The Face of Poverty

I had a conversation the other day with someone about the way people judge others.  It is going to happen, I know that it is a natural thing that occurs, it's never going to end.  However, I sometimes wonder what the result of judging could cause.

This particular conversation was about people online and in person judging those that are on public assistance.  I'm not just talking about food stamps but also state provided healthcare.  So many people assume that the people receiving these benefits are lazy, don't work, drug-addicted, horrible people.  Now, I understand that, yes, there are those that are all of these things and they take advantage of the system.  They do not represent the entire population of those utilizing public assistance. 

The Monkey Do Project posted this picture and it really got me thinking about how much people do really judge.

 

 

There are people out there that still believe that those living in poverty are dirty, don't have name brand clothing or shoes, missing teeth, etc. Think again.  Your neighbor could be living in poverty.  Your sister, cousin or uncle could be living in poverty.  Those living in poverty may still both be working, drive nice cars and live in your average cookie cutter home.  They are just getting by. They are struggling to make ends meet.  They are wondering which bill is more important to pay...the electric bill or the mortgage. 

 

They may be carrying a Coach bag and wearing Nike shoes or wearing pretty dresses or name brand jeans.  They may be using these things that they were able to buy when they had money, before he or she lost her job, before their cost of health insurance went through the roof and their income drastically changed. 

 

They may be wearing these things or portraying this image because they don't want you to know that they just don't make enough money to pay the bills and put food on the table to feed their kids.  They may be doing this so that they aren't judged by everyone who sees them pull out that food stamps card. 

 

There is such a horrible stigma that comes with being on public assistance and I can imagine that thousands of people, familes, are struggling to just scrape by because they fear what others will think of them.  They will live with no gas for heat, the bare minimum of food to keep just full enough to live and pray for a miracle to save them.  All of this because others will judge them. 

 

Sadly, we live in the times of judgement by our peers, living beyond our means to keep up with the Jones' and looking down upon those that don't have what we do. 

 

The face of poverty is me, you and everyone else out there.  We just don't always see it because we are hidden behind the mask of self-righteousness. 

 

I encourage and challenge everyone to lift up those that need it, to donate when you can and to volunteer in an environment that serves those less fortunate. 

 

I got involved with The Monkey Do Project because they are doing just that.  They are trying to improve lives, keep food in children's bellies and keep families warm at night.

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 





Saving Babies Lives, One Step At A Time

Today marks a day that changed our family's lives forever.  Eight years ago today, a baby was born.  Her name is Kaydence and we try to do what we can in her memory.  She was born far too early to stay here with us. The doctors said there was nothing they could do. The parents were experiencing a nightmare that far too many people have to endure.

From the Team Kaydence Website:

We are the Plunkard family from Evans City, PA. Our journey with the March Of Dimes began in 2005 when our world was turned up side down. On March 28^th, 2005 our daughter was born at 22 weeks gestation. She weighed 1lb and was 10 ½ inches long. Kaydence lived for 47 minutes, and since then we have made it our lifetime goal to put a stop to premature birth. That year we joined forces with the March of Dimes, and since then we have raised over $31,000.
We do some fundraisers during the spring to try to raise money for the organization that helped our family members when they needed it. We are forever grateful for the March of Dimes and what they do for families across the country during the darkest days of their lives.

My family will be walking again this year to help in just one way that we can. We will be walking in Pittsburgh, along the city streets with a crowd of thousands as we remember those that are not with us, honor those who received the care they needed to be here and those that are not here with us yet but are fighting to make it.

How can you help? You can make a donation to Team Kaydence as we fight for babies lives. My page is up and ready to accept donations, in any amount.  Every single dollar helps in the fight against premature birth and birth defects.

We are also hosting a Virtual 5K/10K/15K to help in the fundraising efforts for Team Kaydence. You can sign up here and help us help those families that need it or the couples that are fighting to start a family.

If you are local and would like to join us as we walk, let me know, we would love for you to join us!
 

Family Friendly Project to Help Others!

When we help others, our children notice.  There is no better example of goodness for our children than our own.  The Monkey Do Project has launched a great way for children to get involved in helping others where they can have fun in the process.  If you are familiar with the children's book Flat Stanley, then you will love the Monkey Do Project's version, called Flat Monkey.

You can download your own Flat Monkey Project kit for free!  This project is really great for church groups, families, offices and schools.  Kids will love to track their Flat Monkey and others on the Flat Monkey Map!! How cool is that?!

You can read the background story of Flat Monkey and how he got flattened here.

How it works:  You would receive the flat monkey, make an online donation (in any amount, every single penny helps!) and then physically mail out the flat monkey to the next person. 

If you have more questions about this fundraising effort, you can visit their FAQ's page regarding the Flat Monkey project.

If you are not familiar with the Monkey Do Project, please go to their site and read all about their efforts to help those in need in the Appalachia area. 

Well, what are you waiting for?!  Go download your own FREE Flat Monkey kit now!!

Run or Walk to Help Save Lives

There are quite a few charities that are close to my heart. There is one, in particular, that I strive to support each and every year, in every way I can. I participate in fundraisers, I walk/jog a 5K in the city and I donate money/products to help the team. That charity is the March of Dimes. We are a part of a family team called Team Kaydence. Kaydence is an angel baby born to Chuck's niece in 2005. She was born at 22 weeks gestational and weighed in at 1lb. and 10 3/4 inches. The doctors and nurses said that nothing could be done for her and so they put a tiny hat a dress on her, wrapped her up in blankets and allowed the family to spend time with her. She breathed on her own for 47 minutes before leaving this earth to be a butterfly. We raise funds in her memory and in honor of her younger brother, Jaxten, who was born premature and spent weeks in NICU until he could safely go home. They also have a younger brother, named Nolan, who was able to make it to full term! It is a sad story but out of it came this passion and drive to help so many other families that need our help. We are trying to help in the efforts to raise awareness, help fund research and funding to those who need it. We are helping to save babies' lives and help lessen the risk of birth defects. The team has several fundraisers but this year, I wanted to do more. I have become aware of the draw of virtual runs through a few of the groups I am in so I decided to start and host a virtual 5K in memory of Kaydence! I have setup an event on Active.com and so anyone can participate and help us save babies' lives and change millions of families across the nation. The run details can be found here. Please, consider running or walking to help us out or help spread the word so we can help as many people as possible!