Poverty Resources

 Surely the mendicant pilgrim is constantly dependent on the wills – the charity – of others. Definitively speaking, to the extent to which a man/woman’s fate is dependent on others, his/her own life escapes out of his/her hands and his/her intelligence.  Simply put, I am raising the question of ‘why not control the course of your own life?’  And please, let me do the honor of clearing up any room for ambiguity with that statement. Here, the ‘control’ means responsibility: one’s own understanding of the situation in which one is placed. Again, don’t get me wrong, we actively submit ourselves to God’s authority; however, one of the ways of being reactive to His love is engendering responsibility. The overuse of the word ‘responsibility’ has diffused the word, giving only a slight punch of a butterfly wing. But, think of The Parable of the Talents, we each are given this amazing liberating force against the popular trend of specialization: the society objectively describing what is useful and what is not.

Previously, I mentioned how I was introduced to the book "Bridges Out of Poverty" co-authored by Ruby Payne Ph.D., Phillip E. DeVol and Terie Dreussi Smith. This approach to addressing the issue of generational poverty is comprehensive.  It consists not only of a personal commitment to making relational changes but also the willingness of an organization and then a community to adjust its perception of and interaction with those living in poverty. Through strategies designed and researched by Dr. Payne, her staff and those front line workers utilizing her materials, the poor have not only a voice but active participation in the creation of a better future for them and their children.