Kevin Vaupel

Professor Niccols

Poverty

13 September, 2022

What is poverty and how does it affect you?

Poverty has been an issue in this country for as long as the history books go back. People

have suffered from poverty for thousands of years, ranging from the great depression in the 20’s

and 30’s to the recession in 2008. Poverty in my own words would mean a family is not able to

afford the cost of their living necessities. If the mother and father’s total income does not cover

the cost of food, water, and shelter then It would label them as “poor”.

The CST principle of helping the vulnerable and donating to the poor was designed to

help people less fortunate than themselves. “It examines personal decisions, policies of private

and public institutions, and economic relationships in terms of their effects on the poor.”

(Catholic charities office, p. 5). The personal obligation to help the poor comes from the

command to ‘love thy neighbor’. The option for the poor is an essential part of society to keep

the same goal of ‘common good’.

“The poor people” are the citizens of this country who cannot afford to pay for basic

needs of living, or provide for their family. In the United States, if a family of four makes a

combined income of under $26,500 you are considered to be living in poverty. For a single

person to be considered poor, they need to make below the poverty line of $12,800.
 In this current day of age, poverty is very relative and has always been relative. The

poverty rate in America is substantionally high compared to 25 other nations combined. The U.S

poverty rate is 17.8%, and the 25 nations combined was 10.7%.

There are many different causes of poverty in this country, gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc..

In 2020 when covid-19 was shutting down businesses and shops, many people could not

financially endure the covid-19 crisis when they went bankrupt and lost their jobs.

Solving the issue of poverty is not a single person's obligation, it involves all of us to

bring awareness and do our part to solve the war on poverty. If you grew up in a financially

stable household, you were very lucky and spoiled without even realizing it.

There could be many different possible solutions to help alleviate poverty in our country.

If we can get every single person to help chip in to maybe start a gofundme for different families

in poverty. People of this country could also petition for the government to pass a bill to really

buckle down and help this country take responsibility for its own poverty issue.

Personally I have been very blessed and fortunate to have a very stable financial situation

growing up in a nice suburban home. However some of my friends in high school were affected

directly by this, due to the fact of their parents falling down the wrong path with drugs.

I read this question in a little bit more of a way regarding the children affected by

poverty. Kids are growing up with nothing to eat, sometimes nowhere to stay, or maybe

neglected by their parents when they are at work to try to provide for their families.

In this country, immigration has always been a running issue regardless of legal or illegal.

When This certain topic arised, it sort of divided the country into two groups; citizens who

wanted people in this country regardless of their nationality or where they were born, and on the

opposite side citizens not wanting anyone in this country solely because of their nationality.
Some pros to immigration could be the increased workforce, and possibly more money for

businesses to bring in. However, on the other hand, there are many cons to immigration. That

including illegal immigration, people from other countries are trying to escape their life so hard

that they come into america looking for a better life without any papers or documentation.

To enter into the United States as a legal citizen, you must acquire a green card or visa

allowing you to get a job and raise a family in this country.

Immigration could possibly be a way of solving poverty if the citizens moving here are

serious about having a hardworking life and providing for their families. If we are receiving

citizens that are over here for drug activity and illegal intentions, they could however add to our

‘poverty list’.