Poverty - Jezebel

posts about #poverty more →
A 'Bridge' To Nowhere
Share, And Share Alike
Food For Thought
Feed The Children
Lifting Women Out Of Poverty: Complicated
Educate A Girl "And She Will Do The Rest"
Planned Parenthood Brings Sex Ed To Hipsters • Number Of Child Brides Rising
Poverty Drives The Tragic Infant Death Rate In Tennessee
When The Going Gets Tough, Women Are The First To Suffer
Elizabeth Edwards Sticks It To Stephen Colbert

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

blancanieves
10/01/09

In reply to A 'Bridge' To Nowhere
I'm originally from Bridgeport but spent the second half of my childhood and teen years in the town next door. What so many people don't realize about Connecticut is that is such a stratified state. It's famous for being wealthy but that's only a small portion of the towns. Most towns in CT are lower middle class and blue collar, and the cities like Bridgeport, Norwalk, New Haven, and Hartford are completely overrun with poverty, crime, and lots of political corruption. I'm a Bport girl at heart and have been happy to see a buildup of a small arts community starting there. I truly hope things get better there for all who live there.
Reply

Mary McCarthyite promoted this comment blancanieves was starred blancanieves was unstarred

Mary McCarthyite
10/01/09

@blancanieves: Exactly. You know what's crazy? Rents are super high there, especially in Black Rock. My friends who live and/or work there say the same things you just did.

(By the way...do we know each other? haha)
Reply

Mary McCarthyite was starred Mary McCarthyite was unstarred

blancanieves
10/01/09

@Mary McCarthyite: Haha I don't know...we might! Rent in Black Rock is especially high because that's where the younger/artsy scene is. It's actually a great community that really cares about the survival of Bridgeport, but unfortunately it's getting harder to live there! I'm actually moving out of state, but will always come home to visit. Bridgeport has an amazing history, it's where PT Barnum got started and is actually buried!
Reply

blancanieves was starred blancanieves was unstarred

Mary McCarthyite
10/01/09

@blancanieves: I know; the cemetery he's buried in is 2 blocks away from the house I grew up in! Don't forget, B-port is the birthplace of the frisbee. So much awesome.
Reply

Edited by Mary McCarthyite at 10/01/09 5:04 PM Mary McCarthyite was starred Mary McCarthyite was unstarred

Mary McCarthyite
10/01/09

In reply to A 'Bridge' To Nowhere
I grew up in the town next to Bridgeport. They've been trying to improve the city for decades but it just seems helpless. Sad.
Reply

Mary McCarthyite was starred Mary McCarthyite was unstarred

mbprice
10/01/09

In reply to A 'Bridge' To Nowhere
I work in an industry where I really should already know the answer to this question, but can someone help me out? What are the rules for publishing pictures with and without releases? Does it have to do with whether their faces are clearly shown? I'm just not sure how I'd react to a photographer snapping my picture while I was out walking, then seeing that I became Getty's poster child for localized economic disaster.
Reply

mbprice was starred mbprice was unstarred

LaComtesse
10/01/09

@mbprice: If it is for journalistic purposes no release is required. If it is for a documentary/commercial/marketing purpose etc. then releases are required.
Reply

LaComtesse was starred LaComtesse was unstarred

dreamweave
09/22/09

In reply to Share, And Share Alike
I will never get used to the idea that this goes on in our rich-ass country in every town, every day, recession or no.
Reply

dreamweave was starred dreamweave was unstarred

Red-headed bookworm
09/22/09

@dreamweave: I know. One of the women in our town that I communciate with on Twitter started an organization that does food drives for out area.
Reply

rd2uk
09/16/09

In reply to Food For Thought
Jezzies,
10$ do UNHRC for Pakistan would translate to 20 meals in the country. Sorry if I'm being preachy, but thats a couple of bottles of beer to give up, really.
Reply

rd2uk was starred rd2uk was unstarred

MizJenkins
09/16/09

In reply to Food For Thought
Dear Kanye,

See sometimes it's not all about you. Remember when back when celebrities used their fame to make the world better? Do something useful with yourself. There are people out there who need the attention more.

Love, MizJ
Reply

Edited by MizJenkins at 09/16/09 3:52 PM MizJenkins was starred MizJenkins was unstarred

VirginiaDentata
09/16/09

@MizJenkins: Dear Miz J,

Lately, I love you more every time you post.

Love,
VD
Reply

VirginiaDentata was starred VirginiaDentata was unstarred

NoraFusus
09/16/09

In reply to Food For Thought
i am going to shut up about my bank account, the roof that needs repair, all the crap i have listed in my brain ... my children are fed ... my children are not hungry ... my children are not sick ... time to log into unicef ... time to share
Reply

Zombie Ms. Skittles promoted this comment NoraFusus was starred NoraFusus was unstarred

MissFiFi
09/16/09

In reply to Food For Thought
If that does not put life into perspective...this is when I wish I had a gazillion dollars and could rent a jet to bring food and medical to each of these people.
Reply

Ailatan promoted this comment MissFiFi was starred MissFiFi was unstarred

Ailatan
09/16/09

@MissFiFi: I know, but we can help the one we have close to home, even if it's very little.

My mum told me about this neighbour of hers who lives with only $150 a month and has a son who is paraplegic. She can't work since she's 75. My mum is doing what she can for this lady.

I know there is some sort of fatigue and we're inundated with images of poverty and sickness, but it's important to remember how much other people need our help.

Sorry for the sermon.
Reply

Ailatan was starred Ailatan was unstarred

MissFiFi
09/16/09

@Ailatan: Considering the donations my hubby and I make to local charities not just monetary and the fact that I do help as I volunteer for Hospice, I get where you are coming from. That above image though is very haunting
Reply

MissFiFi was starred MissFiFi was unstarred

Ailatan
09/16/09

@MissFiFi: Yay you and your hubs!!

