Nearly 50 million people live in poverty. About a third of them are children. Poverty is a quagmire that’s difficult to escape.
People burdened by poverty have less access to quality education. Insufficient nutrition and unstable housing make learning all but impossible for impoverished children, limiting later opportunities and perpetuating poverty. It robs them of a productive future and inflicts a cost on the rest of society.
Without access to adequate healthcare, people in poverty tend to have more serious health issues and live shorter lives. Health problems, in turn, affect the ability to work and hold a job. Emergency room visits increase when unchecked medical conditions are left untreated, imposing a great burden on the system.
Poverty is self-reinforcing. It takes its toll on countless lives and places a huge burden on society at large. But every person we lift from poverty becomes another stake in its heart. When we uplift lives, when we give people the tools to escape poverty, the cycle is broken, and we all benefit together.
Nutrition helps children concentrate. Concentration aids learning. Education is the key to escaping poverty.
A permanent address brings stability and emotional security, allowing adults to find productive work and children to succeed in school.
Access to healthcare helps prevent job loss, extends lives, and reduces costs related to emergency care.