Poverty is Not Theater

Recently in the local Atlanta newspaper a national columnist suggested that that those in poverty in the US are taking welfare and social security funds so they can live large in other ways, like air conditioning, cars, color TVs, cableand satellite, VCRs, microwaves and big houses. He also suggested that overeating causes most of “the poor” to become obese. He calls compassion for the poor, “great political theater.”

This columnist seems to think a majority of people strive to remain poor so as to accept handouts from the government. Last year the Society of St. Vincent de Paul helped more than 189,000 people who could not make ends meet. That is the equivalent of the entire population of the city of Columbus, Georgia. The majority of the people were visited in their homes by a team of caseworkers. I can assure you and the author of this column that our caseworkers did not observe extravagance and opulence. The people we visited were scared and suffering. Most were reluctant to ask for help but turned to SVdP in desperation. No one dreams, wishes and hopes to be poor when they grow up.

We also are angered by the author’s assertion that compassion for the poor is “great political theater.” There is nothing theatrical about your family of four living in a car because they have been evicted.  There is nothing theatrical about feeding children carrot soup for three days because all that is left to eat is one carrot and water. There is nothing theatrical about having the electricity turned off when the temperatures are 90 to 100 degrees for weeks on end. The fear, shame, isolation and desperation of these circumstances may make for high drama, but there are no theatrics involved.

Every day we see real people living in extremely difficult circumstances in very tenuous economic times. Many of those who ask for help were previously employed. They were middle class, or working class people striving to get ahead, to provide for themselves;  but they lost their jobs and lost their homes through no fault of their own. The economic downturn has made victims of many who were previously self-sufficient. That is not political theater. That is reality; a reality we address every day in our 38 food pantries.

As a whole, the quality of life in the US is better than anywhere else in the world. Yet people living in our communities are still ill-clad, ill-housed and ill-nourished. We see it every day and we try every day to change it.  We have no political intent, no desire for theatrics and no need for political rhetoric.  We help people because we are compassionate and caring, and because it’s the right thing to do.   We ask for help in our work and thank you for your continued support.