Living In Poverty In The United States

People tend to think solely of themselves not realizing the trouble others may face a few streets away. Since the 1950s, poverty has overwhelmed at least five percent of the American population. Thereafter they have continued to fluctuate year to year. There are a variety of reasons one may find themselves living in poverty. Individuals or groups desiring to help with the problem may experience frustration as it seems there is no long term solution. This can be demotivating, but there are ways to help short term while still making a considerable difference in our communities. Poverty is defined as a deficiency in one’s financial ability to have their needs met. The United States has a system in place to measure poverty and give assistance to the poor when needed. To determine if an individual or family is living in poverty, the United States Census Bureau issues annual poverty thresholds that are considered
the minimal amount of income or money necessary to support an individual or family. If the pretax income of a family falls below the poverty threshold, that family is considered poor. (website) Statistics, as of 2013, reported by Reihan Salam show the Official Poverty Measure rate for the United States was 14.6% while the Supplemental Poverty Measure rate was actually a bit higher, 15.5%. The Official Poverty Measure is a recording of income based poverty, the Supplemental Poverty Measure is a recording of income, with the addition of, government aid. Approximately five to ten percent of Americans live in extreme poverty. This population lives on an estimated two dollars per day. http://www.welfareinfo.org/reform/ Welfare Reform Bill was enacted in 1996 with the goal to reduce the number of people dependent on government aid and assist them into self-sufficiency. Cash benefits known as welfare were paired with strict work or training requirements. “One of the reforms under this act was the Welfare-to-Work initiative, which required work in exchange for time limited financial assistance. Within three years of the reforms enactment, millions of Americans had moved from being dependent on welfare to being self-sufficient.”
Multiple reasons exist for the level of poverty in our country. A few of the reasons include poverty in the world, preparation and qualification for employment, the way the economic system works and physical and behavioral issues among the poor. Poverty in the world has influenced people in poor circumstances to immigrate to America because of job opportunities that will allow them to provide financially for their families. Poverty in the world also has led the trade market as work is being outsourced to other countries to gain cheaper labor, materials and products. With this current situation it is difficult to maintain valuable job options and consistent wages in America. “An astonishing number of people work at low-wage jobs.” When a job becomes available, a competition among candidates occurs each hoping they will be the best choice for the position. Inevitably the most qualified individual is often awarded the job. Unemployment rates rise when there are not enough jobs to employ everyone that needs one. The economic system keeps the poor people poor by issuing government aid that provides a small amount of relief to low income families. If the adults in that situation are not motivated to seek job opportunities in order to better their financial well-being, they will determine that government aid is sufficient for their welfare. Poverty is also affected by physical and behavioral issues among the poor. Some issues include inadequate income to support a family that inhibits a desire for marriage and results in single parent households, crime based behavior for a bigger payday and alcoholism or drug use as a way to escape the stress of responsibility. “Many households are headed now by a single parent making it difficult for them to earn a living income from the jobs that are typically available.” Crime based behavior is used as a means for making quick money to obtain necessary funds for survival. Stressful situations occasionally drive individuals to substance abuse to alleviate the pressure and pain associated with their circumstances. Statistics show that as of 2013, the Official Poverty Measure for children eighteen years and under was 20.4%.
Minors get trapped in poverty for a few reasons. One is that children younger than fourteen years old are unable to work to support themselves. Another is that teenage children may drop out of school prior to graduation. Without a diploma or GED it is increasingly difficult to find a good paying job. Teenage pregnancy is a big contributing factor as teens having children generally are not well prepared financially or emotionally to support themselves or a child. If we want to help reduce poverty in America, we can donate our resources whether it is contributing financially to organized groups for fighting poverty or donating time and possessions. We can spend time serving in a local soup kitchen, we can donate canned goods or other food items. We can participate in food, clothing and toy drives for those less fortunate than ourselves. We can help poverty stricken individuals with recommendations for available jobs and help with interviewing
skills. Poverty afflicts millions of people year to year in America. Being aware of high risked households gives us more insight on the severity of this problem. Statistics show that adults are more likely to be content with government aid instead of finding suitable jobs to support their families. Those that will seek an opportunity to help give a better quality of life to themselves and others around them often are not as qualified as others, shutting their job search down and demotivating their good intentions. Minors that are struggling to make it on their own often find themselves in tough living conditions. These situations are more likely to be discouraging to this population. There is a variety of ways to help including working at a local food kitchen or donating to a food bank, host toy or clothing drives, volunteer to teach English, or even train them in skills they will need to find jobs. Awareness and actions can help reduce the number of individuals and families living in poverty within the United States.

I need help with citations because i do not know how to list them.