Wordful Wednesday - A Wordful about Poverty

These two children pictured from Halloween past did not live in poverty. They were well fed and clothed. They learned to read and excelled in school. They celebrated special holidays with their family and they were taught to love others and treat people equally.

Today is Blog Action Day 2008 and the subject is Poverty. People from around the world will be blogging today about Poverty.
We know about Poverty....
We know about:

• Starving children in countries around the world.
• Mission trips to countries to "serve the poor".
• Food banks, free lunch programs, and Meals On Wheels.
• Unaffordable prescription medication or health care.

Yes, we know about Poverty.
We know about the poor.

I thought I did, until I joined a local board that supports Birth to Six programs in our county. Here is what I found out about our small Oklahoma town and county.

• The poverty rate is 14%.
• 63% of our public school children qualify for free or reduced lunch.
• 42% of the 1st-3rd graders need reading remediation.
• 27% of our households are single parent households.
• Only 65% of parents attended parent/teacher conferences.
• Our county ranked 52 of 77 for violent crime arrests for teens.
• Our county ranked 46 of 77 for infant mortality.
• Our county ranked 52 of 77 for untreated mental illness and substance abuse.

So what does this kind of poverty look like?

Poverty of wealth or spirit.

Perhaps....

• A child whose only meal each day is the one at school.
• A child who is alone because his single parent works two jobs.
• A child who is not read to.
• A child whose parent does not know her teacher.
• A child who has at least one parent or sibling in prison.
• A child who experiences the death of a brother or sister.
• A child who lives with a parent who cannot get treatment for substance abuse.
• A child who lives in foster care due to abuse and neglect.

Poverty is A CHILD without the opportunity for an abundant life.

What does poverty look like in your community?

Join Angie and friends for Wordful Wednesday at Seven Clown Circus.

Wednesday is my husband's surgery so it may take me some time to get to each of your posts. My friend Caroline from "The Zen In You" has a new Zen Prayer blog. Anyone can go to that site and post any prayer requests. She is posting a special prayer for my husband today. Thank you Caroline!!!

Also, if you didn't make it here on Tuesday, I have a guest post on Tuesday Tales Book Review!