Effects Of Meetings With Poverty

My meetings with poverty have been few and far between, although the less fortunate have always been on my mind. Especially, since I moved closer to Washington D.C. Mostly because I have found poverty to be much more visible in more populated areas. At every stoplight men and women are asking for help in finding their next meal, while thousands of people in hundreds of cars drive by, unsure of how to assist. Poverty has many levels, some more pressing and worrying than others. Families living primarily on food stamps, couples barely surviving paycheck to paycheck, and finally, the most obvious to the naked eye, those without homes. However the does not mean that those in poverty, still holding on to their home are not also in need of assistance. …show more content…
My Aunt always found a family that she could no say not to helping, no matter where she lived, no matter how many people she had helped in the past. She would do everything she could for this family, even though the family was falling apart in front of her. When I was younger it did not make any sense to me, why she would help if the family seemed determined to do what they wanted. Now I understand that both my Aunt and this family were determined, my Aunt to help and them to keep their dignity. She finally offered her home to the children in the hopes that she could affect their lives, two of six agreed. It is impossible to help those who do not want it. Pride is a potent thing in this world and it can make or break a person. We cannot help everyone, but those we can help we must set up for the future. Only one person was truly helped in that family and that was because both she and my Aunt pushed for her education. Helping another human being is not one sided, it is a partnership. In which both parties are changed, hopefully for the …show more content…
I suppose at this I have more questions then do I have answers about poverty. With so many problems in the world of poverty, how can we fix everything? Why are so many people living in such terrible situations? I believe a large part of this problem is the lack of education, however, there other quite difficult issues that must be fixed for poverty to be lessened. Racism, sexism, and a multitude of other problems that worsen poverty. Money becomes almost meaningless at the end of our lives and it is the one thing every person needs to survive. The wealth and the poor, it is such a break between the human beings, those you have less and those who have more. Both alway striving for more money, be it for security or greed. I find it worrying that something as trivial as a piece of paper can make or break a person. We give something so much power until the lack or gain of it changes a person, pushing them to compromise their morals, everything they believe in. There are many programs to help the impoverished and yet, more still must be done. More job training and general education must be available. Less judgment needs to be given because of a person 's gender or skin color. Many paths can be taken to affect a change in the lives of the impoverished. I suppose the question is, what will make the most