Torch, Fall/Winter 2010

Fall–Winter 2010 | TORCH 21 N ear the beginning of the movie The Blind Side , Leigh Anne Tuohy meets Michael Oher, a young man who is poor and homeless. She faces an immediate choice — will she give Michael a few bucks and wish him the best, or will she become personally involved in his plight and invite him into her home? After all, this young man is a stranger, and she has a family of her own to consider. Leigh Anne makes a decision that will not only change Michael’s life, but will have a lasting effect on her, her husband, and their two children. In the end, Michael becomes a permanent part of the Tuohy family, which loves and supports him as he graduates from high school and college and, eventually, becomes a professional football player. Based on a true story, the movie portrays actual events and a happy ending. But for every Leigh Anne Tuohy, there are thousands of Michaels — children, teens, adults, families — in need. Many are caught in the cycle of poverty that can be difficult, if not seemingly impossible, to escape. With that in mind, we must remember God has called us, the Church, to be a light of hope and help to them. The Case We don’t have to look far within our communities to see that poverty exists everywhere, yet it affects some groups more than others, leading to significant disparities. For instance, 26 percent of African-Americans live in poverty, while only 8.6 percent of whites do. In addition, 32 percent of female-headed households are below the poverty line, a statistic that drops to 5 percent among married couples. Who are the poor? • According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the 2009 poverty line was $22,000 for an urban four-person family. • In 2009, 15 percent or 40 million Americans were classified as poor. • 10 percent of America’s poor are over the age of 65. • In 2009, it was estimated that 1.02 billion people worldwide suffer from hunger. • 36 percent of those living in poverty are under the age of 18. The United States government has established programs to help impoverished people deal with their immediate needs. Although these programs provide temporary stability, they alone cannot end poverty. The Challenges For the most part, Americans value hard work and believe hard work leads to reward. We have a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality. For those who have never experienced poverty, it’s easy to reason that anyone with the right skills, determination, and can-do attitude can work his way out of poverty. If only it were that easy. For many, poverty is more like a whirlpool you’re trying to escape than a mountain you’re trying to climb. Often that whirlpool is made of circumstances beyond a person’s control. For instance, the most recently published compensation data reveals that a woman with the same degree and skill set as a man will still, on average, earn a lower income. Race also seems to be a factor: Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians are still among the poorest in the United States. Though work ethic may have an impact on poverty regardless of race or gender, we cannot make the blanket statement that all of these individuals are not working hard enough. Breaking out of poverty is especially difficult for those who are born into it. Children who grow up in poor communities often attend under-funded public schools with low expectations for success. If their homes, communities, and cultures are defined by poverty, how can we expect young people to imagine a different life? Even those who are not weighed down by the disadvantages of poverty tend to cling to what is familiar. The reality is, poverty can happen to anyone. With more than 35 million Americans considered below the poverty level and approximately 70 percent living paycheck to paycheck, no one is immune. Someone once said something that greatly influenced me and