I don't know about the rest of the world, but here in America's heartland (aka Ohio), it is freezing cold. It's nearly 20 below, once you factor in windchill.Today I faced the cold and the wind as I raced across campus so that I could duck into the student union to feel the warmth for a moment before going to photography class. I sat by the fireplace of the old building, and as I slowly regained the warmth and feeling in my cheeks, I felt cozy and happy inside. I silently debated with myself on whether or not I should skip photography for the day; instead I could just stay inside where it was warm and watch Tool Time . I ended up going to class, but not before coming to the startiling realization that this warmth and happiness was not something everyone was fortunate enough to have on this frigid winter day.
17% of Americans live in poverty. That means that out of the 2,000 people I go to school with, roughly 340 students are below the poverty line. In my small, storybook town, with slightly less than 40,000 people living here, nearly 6,800 people don't have enough money to feed their children, let alone heat their homes. Almost 1.3 million children are homeless each year in the US, with 40% under age six. Can you imagine being homeless on a day like today, when just walking across campus to class is a trek across Antarctica?
Yet these poverty stricken families go unnoticed by so many. Without some sort of help, many children will continue the cycle of perpetual poverty. Children who don't even know where their next meal is comming from, can hardly be expected to concentrate, let alone do well in school. Without aid, many will fall behind, and eventually drop out. These kids deserve our attention. As citizens, we must do whatever we can to help, not only for the betterment of the kids, but for the betterment of our nation as a whole. Simply donating money is not enough. These kids need to be taught habits that will help them become good students now, and good people later in life. They need study skills, teamwork, responsibility, self-control, and many other things taught to them. And you could be the one to do it.
But why should you care? You don't have the time, and after all, they're just a bunch of kids right? Wrong. Abraham Lincoln; Louisa May Alcott; Louis Armstrong; even JK Rowling experienced poverty as children. They did not get to be the sucessful people they were (and currently are, in JK Rowling's case) by themselves. They had mentors and people in their lives that believed in them. So volunteer with children, tutor them, teach them a sport, or just be a positive role model for them (Many children don't have one) and make a difference in their lives. Who knows? You could be the one that changes history, and motivates the next JK Rowling to stay in school.
