ATTENTION: It's not gone.

      Throughout this experiment, I am not just exploring the lives of the homeless, but also the lives of the impoverished citizens that seem to be forgotten by their fellow Americans. 

According to Dictionary.com, the word poverty is defined as this:

The state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor. Synonyms: privation, neediness, destitution, indigence, pauperism, penury. Antonyms: riches, wealth, plenty.

     This definition does nothing less than pierce my heart. I hate that it even exists. 

      In an article, The Other America 2012, found in the magazine, The Nation, author, Sasha Abramsky, discusses current poverty rates and politics. However one statistic jumped out at me: "Although America has sputtered back to life recently, about 47 million Americans remain at or below the poverty line." 

     Because our economy has progressed..."some"...in the last few years, that doesn't dismiss all the problems. There are still so many people that suffer from situations beyond their control.  

Statistics according to The Other America 2012: 

1. 8.3% of the work-force still remains unemployed
2. 46 million Americans subsist on food stamps, an increase of 14 million over the past 4 years.
3. Of the 47 million living at or below the poverty line, 20 million are living in "deep poverty" (Below 50% of the poverty line).
4. 22% of America's children live in poverty. The highest total since 1962.
5. The poverty line for an individual is $11,000 per year. The poverty line for a family of 4 is $23,000 per year.

As you can see from these statistics, life for these people is not improving. The sad thing is that we, along with our government, dismiss a lot of these problems to focus on the "big picture." But, as I look at these numbers, and I see the faces the impoverished, this should be the big picture. I leave you tonight with a thought: Jesus doesn't dismiss us in our time of need, so we shouldn't dismiss anyone either. I am guilty of this. We all are. It's time to change. 

QUOTE:

An empty stomach is not a good political advisor.

-Albert Einstein