Introduction; Personal Experience

After putting together this blog for my class Just 315J Poverty and Homelessness at NEIU I have become more sensitive while watching, pictures, statistics I’ve realized how serious and important is to fight poverty, hunger and homelessness. I guess I feel more compassion and sympathize with those that are unfortunate to be in such bad spot. On the other hand, I have to admit I understand and can relate to poor people in some ways, I too have experience poverty in some level. Sixteen years ago, I can remember being a ten years old child who didn’t know anything about life. Having both parents struggling to provide the basic means. Trying to settle down in a stable home but I guess the conditions and the situation at that time didn’t allowed me and my family to do it. Waking up and not knowing if there is enough money to put in the table for a family of seven, etc. So I know what is like to be poor. Fortunately the luck of me and my family changed for good after a short period of time and those bad memories are in the past. Now I’m a grown adult and I see life differently and I learned how to appreciate things in life. I hope this blog help my audience and my class to obtain a better understanding of why and how individuals in the society are force to live in this deprived conditions, inside an invisible support system. We all are vulnerable and can be victims social inequality. We society need to learn how to overcome poverty, prevent and help those that need form us.


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Poverty in Chicago

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY

Make Poverty History - Bono


Hunger Action Event with Chicago Food Depository





Poverty Definition

My definition of poverty is when a person or community is in a bad economic situation where is deprived or lack the essentials meas such as such as house, education,clean water, food, health care, clothing


The changing face of poverty

Millions of Americans live in poverty, more families are suffering and hunger is seen growing. According to the most recent Census Bureau statistics, nearly 36 million Americans lived in poverty in 2003, an increase of 1.3 million from 2002. And since 2000, 4.4 million more people in this country are living in poverty.


According to Jared Bernstein, a labor economist the U.S is facing one of the worst economic situation and we have to acknowledge that those that have money become richer and richer every day and the disparities between poor and rich are astounding, there is few that falls in the middle class and what is left is either poor or rich.


Finally, Fear and hunger walk hand in hand with poverty, and last year 12.6 million American households -- 11.2 percent of all American homes -- were afraid they might not be able to put enough food on the table, according to the Census Bureau. That's up more than 1.6 million households from the year 2000.


Author; Octavio Blanco CNN
Title; The changinf face of poverty
Date of publication December 30, 2009
CNNMONEY.COM

Chicago homeless crisis worsens with budget cuts, mass foreclosures

According to the wsws.org due to the crisis the country is facing the number of homeless people has increased dramatically in the Chicago area and the suburbs in the past moths. The Chicago Coalition for homeless estimates that “21,000 people are on the street on any given night.” So this recession is not only affecting those with homes and jobs in fact are increasing the number of poor and homeless people.

For 2010, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that homelessness is expected to grow based on rising unemployment and increased rental market competition due to foreclosures: 4.5-6.3 million if unemployment reaches 9 percent. This would represent an increase of about 900,000-1.1 million families.

Author; Kristina Betinis
Title; Chicago homeless crisis worsens with budget cuts, mass foreclosures.
Date of publication; 21 December 2009
WORLD SOCIAIST WEB SITE

Monday, February 15, 2010

Reflection paper on January 28th at hte AAANACA conference; HIV stattistics and prevention

HIV/AIDS: A global & local dilemma impact of social Determinants. Speaker Mildred Williamson PhD, MSW


One of the subjects this conference explored was the structural inequality, vulnerability and risk health care access. Racism, gender inequality and homophobia often intersect with poverty to increase the risk of HIV infection. According to the statistics more than 25 million people have died of AIDS worldwide, and another 33.4 million are currently living with HIV/AIDS.

Second, nearly 6000.000 of Africans Americans are living with HIV and 30.000 are becoming infected each year. Hispanics and whites are becoming infected with HIV.

Also, the top ten states by AIDS case rate per population 100.000 in 2007. new york, Maryland, Florida, Louisiana, Delaware, Georgia, south Carolina and others.

REFLECTION

This information session On January 28 of 2010 hosted by the AAANACA was very important to me and everyone. Is an eye opener and made me realize how deep the problem of HIV in Chicago and worldwide is. How social inequalities, racism, lack of education can be part of such a horrendous problem. Is a lesson and made me think about every time I wan t to have sex. Not only me but I could see others in the room looking at the material and the numbers of how many people are infected worldwide. I think is good that NEIU hosted this kind of workshop and i hope that many universities and high schools explore and talk about this big problem of HIV. Also, besides the valuable information i gained at this workshop what i like was the speaker's energy, shewas very friendly and gave some suggestion and advices to the audience and encouraged to get help in case of infection.
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