Sorry, if I came accross as preachy, it wasn't my intention.

That image is extremely haunting, I agree
Reply

Ailatan was starred Ailatan was unstarred

sybann
09/16/09

@Ailatan: PREACH! We all need to give back. We all need to remember that there but for the grace of G*d...
Reply

sybann was starred sybann was unstarred

MissFiFi
09/16/09

@Ailatan: No not preachy, it is important to give back and sadly many folks forget that.
Reply

MissFiFi was starred MissFiFi was unstarred

BabyJane
09/16/09

@Ailatan: I don't think you sounded preachy at all. Sometimes, we all need to be reminded.
Reply

BabyJane was starred BabyJane was unstarred

Laulau
09/16/09

@Ailatan: We can also very easily help those far away. The benefit and the burden of the information era, as Peter Singer so aptly points out.
Reply

Laulau was starred Laulau was unstarred

rollsnide
09/16/09

@Ailatan: Preach on, as far as I'm concerned. Your mom is awesome.
Reply

Ailatan promoted this comment rollsnide was starred rollsnide was unstarred

Ailatan
09/16/09

@rollsnide: well, she's my mum so I might be biased, but she's awesome!
Reply

Ailatan was starred Ailatan was unstarred

Flackette Goes Retro
06/25/09

In reply to Feed The Children
They've done this for a long time where I live, and I don't know who (other than that terrible lady mentioned above) could argue against feeding children. In my own elementary school, in a rural area, one year in my class I was literally the only kid not on free or reduced lunch (reduced = 50 cents for lunch, instead of $1). The malnutrition by kids right here in America is astounding.
Reply

la.donna.pietra
06/24/09

In reply to Feed The Children
My mom taught elementary school in Fresno in the late '70s. About 2/3 of her kids were on the free lunch program, and the first thing they'd ask upon arriving in her classroom was "When's lunch?" It was the only meal they got all day. After about three weeks of failing to teach them anything between 7:20 and 11:30, she and my dad smuggled several enormous containers of generic peanut butter and generic Ritz crackers into her classroom, thus ensuring that a bunch of third graders could concentrate on their times tables in the morning.

I suspect nowadays she'd be sued for triggering a peanut allergy, but it's on my list of reasons why my mom is awesome.
Reply

la.donna.pietra was starred la.donna.pietra was unstarred

ms.know_it_all
06/25/09

@la.donna.pietra: That´s really awesome. I grew up in Fresno, what school did your mom taught at? During most of my school years i too was part of the free lunch program. I LOVED pizza days.
Reply

ms.know_it_all was starred ms.know_it_all was unstarred

la.donna.pietra
06/25/09

@ms.know_it_all: It was before I was born, so I don't actually know which school it was. (My dad brags about it a lot, which is how I know that it happened.) It would have been circa 1974-75, though.
Reply

la.donna.pietra was starred la.donna.pietra was unstarred

PrisonBreakShaker
06/24/09

In reply to Feed The Children
Anybody check this bit out? She may, in fact, be the worst person in the world. McD's won't feed you during your break, btw, but if you do eat a LOT from them, you will be poor AND unhealthy.
Reply

PrisonBreakShaker was starred

Abra
06/24/09

@SisterFrost: Oh, that woman makes my head and heart hurt.
Reply

Abra was starred Abra was unstarred

Bgirl_Hamster
06/24/09

@SisterFrost: Wow, just wow. Please do not supersize this woman.
Reply

Bgirl_Hamster was starred Bgirl_Hamster was unstarred

MizJenkins
06/24/09

In reply to Feed The Children
"They'd better not give us cottage cheese again..."
Reply

MizJenkins was starred MizJenkins was unstarred

Scout
12/16/08

In reply to Lifting Women Out Of Poverty: Complicated
and, I'm sorry but Tanglad's time may be better spent trying to eradicate the good ol Payday Loan Company - now THERE is a terrible, terrible institution

....and always dotting every MLK Blvd in the nation!
Reply

Scout was starred Scout was unstarred

AnnoyingFemaleLeadVoiceover
12/16/08

@Scout:How can you legally charge 360% in interest?
Reply

MadameO asks - WWOD?
12/16/08

In reply to Lifting Women Out Of Poverty: Complicated
Check out Fonkoze in Haiti - fonkoze.org. They make loans to the poorest of the poor, as well as to the more traditional women's circle's/cooperatives. I wonder if Tanglad is familiar with the more social aspects of other cultures, as TG writes as if helping each other out is wrong. Many times, at least in Haiti, people go into debt and hardship to help a neighbor/friend/cousin out; not so much here in the US. Some times there are predatory lenders, gasp, and they ask for astronomical interest, but then they are not true micro lenders, either.

Organizations like Fonkoze and Grameen have been doing it for years and have programs and strategies that work. There is a lot of training, management, budgeting and literacy skills that go along with the lending that helps to make the repayment much more likely. Sounds like an idea that might work here, too!
Reply

Princess Leela
12/16/08

In reply to Lifting Women Out Of Poverty: Complicated
The international development community is prone to fads, and microcredit is the fad of the moment. The real difficulty comes in figuring out where it does work, (perhaps even more importantly) where it doesn't, and then applying those lessons in the long term. There is no ONE silver bullet. There are hopefully a bunch of 'em that when implemented together, in a variety of ways (adjusted for regional differences, local economies etc) will slowly raise people's living standards. Of course, funders want to see instant feel-good success stories, and microcredit provides lots of 'em.
Reply

Princess Leela was starred Princess Leela was unstarred

Earlier threads | All threads | Show hidden threads | Show featured threads only | Start a new discussion

SUBSCRIBE TO Jezebel

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment