Nobody dreams of living in poverty. Nobody grows up longing to work year after year in a job where the pay does not increase to meet the cost of living; where peddling drugs or bodies can secure more money than McDonald’s, Wal-Mart or a local sweatshop that pays cash under the table.
There are those who try to do something about it and those who take advantage. There are those who are mistaken as lazy- panhandling on street corners instead of getting a job, and those who are perceived to be inadequate providers despite the duration or intensity of their work at hopeless, endless jobs. Those who live under this shoddy umbrella of poverty worry about having enough food to eat and a safe place to sleep. There is no hope or redemption, just an arduous survival, living from meal to meal. They are down on their luck – the hungry, the homeless, the poverty-stricken – and they need our immediate help.
Times have changed in regard to both buying power and earning potential in America; a purchase of $25 in 1975 now costs $90.38 in June 2005 according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) Calculator. During that same time period, the federal minimum wage grew from $2.10 to $5.15 per hour. Had the federal minimum wage grown at the same rate as the CPI, it would currently be $7.59 per hour – a number that is still below what is considered to be a living wage – a wage sufficient for a worker and family to subsist comfortably. While living-wage campaign groups such as Universal Living Wage and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now agree that there should be an increase in the minimum wage, they fail to agree upon a single figure. While some workers may be able to get by on less than $8 an hour, others need closer to $15 to keep up with the bills. Variables in basic needs include special-needs children, family health conditions, available affordable housing and varying cost of living between communities.
While the pitfalls of poverty are myriad, the solutions often remain elusive to those who try to dig themselves out. There is also no end to the predators who take advantage of people in financial dire straits, particularly dangerous are the entities that pose as benefactors: check-cashing and payday-loan stores, televangelists, lending institutions, credit counselors, fund raisers and debt-consolidation companies, among others.
Out there among the predators are people who genuinely help those in need. David Robertson, an ordained minister and metalsmith in Eugene, leads groups of volunteers to help the hungry and homeless through a street ministry program called “Free People.” Working in conjunction with local churches and other organizations, Robertson’s vision is to help people break free from their less-than-perfect circumstances by encouraging them through a healing process so they can become productive once again. Robertson explains that it does indeed take a village to raise a child; we all need the healing of a community, teachers and mentors, to function in the best manner possible.
Personally, I’ve experienced the tribulations of poverty and the challenge to fully escape. I grew up in a single-parent household living on welfare. While waiting in lines to receive cheese from the government, food boxes from churches and clothing from free pantries, I often felt embarrassed, angry and depressed. I hated being poor and vowed that once I had the opportunity, I would escape that existence and never return. I was, initially, one of the lucky ones. With the help of family and friends I was able to take charge of my life and wrench myself from the cycle of poverty. In clambering to escape poverty, I joined corporate America and threw myself headlong into “hard work” in pursuit of the American dream.
After 14 years I was burned out and filed for bankruptcy, having accumulated insurmountable debt. I have since learned to live on a budget, earning a low wage that I have not seen since high school. I believe this personal experience helps me relate to the poor.
Throwing money at programs or pointing fingers of blame does not create a solution. It is not enough to casually place the responsibility on failing government programs, inadequate social services, miserly employers or poorly funded charitable organizations and then walk away, thinking the job is done now that the villain is identified.
A good look into the nearest reflective surface will reveal the identity of the scoundrel or reinforce the character of the saint.
“We the people-” begins the preamble of our Constitution. It is not “they” but “we” who should help our fellow neighbor. It begins with proactive education, continues with an exploration of where one can contribute, and ends when those who initially needed help are helping others. Norman B. Rice, the first minority mayor, once said “Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.”
Get involved and make a difference. Volunteer, teach, become a mentor, serve food at a local soup kitchen, or just offer a word of encouragement. The person you could help the most is staring back at you from the mirror on the wall.

John D. Jessop lives in Eugene.