Editor,
Throughout the history of civilization, people have always been diverse in their economic status and lifestyle. As the saying goes, "The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike." It is seen as ordinary that some are poor and others are rich. However, with the many breakthroughs of the modern age and the degree of economic and political maturity that the world has reached, it would seem like we could prevent the less fortunate members of society from so much suffering. But in reality, this does not occur.
Unfortunately, 854 million people in the developing world are undernourished, and almost 16,000 children die each day from hunger-related causes. More information can be found at Bread.org. Organizations such as the World Food Programme are making a positive difference each day by saving lives in refugee situations and other emergencies, improving the nutrition and quality of life of the most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives, and helping to build assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities.
Although the seriousness of hunger in the U.S. does not compare to that of some developing countries, it is still shocking. This year, 11.4 percent of American households were reported as having an insecure food supply, and 12.6 percent of the population is in poverty. According to the Federal Reserve, in the year 1990, the richest 1 percent of America owned 40 percent of its wealth. Some are attempting to rectify this unbalanced economic scale. The Working Tax Credit is available to people who are employed, regardless of whether they are single, married or have children. The Child Tax Credit is for families with at least one child. According to the Inland Revenue, nine out of 10 families will qualify. This is one step being made to ease the struggle of the low-income family.
On a statewide level, the problem of hunger and homelessness is serious. Of New Mexican households, 16.8 percent have an insecure food supply, and there are between 1,500 and 2,000 homeless people in Albuquerque alone. Student organizations like NMPIRG are working to remedy these problems with community service and education, and by pressuring the state to pass the Working Family Tax Credit. Project Share organizes to feed the homeless in Albuquerque on a weekly basis, and NMPIRG has been helping with this.
An organization named Trinity House has been running a program called Food Not Bombs, which gets outdated food from grocery stores and gives it to those in need, with the philosophy that feeding the poor is more of a priority than waging war in distant countries.
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All these efforts are great, but the problem remains unsolved. Many just see homelessness as another necessary evil in the world. I encourage people to make a difference by donating a little money to a humanitarian organization, helping one day at a soup kitchen event or simply buying lunch for some less fortunate individual on the street. I am not sure how the rest of the world thinks about it, but I believe that a little giving brings much more joy than money ever will.
Emanual Storey
UNM student
