Choices

In less than two weeks my view of poverty has changed dramatically.  Specifically, my view of those who are experiencing poverty.  Before this J-term class if you asked me why someone is homeless or struggling to make ends meet I would have said it is largely due to poor choices made by the individual.  While this may be partially true, I have learned how challenging it can be to overcome poverty.  These people aren't bums.  They probably work harder than most Americans, but aren't given the opportunities necessary to escape poverty.  Sure, they probably haven't made all the best choices.  But they're human.  And I have yet to meet someone who hasn't made a few bad decisions.  

I think that is one of the most important things to remember.  These people are human.  

It sounds silly, but when you pass someone begging for money on the side of the street do you treat them like a person?  Or do you pick up the pace and avoid eye contact?  You may not be able to spare a dollar for every homeless person you see, but I'm sure you can spare a "hello."

Over the past couple weeks I've visited and learned about a lot of organizations who are all working to help the homeless.  Today I went to Masbia, a soup kitchen in Queens that serves Kosher food. When we walked in we thought we were in the wrong place because it looked like a restaurant.  I thought that was cool because how often do people in poverty get to go out for a nice meal.  Probably never. But going here wouldn't feel much different.  They get to feel like people.  Masbia also gives people the opportunity to eat Kosher food; people who otherwise would probably have to choose between starving or disregarding  their religious beliefs.  We all like different foods due to our culture and background.  What if you went to the grocery store and the clerk picked out your food for you?  You probably wouldn't be happy, but that's what it's like for the poor and homeless.  They go to a soup kitchen where there is a meal prepared for them or a food pantry where a bag is already prepackaged.  What if you're allergic to peanuts but you are given peanut butter?  Or given bread and you're gluten free?  Then you're not much better off.  

In the evening we returned to YSOP and prepared a meal for ladies from a homeless shelter.  This event was much more than just a meal to those invited.  It was a chance for them to 'get out of the house', talk to people, and play games.  This is something many of us take for granted.  We treated them like guests we were having over for dinner.  Like people. Not numbers going through a long line in a soup kitchen.  We sat down and ate dinner (delicious burritos and cake) with them.  I was nervous beforehand because I thought it would be hard to make conversation.  What do I have in common with them?  I had no reason to worry though. We talked about our families and they shared stories about New York.  All the guests were extremely nice; I wouldn't have guessed they were heading back to a shelter for the night.

This reminded me of a term we learned about in class, social capital.  Social capital is a network of relationships.  This can be your friends and family or groups that you belong to, for example your church.  Most people experiencing poverty lack social capital.  The World Bank now acknowledges social capital as a useful tool for poverty reduction (Tabu Johannes).  Having a strong social capital can help you get a job, support you through rough times and much more.  

Soup kitchens that place an emphasis on the social atmosphere at their meals and focus on building relationships with the people who come are providing much more then just a meal for the guests; they are providing social capital.  

Many homeless people don't have any sort of support system.  They also get ignored by most people who pass them on the street.  The next time you pass a homeless person on the street, don't make assumptions about why they're there. And if nothing more, at least make the choice to treat them like a human.  This is what I am taking away from these service events.  I have also learned that in order to reduce the amount of poverty in the United States, we need to make some changes to the system, not the people.  I don't have the answer as to what exactly should be changed, but making more affordable housing available and increasing low wages are just two examples of ways we could start to solve this issue.  

Emily