Poverty is Silent
For those who have lived the life of luxury, it can be difficult to imagine the alternative of comfort. Just because these luxuries are present for some does not mean they are present for all. As unreal as it might seem to some, there are many children who have no food at home. These families often lack many resources, such as solid shoes, coats, and other basic clothing items. Millions of people have no place to call home at all. Fortunately, there are many ways to help.
Regarding hunger, this issue is more present than one would think. Hunger is not just limited to the extremely impoverished. In fact, 1 in 6 people in the United States face “food insecurity” (as it is called by the USDA.) Children especially are at risk, as families with children are more likely to be food insecure than families without.
With food insecurity present in every county in the United States, clearly, something must be done– but what? Since hunger often goes unseen (after all, the children one sees going hungry can appear to have supplies of clothing, shoes, phones, etc.,) it can feel as though the issue, as well as the means to help, are far away. This is not true! In fact, the sole benefit to hunger being all around is that it means anyone can help. This begs the million dollar question: how?
One of the easiest ways to help hungry people in your area is to donate to a local food bank. Food banks are non-profit and function entirely off of volunteers. What is donated to food banks is then stored there until it is transferred to food pantries. Food pantries are described as the “arms that reach out to that community” and directly deal with feeding the hungry.
There is a Harvesters food bank right here in Kansas City, and they are always accepting help. That’s not all– there are thousands upon thousands of food banks and pantries in America. For those interested, there is a subpage of FeedingAmerica directly dedicated to locating food suppliers close to a user’s location.
However, you can donate more than just food. Harvesters claims four main ways to help the hungry: giving food, giving time, giving money, and giving voice. While giving money and giving food are quite self-explanatory, the others are a bit more complex. `
If you want to reach out to help besides donation, Kansas City’s Harvesters is always accepting volunteers. If you submit a request to volunteer, you can do a great service to the hungry by sorting food, loading backpacks for school programs, and more. Volunteering takes an average of two hours, but when you’re helping others, time goes fast.
Finally, you can lend your voice to Feeding America to help spread information about hunger and hunger statistics. You can do this incredibly easily: follow and support Feeding America on social media, help them spread the word about widespread hunger and how it can be stopped. If you really want to share your voice, Feeding America encourages you to contact elected officials, local and not, and encourage them to support programs assisting the hungry.
Under the topic of donating to others, the first idea to come to mind is food. However, there is more than just canned goods to donate. Families in poverty tend to prioritize food over other necessities. Because of this, families are left with broken shoes and limited clothing. This is especially difficult come winter, when coats cost more than families can spare. A good pair of shoes can cost well over $30. Keep in mind the average amount of money spent on food per month is roughly 250 dollars. That single pair of shoes takes up 12% of the food budget– imagine the amount it takes up for a family in poverty.
Not only this, parents and children in poverty have more to worry about than shoes. Gas bills, electricity, water, heating and air conditioning, rent, taxes, medical bills, college: all of these are large enough on their own, but when compiled and given to a family that cannot afford it, it becomes a monumental issue. Here, too, you can lend a helping hand.
If you want to donate clothing, thrift stores, goodwills, and other donation services are the go-to. The most needed clothes are shoes, socks, coats, mittens, and etc. in the wintertime. And, of course, undergarments such as bras and underwear are in constant demand.
Additionally, always desired but less commonly donated are (source):
- Liquid soap
- Reading glasses
- Underwear
- Water-based lotion
- Aerosol deodorant
- Baby wipes
- Diapers size 4T and up
And if you’re feeling especially generous, the same source encourages you to donate entertainment items, too! You can donate all sorts of things to help, for people young and old. For adults, you can donate pre-paid cellphones with plenty of minutes purchased for communication. Gift cards, coupons, and more are also helpful for reducing spending for those without money. For teens and adults, you can donate MP3 players, journals, coloring supplies, books, toys, even movie tickets can help provide much-needed entertainment.
It’s important to break through the stereotypes of the poor and homeless. Children in poverty are rarely forward about it, and it can often remain completely undetected for a myriad of reasons. Homelessness is surprisingly common, and it is not always the image you see on silver screens. While the homeless person you encounter can indeed be the stereotypical image that comes to mind, it goes deeper than that. Many homeless people have only recently become that way: they can still have expensive jackets, shoes, phones and more– though what remains unseen is that those are their only possessions. Impoverished children are fed at school, ridding many of their complaints of hunger, and many are be too insecure to bring up their situation with others. Poverty is everywhere, and it has more than one face.
The child you see walking to school every morning on the way to work may get his only meal from the cafeteria. The man outside that fast food restaurant that can’t possibly be homeless, for he looks so clean shaven– he has nothing but the clothes on his back. Your hostess at the restaurant lives at the homeless shelter. This brand of pain is quiet, easy to ignore, and overwhelmingly present.
No one is free of problems. Everyone has struggled with money, everyone has been out in the cold, everyone has felt gnawing hunger. The difference is, our pain exists only to be satisfied. For many people, there is no relief. When you leave the grocery store and pass the donation boxes, or when you throw away old clothes, think of the value the object truly holds. While 3 warm meals a day are commonplace for some, they are a treasure for others. It takes only a moment to donate someone’s dinner or to keep someone warm.
I’ve said before that poverty is quiet, but this is true only from our privileged perspective. Poverty and homelessness are real, loud, tangible voices. We just have to listen to them.
