7.8 million individuals have slipped into poverty during the COVID-19 outbreak, the largest increase in a single year since the government began recording poverty 60 years ago. It’s easy to think of poverty as a national problem that affects everyone. Yet there are many things you can do to affect this systemic issue directly in your boyhood. In Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Iowa, Common Bond works to combat poverty via housing. And we’ve detailed several ways you may help fight poverty in your town.
1-Ideas and assumptions should be challenged
If you have conventional beliefs about poverty in your neighborhood or as a concept in general. It’s critical to question them so you don’t unknowingly perpetuate damaging preconceptions. Destitute people who are destitute, for example, are frequently misled into believing that they do not want to work.
This misunderstanding is extremely detrimental because it ignores the numerous uncontrolled and systemic factors that might contribute to housing insecurity or poverty. In reality, there are a variety of problems that make it difficult for people to obtain work, including the loss of affordable housing, unequal access to training and skills, and psychiatric illness.
2-Employ more people
There is a lot of work to be done, but most of it will not be profitable. This is where the government may be able to help. Infrastructure expenditures, such as the repair of aging bridges, the construction of mass transportation, and eldercare, produce both public benefits and jobs.
Local hiring rules for major firms in low-income neighborhoods have the same effect. Low-cost home construction creates jobs by increasing disposable income by cutting housing expenses. More individuals could be trained if community colleges were free. And, if you believe that everyone who wants to work should have a job, the government may be the last resort employer.
3-Donate money or time, and look for volunteer opportunities
Donating contributions to groups whose aim is to eliminate these economic gaps is one of the most basic methods to help combat poverty in your town. There is no such thing as a tiny or huge sum of money. As the money accumulates, groups can use them to address housing inequities, educational gaps, food insecurity, and other issues.
Partnering with local groups that benefit the community by contributing time is another useful option. Whether it’s volunteering in a food pantry or working with kids after school to help them finish their homework, there are plenty of ways to make a difference without spending any money.
4-Expand educational opportunities
An estimated 171 million individuals might escape extreme poverty if all pupils in low-income nations had only basic reading skills (nothing else). We could reduce global poverty by more than half of all adults who finished secondary school. Education improves skills and talents, reduces risk and susceptibility. And corrects some of the imbalances that result from marginalization.
Breaking down obstacles to education, enabling access in distant places, supporting teachers in their efforts to offer excellent education, and ensuring that education is available to children living in fragile circumstances are some of the important areas of attention for ensuring that education is genuinely for all.
5-Raise awareness/educate yourself
Poverty exists in every community, therefore it’s crucial to understand where the problems are on your own. Learn about the resources that are now available as well as those that are still required. Local organizations are performing this job that could use your assistance. You can then aid by spreading the news and listening to these community experts. They tell about how you can contribute to the battle against poverty in your area.
The Twin Cities Mutual Aid Map, for example, is a fantastic resource in Minneapolis. This map depicts a wide range of organizations and mutual help activities in the Twin Cities region that take donations.
6-Allow for paid time off and sick days
If you operate a business in your town, provide paid vacation and sick days. Although it is an investment for you, having a day off without pay now. And again can be detrimental to some of your staff, particularly if they are poor.
If you know your employees may become ill from time to time, give them the peace of mind they deserve by providing paid sick leave. Consider providing stipends for childcare to employees who make less than the region’s median salary. Or perhaps an on-site daycare alternative, to create a climate where working families don’t have to pick between money and childcare.
Poverty impacts much more people than you may realize, and as you now know, there are numerous strategies to combat poverty in your community. Giving your time or money or donate Sadqah online to your community is an excellent way to get engaged.
