The Importance Of Living In Poverty

Introduction In 2015, 43.1 million Americans lived in poverty; of that 43.1 million, 19.4 million lived on less than half the official poverty level (World Hunger Education, n.d.). While this figure only constitutes approximately 13.35% of the U.S. population (United States Census Bureau, n.d.), the sheer number of individuals and families living in poverty is still staggering. Unfortunately, this poverty trend has been apparent through history, both in Europe as well as in the United States. It is an unfortunate fact that a significant portion of the world’s population have, are or will experience poverty at some point in their lives. For many, it is difficult to truly comprehend what it is like to live in poverty, how this poverty fundamentally …show more content…
I was required to decide between such things as public transportation versus purchasing a car, acquiring childcare so that I may work versus opting-in to employer provided health insurance (Paranada & Brent, 2012). Many of the questions were difficult to answer, as both possible choices were necessities (in my opinion) for the well being of my family. The questions required that I look beyond the financial ramifications of my decisions and grasp how my choices would influence other areas of my life and the results were troubling. It is one thing to view poverty from the safety and security of your own financial situation; it is another thing entirely, to “experience” it yourself. This exercise gave me a glimpse into what poverty actually means and made me reevaluate my perception of the struggles those facing poverty …show more content…
During the middle ages, the impoverished were provided for by the Catholic church, local hospitals, and later the government, who were charged with administering relief to those individuals in their parish (Woodside & McClam, 2015, p. 32). The assistance provided by these institutions was funded by tithing, donation and tax revenue (Woodside & McClam, 2015, p. 33). The changing economy and the migration of people into cities revolutionized care for the poor in the Elizabethan era, and spurred the creation of the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601; this law classified who was poor, what assistance would be provided, what facilities would be provided to those unable to work and how those abusing the system would be punished (Woodside & McClam, 2015, p. 33). In Colonial America, the treatment of the poor was heavily based on the Elizabethan Poor Law. The colonies believed that assistance for the poor was a public responsibility and put in place policies that dictated who each parish was responsible for, who was authorized assistance and what the responsibility of individuals were for helping their families members, and developed programs to help poor children without parents (Woodside & McClam, 2015, p.