2008 Blog Action Day: Poverty - What About the Little Guys?

By Rob Longert, PepperDigital

When I heard about the idea of Blog Action Day, I felt the need to push the word out and make my contribution to the large community addressing “the mammoth issue of global poverty.”

The global issue of poverty is something we have seen for generations. Third-world countries fundamentally struggle with this issue on a daily basis, while citizens of affluent countries like ours sip their morning lattes and check stock prices from their iPhones. Of course, in actuality, we have many Americans going through hard times, too.

We can't lose sight of the fact that, in an affluent country like ours (I know times are tough but we still have it pretty good), poverty is an issue. The credit crunch has caused a great deal of people to lose their jobs, move to smaller houses/ apartments, and--without the option--use credit cards or obtain loans. Add in current and past war veterans, drug users, the mentally and physically handicapped, and a variety of others who can’t seem to make it in our "mainstream" society, and there are a lot of our fellow citizens who need help.

When I went out to San Diego this past July for the Comic-Con conference, homelessness was everywhere… I was at a conference where 125,000 people spent money to see buy their favorite comics and toys, while there are thousands of people sleeping on the streets… Does anyone else see something wrong with that picture?  I can understand that the great San Diego weather means these people don’t need shelter, but when I went for a run at 5 a.m., I had no clue of what I was in for...

When I walk to Park Avenue from Penn Station a few times a week, I pass by numerous people begging for money, sleeping on the street, or just looking for help.  At the same time, millions of people go about their business and don’t even blink an eye.  There are 33,000 homeless people in the shelters of New York City… think about how many homeless people can’t even get into a shelter…

I often ask myself what I can do for these people who need help, but how can little old Rob Longert possibly help to curb homelessness in this country? Guess what--it has to start somewhere.

Once I saw today’s call to action, an idea popped into my head… What if we use our skills and understanding of digital technology to help the cause?  There are organizations such as the National Coalition for the Homeless, New York Cares, or the Coalition for the Homeless (check out their blog) out there, trying to raise money and raise awareness of this major issue that faces our city and country, but they can't do it alone.

Our government has bailed out our financial firms, the Republican candidate for President wants to bail out failed mortgages, but what about the people of this country that have absolutely nothing?

While it may be difficult, I think we need to start a database of our national homeless population and keep track of how they are doing in terms of health and housing status. Many people that are homeless need doctors and psychologists, but how can we identify who needs what, and then keep track of their progress and well being if we don’t even know who they are?

This idea will take planning, time, and money from our city, state, and national governments, but I think it is time to help those that are less fortunate then us. Helping the homeless should not be left up to soup kitchens, churches, and synagogues; rather, it should be part of our everyday life.

I was brought up learning about the idea of “Tzedakah,” or acts of charity.  Many Jews around the world give one-tenth of their income to the poor. More than that, they make a conscious effort to give to those less fortunate than them. Some of us can’t afford to give much money to charity, but we can afford to volunteer and use the skills we have learned to help others. Our country is full of the best and brightest in many industries, and if everyone just gave a little bit of their time to the homeless, we might be able to tackle this issue and rehabilitate people who think their lives are over.

It’s our responsibility to help citizens in need. If we are willing to throw billions of dollars at huge corporations to bail them out, shouldn’t we help the little guys?

In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg has increased funding for the homeless shelters and homelessness prevention, but according to Meg Devlin O'Sullivan, assistant director of the Institute for Children and Poverty Mr. Bloomberg's initiative "doesn't appear to be working."

I think our homeless population needs more than funding. They need help on a personal level, and I think digital technology can help us connect with them in a way that shows we care about them as individuals and spread the word while doing so.

I would love to hear your thoughts on solutions to global poverty as well as homelessness in our country, so feel free to drop us a line or leave a comment on the blog.

Comments

[arnie draiman]

very very nice. just fyi - tzedakah really means 'righteous giving' or 'giving justly' - not so much 'charity'. the root of charity comes from 'caritus', meaning to care, and the root of tzedakah comes from tzedek, meaning justice, or doing the right thing.

so that jewishly, tzedakah is done even if you don't particularly care to do it! you have to!

anyway, keep up the good blogging.

arnie draiman
www.draimanconsulting.com

[Doug]

Great post Rob, and I definitely think you are on to something here. I feel like digital media could allow us to explore this issue a whole new way.

I believe that one of the critical barriers to additional public support is that people fail to make a connection to the homeless and see it as a problem worth supporting. The homeless are unfortunately clouded by numerous stereotypes that serve as an easy excuse for people to look the other way when walking down the street.

Sure, some people are homeless due to drugs or alcohol, but to blanket the entire community with that label doesn’t help the people who are just searching for a break and second chance. Digital media could allow us to better identify these people and hear their stories. A blog dedicated to solving the problem could seek out individuals living on the streets and profile them – telling their stories in a meaningful and inspirational way.

Back in Madison, WI the school and city papers would every once in a while profile individuals who were homeless, and it definitely helped to see them in a whole new way. Learning about their past was definitely an eye opener, as their stories could happen to anyone. People lose their homes because of medical bills and the inability to secure a job – two issues which will not disappear anytime soon.

A blog that profiled individuals on a consistent basis could definitely add a face to the issue and help to connect the greater population to the crisis. Furthermore, as posts gather on top of posts with increasingly more stories of people that just had a bad break or two, maybe the stereotypes will shatter and individuals will actually donate their spare change rather than immediately think it will go towards an illegal or unworthy cause.