Week 8_3/5/16_Introduction

Within the St. Louis area, poverty is a common misfortune to happen to many beings. According to the Oxford English dictionary, poverty is defined as having little to no wealth or few material possessions; indigence; destitution. Poverty occurs in many other places around the world, but I am focusing on reducing poverty locally. It can then expand to help other places dealing with the same or similar problems. My goal is to better the lives of people in poverty and keep others from falling into it. People in poverty have around two dollars to spend per day. Living in this world, you can not get much, if anything, with that little of money. Everyday, people need to eat and depending on the weather, dress appropriately. If there is a sudden change in weather, people might need to invest in a coat or pants, but you can not buy that with only a couple dollars. Not to mention, the two dollars can be split amongst a family giving everyone even less money. From this, it is concluded that families in poverty can not buy much to live a healthy life. There are shelters scattered around St. Louis, but they might not be known by homeless people considering they can not look up the closest shelter on google maps on their iPhone. By posting flyers throughout the city or having a billboard that can be seen from far away, people will be aware of where to go for help. At these shelters, people stuck in poverty should be able to stay at. This does not mean that they can stay there permanently, but at least until they can find a job and get on their feet. The shelters will be able to help people apply for jobs. Job applications are normally done online, which these people most likely do not have access to. Besides not having Internet access, they might not know how to work the electronic device. Growing up in low class families, they probably can not afford a computer, cellphones, or even a television. Those are not essential items for living, but they are very helpful in finding information, such as job openings. At the shelters, workers can help people fill out applications. If shelters are short on staff, some people can be hired there to do something as simple as cleaning. Any sort of income, small or large, is going to to make a difference for people in poverty with no income. This topic is significant to not only the people who have sadly been living in poverty, but to the people who are capable of helping them. Nobody wants to live in poverty, so if anyone can help them by giving them some food or a couple dollars, then do so. A job at a fast food restaurant is a job that a homeless person would love to have. It is not difficult to learn what to do at minimum wage jobs, such as this. Nobody should have to go through poverty. It is not fair to the children that are born into a poor family.  Right from the start, they are given a bad set of cards and have to work against the odds to live a good life. It is difficult for someone who is homeless and struggles to find food to be happy. People who are better off do not always realize how lucky they are and how much a sandwich would mean to someone in poverty compared to them. If everyone who was capable of donating whatever they could, the number of people in poverty would dramatically decrease. The audience also includes the workers at the shelters. They are working hard to get people off the streets and out of poverty. Sometimes the workers at these shelters are volunteers meaning they are not even getting paid for it. Another one of my goals is to find more people like that who are willing to help. As well as volunteering, donations of food and clothes will go to shelters who help people who cannot afford it. Overall, I propose to have more shelters built and homes where families can live while they are trying to improve their lives. The homes would be temporary places for them to sleep and keep whatever belongings they might have. It would be tragic to have families with little kids not having a place to sleep or anyone in general. Poverty is an unfortunate circumstance families are put into and reducing it would help the people of St. Louis live better lives in this beautiful city.