Thanks for posting this. I live in this world man; I'm not the one in need, but I have the opportunity to help people in need. Not a week goes by when I'm not meeting with some one facing these exact issues. I wept openly when I read this (thanks a lot... I thought I would sneak in a little hubski at work). It cuts at my heart like a grapefruit spoon. These are such real and serious matters.

so what's the take away? How will reading this make any of us change our behavior? poverty and all of the things on this list are the symptoms, not the disease. Is this a government issue? a social issue? a health issue? I think all of those things and more. money in coffee cups isn't the answer. I don't know what the answer is, and neither do the politicians. And that's why (as ecib points out) they don't talk about it much. It's not something that has an easy, one or two term solution. Ideas to improve the poverty situation are costly, wildly unpopular, and will take time. And a middle class who is only one medical/financial problem away from poverty can hardly bear the thought of giving another cent to some one in need - I'm not saying that's right - just that it is. BAH... so many more thoughts - no time. Thanks again for posting this.