This January we acknowledge poverty awareness month, and the real problem America has with poverty. More than 37 million people in the US live in poverty as of 2021. Poverty is a vastly multifaceted issue, existing at the intersection of health and health care, education, justice, economics, race, and place, to name only a few factors.
Those of us who are able can take small strides to make a difference by donating resources or time to food pantries and clothing closets and by joining the fight to create more opportunities for affordable housing, mental health care, veteran support, and even education. But even those without the ability to do these things can educate themselves more on the issue of poverty, the stigma surrounding it, and all that it entails.
To begin to learn more, see the following resources:
- US Census
- Maps and Data from Poverty USA
- Data from the Center on Poverty & Social Policy
- SPENT game
- Ideas on how to make a difference
A&GS Social Media Accounts