low-income - WKTV Journal

Your Community in Action!

Living below the poverty level (less than $24,600 per month for a family of four) is a reality for 1 in 5 children in Kent County. Not only does living in poverty have negative effects during childhood, it can also cause life-long health issues like the ones discussed in part two of this series. Living in poverty effects nearly every aspect of child’s life including academic performance, emotional development and physical health.

Academics
For children, the effects of poverty begin before they are born. Low-income parents are more likely to experience environmental toxins, poor nutrition and exposure to excessive stress. All of these factors play a role on how a baby’s brain develops and can have long-term effects.

As poor children grow, they continue to face roadblocks to learning. They have decreased access to quality child care, which provides important building blocks needed to succeed in school. A lack of basic needs can also affect performance. How can a child concentrate in school when they are hungry?

Emotional Development
Quality early child care and education also builds the social and emotional foundation that children need. Without these skills, they are more likely to struggle with emotional and behavioral problems when they begin school.

Imagine growing up worrying about when you will eat next or if you will have a safe place to sleep. It is no surprise that children in poverty have more anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Many times these same concerns lead to challenges for their parents, such as marriage problems and depression. All of these pressures have been associated with mental illness in children.

Physical Health
Living in a poor community means increased exposure to environmental toxins like lead and violence that can lead to injury. It has also been linked to increased risk for diseases later in life, such as asthma, high blood pressure and stroke. Check out part one of this series to learn more about how growing up poor leads to long-term health problems in adults.

Living in poverty is a dangerous reality for too many in our community. That is why programs that decrease the effects of poverty, especially on children, are so important. ACSET Community Action Agency is addressing these outcomes by providing emergency assistance to families, like supplemental food and homelessness assistance programs. By supporting our neighbors, we are creating a brighter future for our children.

Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org.

By Ellie Walburg, Access of West Michigan

Staffers are important at Access of West Michigan.

In preparation for an upcoming Poverty Simulation, volunteer staffers Mary, Cindy, Tom and Rhoeda were busy at work compiling participant packets and organizing materials.

The Poverty Simulation is just one of many programs at Access of West Michigan to create solutions to poverty through education and collaboration. The goal in these seminars is to bring awareness of the realities of poverty and to encourage people to get involved.

The “Living on the Edge” poverty simulation provides an opportunity for participants to walk in the shoes of someone living in a low-income environment. The participant must navigate with their “family” how to provide for expenses, make ends meet and be sustainable throughout the event.

As staffers of the events, Tom and Rhoeda have been working with and learning from these simulations. What began as a way to simply get involved with the community has become a meaningful experience of inspiring participants to engage and learn.

Both Tom and Rhoeda, married, retired and living in Muskegon, volunteer to prepare for the simulations by preparing the packages of money and ensuring all participants will have what they need. At the simulation events, Rhoeda loves interacting with the “family members” working hard to stay afloat.

“I like interacting with the participants,” she said, “watching them get into their roles, with their comments, discussions — they’re deep in thought.”

Tom has also been moved by his experiences of being a part of the simulations.

“I heard a participant comment on how she really thought about it when she had to go do the different things, like leaving her child home to go work,” he said. When families are involved, things get personal.

Rhoeda gets excited about these events, because they’re so important.

“The way it changes people’s attitudes,” she said. “The way they treat people in poverty can make a big difference.”

Mary and Cindy also volunteer in the preparation for the simulation, and equally appreciate the opportunity to watch people’s attitudes change.

“I like to see the interactions with the families,” Mary said. “They cooperate with families, make a community of their own.”

After an afternoon of packing, planning and preparing, the team of volunteers was ready for the upcoming event. For them, it’s not just hours to fill their time, it’s an opportunity to create an awareness of poverty — on a personal level.

And these staffers would know. Some have lived it.

Interested in attending or hosting a poverty simulation at your organization? Please visit http://accessofwestmichigan.org/about-us/poverty-education/ for more information.