants and get food for us to eat. She would bring home anything she considered edible. She made glutton out of flour and fried it and called it "meat". We started selling everything we owned with the exception of the car so we could get enough money together to move back to Indio where we all moved in with my grandparents. We never could pay the rent. We left owing a month. They kept our down payment and cleaning deposit. We stayed for 2 more months after he left.

   replyreport
7. 66

   rsmalloryposted 14 years ago

   I remember once as a child my mom took us to this school cafeteria where some group was handing out christmas presents to the poor. We stood in line and finally got a present. I think I was about 4. I think if I had been older I would have been really embarrassed to even be there. I remember getting turkey boxes left on our door by some anonymous group and weraing my sisters hand me downs, we got food stamps for a while. I remember free lunch at scholl was especially hard-I didn't want anyone to know we needed it so I just skipped eating most of the time.

   replyreport
8. 61

   Phantiposted 13 years ago

   I am on a disability in Canada and live below the poverty line.
   I went to University to get an education, to better myself and be able to have a good career.  Then I got sicker, and couldn't finish my degree. I had to get rid of all of my assets and spend all of my savings in order to qualify for my disability.  And I still have to pay back my school loans.  Thank Goodness for our free medical coverage.
   
   Those of us on ODSP don't have enough money for any extras.  I can't remember the last time I bought new clother or went out for a nice meal.
   
   I would give my left leg to have a career.  It makes me angry when people that have jobs strike for more pay.  They should be grateful that they are healthy enough to work and make the money that they do.
   
   Living like this is terribly depressing and the government wants to take some of our benefits away supposedly because there is too much fraud and too many people taking advantage of the system.
   
   So to answer your question every day I live without, but am thankful for the little I have.

   replyreport