Blog Action Day: Poverty

I can't believe it has already been a year since my last post for Blog Action Day! This year's topic I'm supposed to address "poverty." Personally, that's a loaded word because there is so much to say about the subject. Poverty effects everything, or is it everything effects poverty? Hmm... let me backtrack a little to let you know what I mean.

I grew up in a nice suburban town in upstate New York for the first 19 years of my life. I never had to worry about my basic needs - food, shelter, clothing, medical care - you get the idea. I never had to worry about those things until I had to live on my own, but living in poverty was far away from my thoughts. When I went to college, I still wasn't experiencing the "real world." I still had security, I lived in a dorm, I had my sister and her in-laws living nearby and I had a school meal plan. Despite all the obstacles that college brought me, I still never had to worry about how I was going to make it through the day because I didn't eat or I didn't have a place to sleep.

I graduated from college with my degree in art and was ready to accept the challenges ahead of me... or so I thought. After some failed attempts of trying to go after my career, I decided to hang up the paint brush and get a job. Despite the fact that none of the jobs I had really centered around with what I wanted to do with my life, they did train me in areas that I needed work on such as social skills, customer relations, and computer skills to name a few. Above all else, I made my own money and was able to provide for myself. I only had to worry about me.

This has all changed now. I live with my life partner in the Bronx. The Bronx was the cheapest place to live out of the five boroughs of NYC and plus it was close to my partner's grad school. The Bronx has its perks, but never have I been at a place that had so many poverty stricken areas! I was never ignorant to what poverty was, neither was my partner who had a poor upbringing, but I'd be lying to say that I wasn't shocked to see so many homeless people or low income class families. I'd also be lying to say that I wasn't afraid of where I was living because of how my neighbors perceive me to be. My partner and I are white, gay, females moving into an area, a Caribbean community rather, that have strong views, feelings and prejudices of our race and our orientation. My partner and I receive our fair share of harassment, it can be really scary at times, but we still feel comfortable enough to continue living where we are. Honestly though, I don't blame my neighbors for feeling such animosity towards us. Gentrification is huge around here, and when two white girls start moving in, many people get scared. For those who don't know what gentrification means: Gentrify means to renovate or improve (especially houses and districts) so that it conforms to a middle (upper) class taste.

The world is changing and there is much talk about going "green" and eating organic. I want to participate with that lifestyle change, but it can be really expensive. Purchasing food from a fast food restaurant is much cheaper than buying healthier organic foods at a grocery store - which by the way is a big result of nationwide obesity. I left my car upstate and now use public transportation, but unless the economy changes I don't think there will ever be shot of me buying a hybrid car in the future. It's not such a big deal right now, because having a car downstate can just be ridiculous, but who is to say that I will be living here in the next five years. The rent here is sky high, even in the crappiest sections.

How do people improve their way of life when everything costs so much? How do people hold onto their homes when the rent keeps on increasing? How do people afford health-care, if their employer doesn't offer it and you can't afford to be absent from work when you are sick and you don't qualify for medicare/caid? How do school systems afford to pay good teachers to come in and educate students in high crime areas? How do people get a higher education when they don't have enough teachers and school resources? How do people afford to eat healthier when it costs too much? Again I ask, how do people improve their way of life when everything costs so much? How is it possible for any low class and middle income class person/family to afford this? I never had to ask myself these questions until now, because now I'm living it and it seems like a big destructive cycle.

Poverty is everywhere. Changes need to be made because everything we take for granted can effect someone else.




Photo: Co-op City Bronx, NY