Samantha Rawlings Discussion

The second portion of The American Way of Poverty was a much easier and more enjoyable read. While reading this book, one of the main themes that I take away is that the government plays a major part is making the rich richer and the poor poorer. I also take away a better understanding of the struggles of living in poverty. As a child, my parents both worked good jobs and my brother and I never went without. As an adult I have been very guilty of judging someone who is poor by thinking they are just not trying hard enough. When the truth is that sometimes they are trying hard, but the obstacles are too much to overcome. Within the past years, the government has made many cuts to government assistance to the poor. One of the findings in this book that I cannot wrap my head around is how states have made it harder to qualify for benefits. According to Abramsky, in Arkansas, even though the unemployment increased from 68,700 in 2007 to 107,200 in 2010 the number of families on TANF decreased by 100 families. The main point that I took from this was that the government is finding ways to save money for their salaries while the people that they promised to protect and fight for their rights. The government will probably take these numbers and put them in a positive way as if they have helped these families get off of government assistance, when that is not what is really happening. What is really happening is those 100 families plus many more are struggling to feed themselves. They are struggling to keep their homes, struggling to pay their bills, they are just simply struggling to get by. All while the people who are in charge of making the government cuts do not take pay cuts themselves.
I also thought that Abramsky did a good job on giving the readers an understanding of how quickly one can go from feelings safe to living in poverty. The comparison of going into poverty as a hurricane. The author talks about ignoring the warning signs and past history can also lead a person into poverty. My favorite quote was "Hurricanes strike powerfully and suddenly. They rip apart what the touch: property:..What happens in an instant may change life forever". I really loved this because it is so true. The main point that I am personally taking away from this book is that poverty can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Thinking of poverty like a hurricane can also allow people to develop empathy for other people. By having the education and understanding of how poverty can happen to even the richest families, may change someone's mind into helping out their community and not just thinking about themselves.
Since I am an active person and have gone through extreme weight loss, I really enjoy and am saddened by the nutrition of people in poverty. People are depending on donations for food. Most of the time donated goods have tons of preservatives to prolong their shelf life. This is great for food pantries, but bad for the people eating these foods. With more and more cuts being made, cheaper and cheaper food is being giving to those in need. This can only make the poverty and health problem worse in the Unites States
Test Question:
If you were working in a food pantry, what are some creative ideas in attempt to get healthier food options at your food pantry?