Bridges out of Poverty

Poverty is an overwhelming problem. In the US alone, we have 39 million people living in poverty. I, along with other CASA's from the region, was able to be part of a day spent discussing and learning more about poverty and our very honest perceptions of those who find themselves trapped in "the system." By the end, I felt like I had just finished the SAT's as there is so much to take in and digest.Jodi Pfarr was a wealth of experience and information and works closely with state supreme courts around the country to help them better understand the issues at hand and why current "answers," will not solve the poverty problems.

The theory is that we view the world through our experiences and we in turn react and act based on those experiences. We learned of businesses who are also rethinking how they set up factories and other workplaces so people remain working there and are still able to take care of social services and daycare without missing work and therefore, fired.

It's like being a left handed person in a right handed world. Being right handed is the norm. Scissors, power tools, notebooks, and yes, even shotguns are all geared for those who are right handed. To be left handed can not only be a bit tedious, but downright dangerous in certain situations. For us right handers, we may not even realize what that is like. Well, middle class is the norm. And to live in poverty is tedious, sometimes dangerous and...well you get it. The point is we all need to come together and collaborate on ways to rework that norm so social services amd such are able to help more efficiently and more effectively.


So, if you are interested in more I highly suggest the PBS special "People Like Us, " and the book, "Bridges Out of Poverty." They have also created work books for college students and for teachers as well.

1)Jodi Pfarr. She was able to teach us so much and with a great sense of realism and even some humor.