Make Social Change A Reality

In a recent article Washington Post’s DeNeen L. Brown examines the cost of being poor . Brown states in the first few lines: “ The poorer you are, the more things cost ”. The cost, of course, comes in the form of money, time, convenience, and energy level. Brown points out that many of America’s poor are stuck with an unfair bill when it comes to the essentials like food, transportation, and housing. Photo courtesy of This Fffire The cost differences paid by the poor at their local corner store compared to a grocery store are likely to be huge. However, for many people without the time and transportation to get to big box stores, the $2.00 savings on a loaf of bread is hardly worth the hassle. The prices in these corner markets are, according to the article, almost always higher because their cost of doing business has a high overhead cost. Tasks like grocery shopping, laundry, and getting to work become a juggle of both time and money and often leave the poor with a higher bill than m...

The current economic climate is forcing people to take a long hard look at their lives. Unemployment, foreclosures and losses of savings and pensions mean that many people have to change their behavior and lifestyles to acclimatize to this new world order. A recent story on CNN profiled Ernie Casillas , a former investment banker who has had to face the harsh reality of unemployment. Since losing his high paying job, his upscale lifestyle vanished overnight, forcing him to post a ‘job wanted’ ad on Craigslist . CNN reports: ‘ Casillas said he teared up when he first began typing the message -- that his life had come unraveled so hard and so fast. But ultimately, he said, he decided, "I'm just going to put it out there. I'm not going to be embarrassed. I'm just going to tell the whole world: I'm unemployed, and I need a job today. And the response was great."’ This situation is becoming more and more commonplace where people who were once high rollers now ha...

Among many Americans, especially lower-income women and families, hopes are high for the economic stimulus and recovery package, which now feels long-anticipated in the run-up to President Obama and the 111 th Congress’ transition to power . In the swirl of rumors and speculation that bind new expectations for modern economic stimulation with social recovery reminiscent of FDR’s New Deal , many advocates for women and families have been weighing in heavily and hoping to affect the economic policies that are currently being considered in Washington. This week, predictions were rampant in the mainstream political discourse about what the outcomes of the House debate on the economy would look like, and whether or not the resulting legislation would make the everyday needs of women visible again. Today, the US House of Representatives passed an economic stimulus and recovery package , which carries with it a total cost of $819 billion dollars . Although the recovery package now makes its...

As we celebrate an immensely historic election and inauguration this week, with President Barack Obama’s transition to the White House and Presidency complete, a sense of duty and great undertaking must motivate us all to work towards ending poverty and suffering in the U.S. Until now, this goal has been long-absent from a serious national conversation surrounding our priorities and direction in the 21st Century, with the exception of Hurricane Katrina’s dramatic, albeit short-lived, media spotlight on the poverty that persists in our country. With a jagged economic road looming ahead and predictions for a slow recovery reaching possibly into 2011, the great needs of impoverished communities , individuals, and families has never been more apparent . We must work on all fronts, including education, employment, and programs that will strengthen families, to generate solutions that will address the stagnant situations that many Americans continue to find themselves in, despite their eff...