While reading Voices from the Street one comment that really surprised me was when a woman shared, “I’d much prefer to be raped than become homeless, any day” (186). This comment really struck me for how brutal the situation of being homeless is. The women went on to share that when you are raped, you see it as someone else’s problem. Yet, when you are homeless, “everyone is judging you that you are no good… you begin to question everything you have ever done and how you got there” (186). I cannot even imagine the trauma this woman has suffered.
L.A. Times memorial to a street person
Los Angeles Times columnist Sandy Banks published a memorial to Chester Willis, a homeless and well-loved street person in this morning’s paper. She talks about Willis’ life, his friendships, and his care for animals. Definitely worth reading. Find it here …
Krugman: War on Poverty worked
Economist Paul Krugman’s OpEd piece in this morning’s New York Times describes how the 1960s “War on Poverty” actually lowered poverty rates, improved children’s health, and helped many poor people lead better lives. Read it here …
Mapping Poverty
The New York Time published a web app that maps poverty levels by county across the U.S. It also maps data by census tracts for several major U.S. cities. Striking. Check it out at http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2014/01/05/poverty-map/
German Food Banks Struggle with Growing Demand
News clip from Der Spiegel Online: “Food banks and soup kitchens in many German cities are having trouble keeping up with growing demand. Some are now abandoning their free food models in their efforts to continue helping the needy.” More need plus fewer charitable and public donations make it hard for food banks to cover their costs – even though they are staffed mostly by volunteers. Read more HERE.
As the Working Poor Become More Common in Britain, So Does Hunger (NY Times, January 3rd, 2014)
There’s an article in this morning’s New York Times on hunger and the growth of poverty in Britain. http://nyti.ms/1eZ6U2H It shows how an increasing class split has eroded working people’s lives there, just as it has in the U.S. Worth reading.
Welcome to the SOAN 324 Course Blog!
This blog lets students summarize what they are learning about hunger and homelessness in contemporary America. Each course participant is required to post a substantive, thoughtful, and public post each week. Anyone is welcome to comment in response.
(We will delete spam and comments that are impolite, irrelevant, or oriented toward anything but reasoned learning.)