Think about what expenses you face in a single day. Between the rent, the groceries, the doctor, the babysitter, and the car payment, it’s a challenge. But for many Texans, we can cover it all, with a little left for fun. We work hard, have some dinner with our family or friends, watch a little television, chat on the phone, then head to bed and get ready to do it all again the next day. It might have been a hard day and we’re really tired, but most of us know that our routine will continue the next day.
But for someone living in poverty, surviving that day is like keeping up a house of cards. No matter how carefully they place those cards, they just come falling down again at the slightest breeze.
Of course it’s sad to imagine someone else’s life as such a struggle. But even more important: the fragile house of cards, maybe even next door, can affect the whole community.
This month, Forefront asked five unique social organizations how poverty affects us all. Their responses show us how chronic and situational poverty are keeping individuals and families off Austin’s economic and social grid. And that very struggle to secure housing, maintain employment, or attend school is not only straining our public services, it’s also holding Austin back from being as economically and socially vibrant as it could be.
This month’s partners offer their unique perspectives on the poverty cycle and how to break it. El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission [6] offers a fascinating piece about the factors that might tip someone into poverty—and just how many people in central Texas are living right on the edge between self-sufficiency and reliance on social services.
Once a family tips over the line into poverty, the odds of passing that situation on to future generations increase dramatically. AISD [7] and CapCityKids [8] show how the stresses of financial instability keep families from mastering the tools to climb toward success, starting with education. AISD’s study on student mobility—the result of a tenuous grasp on housing—shows just how hard it is for a child living in poverty to even walk across the threshold of a school. And CapCityKids shows us that once a child makes it into a classroom, the chaos and crisis of homelessness build tremendous barriers to academic success.
And if children can’t get the tools they need for independence in the schools, they are primed to start yet another generation that struggles. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, a child born to an unmarried teen mother has a 27 percent chance of growing up in poverty. If the mother has not earned a high school diploma or equivalency, the child will grow up in poverty 64 percent of the time.
LifeWorks [9] and Foster Angels [10] are helping children and teens marked by poverty make choices that can establish an independent, successful adulthood and stop the cycle. We invite you to read on to learn how each of these partners work to alleviate not only the pain of poverty but also its impact on Austin.
Tell us what you think. Has poverty affected you at some level? Please jump in to the conversation: make a comment, ask a question, share your thoughts. Poverty is a huge issue that can only be addressed through a concerted, community-wide effort.
In this season of giving and thanks, we encourage you to learn more about partners whose voice and programs resonate with you and to get involved. You can volunteer, spread the word, or donate to any of them.
Be sure to tune in for the January issue where we ask leading Austin organizations to discuss the most critical health issues facing Austin in the next 3-5 years.
Happy Holidays from the Forefront team!