The "undeserving" poor

Thanks to modern day social media (and of course, general media), we have all been exposed/bombarded in the last several months with political jargon, thoughts, rhetoric, and opinions.  I try to stay out out of the drama of it all, but it's difficult to do these days.  So much passion.  So much misinformation.  So many people who don't even come close to knowing all the facts, but sure do argue like they do.  And there have been a few comments made by folks in recent Facebook battles that I have seen (and maybe even participated in) that I just cannot shake.  I cannot be silent about it.  I have mulled it over in my head over and over again.  And I thought I would take a few moments to share some thoughts on it all.

I'm talking about comments from people who state that "able-bodied people should get off their a** and get a job."  Or "I'm tired of lazy people getting free handouts."   Etc etc etc.

In light of an intense political climate, the gloves (and the decency?) have come off.  In case it wasn't clear, these people are referencing those individuals/families who live in poverty and utilize government supports/subsidies for differing lengths of time, so that their families can eat or have a roof over their heads.  

It is one thing to oppose government subsidies, or big government, or social programs.  It is quite another thing to make sweeping, degrading, offensive, and hurtful comments about vulnerable populations. Those people, whose lives you likely know nothing about.  

I am a clinical social worker, and I work with homeless families.  I get to know the people in our transitional housing program on a personal level.  We do thorough assessments, and we help them to address the issues that lead to homelessness.  We try to help them find a way out.  And I'd like to share a little bit about what I have seen and what I have learned about them and the lives that they lead.

First of all, poverty is crippling.  For those of you who are uninformed on the devastating, lasting effects of poverty on families and societies, read up:  A Framework for Understanding Poverty.  The cyclical nature of poverty is daunting.  Each time I get to know a new head of household in my housing program, I (unfortunately) am no longer shocked about the atrocities that they have experienced in their own childhoods, growing up in impoverished homes and neighborhoods... about the injustices that their own parents experienced and so on.  (Well I am still shocked, but the connection is no longer surprising). 

Poverty has a lasting impact on health and development.  Children who are undernourished have trouble focusing and learning in school.  They may suffer developmental delays, cognitive impairments, or intellectual disabilities.  Children in poverty statistically are exposed to higher levels of stress, which also has negative impacts on their development.  Frequent moves and changes in stability affect the overall health and wellness of children in poverty.  They miss school more often.  When they are in school, they might act out their stress through negative behaviors, sometimes getting them removed from the classroom or even expelled.  They get less exposure to education.  They feel inadequate.  Many of them drop out of school. They continue to suffer.  

These children grow up to become the adults that I work with in my housing program.   

Some of these people have grown up in homes where they have watched their parent (s) be beaten by a boyfriend or spouse.  They have watched their parents strung out on drugs and/or alcohol, and suffered awful amounts of neglect.  They themselves, have been physically, sexually, or mentally abused, by parents or other family members.  They have watched their own mothers live in prostitution, so that she could afford rent and have a place for her children to sleep.  They have watched people/family members/friends get shot or stabbed in gang or drug-related violence. They themselves, have been mistreated by a boyfriend or husband, and became homeless as a result of fleeing domestic violence for their own safety and the safety of their children. 

People who grow up in poverty and who live in poverty, are exposed to various kinds/types/levels of trauma.

The effects of trauma are disabling - in mental health, intellectually, cognitively, etc.  These disabilities all impact the kinds of work people can do, or are capable of doing.  Someone who appears "able-bodied" may be suffering in a multitude of other ways. 

Many of the adults that I work with in these families, have full-time jobs.  Some of them have more than one job.  Making minimum wage (somewhere between $7.25 - $10 per hour).  They work harder than most people I know on this earth.   And they still cannot afford to support their families, pay market-rate rent, or put enough food on tables.

Some of them work immensely hard to get a job, but to no avail because of previous criminal histories.  A huge barrier to becoming self-sufficient.  Because of broken childhoods manifested in attention-seeking behaviors.  

Some of the adults I work with struggle to further their education - which is the key to getting better jobs, increasing their incomes, and getting out of poverty - because of a mental health disability.  Or an intellectual disability.  Or because their self-esteem is so bottom-of-the-barrel low, that they just don't believe that they can or that they are worth it. 

These are the people who I know, who I work with, who I support, in accessing public benefits so that their children don't go hungry.   They work, every day, to survive. 

And let me explain a misconception about "welfare checks."  TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, is a temporary financial support to families who make way below the federal poverty limits.  These families do not get "free handouts."  They are required to participate in something called the VIEW program, are assigned a case manager, and are required to have a 35 per-hour week schedule.  They must either be attending school, job training program classes, volunteering, job-searching/applying for jobs, or working part-time to meet the 35 hour per-week requirement.  All for $323 - $380 per month, depending on family size. If they don't meet the requirements, they won't get the check. 

This is in Northern VA, where the average fair market-rate rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,400.

I have witnessed some people who are able to break the cycle, and pull themselves out, piece by piece, ever so slowly.  So many barriers, and so much to overcome.  But some do it.   And I never cease to be amazed by these people and all that they accomplish.

All of my clients inspire me.  In different ways.  And almost all of them - if it were so simple- would choose to be self-sufficient.  To experience the satisfaction (that middle/upper class people often take for granted) of providing for themselves.  The luxury of having a different, less traumatic life. 

All things considered, I don't expect anyone to change their political views, or how they feel about the government's role in society.  However, I do expect people to show more compassion, more decency, and more sensitivity when talking or thinking about those who are underprivileged in our nation.

Because not until you've sat with them face to face... until you've heard their stories, felt their heartbreak, seen the pain behind their eyes and witnessed their struggle, will you understand anything about their lives or why they need to access public support.

And I thank God the support is there for those who need it.  Every day.

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land ~ Deuteronomy 15:11

...You are to help your brothers until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you... 
 Joshua 1: 14-15