Jesus did not give us the privilege of hardheartedness towards the poor (Matthew 25:31-46). Half of Americans will experience poverty at some time. Declining unions have led to reductions in everyone’s wages. Now a quarter of Americans earn poverty-level incomes. People without a high school diploma are 3 to 5 times more likely to be poor than college graduates. Fathers leaving their families makes it 3 to 4 times more likely for them to be poor. Only about a third of disabled people are able to find work. Women experiencing domestic abuse are twice as likely to to be unemployed. Women, minorities, children, immigrants, the disabled and female-headed households face far greater poverty rates. Loss of job, declining wages, poor education, fathers leaving, having children and disability are major causes of poverty. Our job is to feed the hungry.
Source: Rynell, Amy. CAUSES OF POVERTY: Findings from Recent Research. The Heartland Alliance. Mid-America Institute on Poverty. 2008.
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