By Patricia Jones, Alliance Community Task Force: Creating Opportunity
Tyranny of the moment is a phrase we often use when talking about poverty. Individuals are so focused on immediate needs and short-term pressures that they are overwhelmed. Because they have few options, people in poverty cannot plan effectively. Choices are limited, so they feel powerless. Survival is the top priority.
What would you do if you got in a car accident and had to go to the emergency room? Or if you were being evicted? A fire destroyed your home? Lost your job or got furloughed? Had to travel to another state for a family member's funeral? Got diagnosed with cancer? Your car broke down, and it would cost more to fix it than it was worth?
Hopefully you have enough money in savings to ride out the storm. Or you have a family member or friend who will help you out. Or you have good enough credit that you can get a loan to tide you over. But that money cushion isn't available to everyone, especially those who live in poverty. When there isn't enough money, they have to deal with the most immediate need first.
A person who is being evicted isn't going to worry about making a payment on a car loan. A family with no food in the house might not pay that utility bill. A person who has to pick up a sick or suspended child from school might have to miss work and have pay docked. These are tough decisions, and often families don't see a better option.
We had a Bridges Out of Poverty training last year, and I was in a small group with a man from Scottsbluff. He shared a story about a client who missed a meeting. She rescheduled later, and when she came in, he asked what had happened. She said she had to go grocery shopping. He said that normally he would have gotten angry, but after Bridges training, he knew to follow up. She has no vehicle, so no transportation. That meant buying groceries at the nearby convenience store/gas station. Her neighbor asked if she wanted to ride along to Walmart, and she jumped at the chance. Better selection, lower prices. But it had to happen right now. He understood.
People struggling to make ends meet face constant pressure to address immediate needs, making it difficult to plan for things like education, career advancement, or saving for the future. This can create a cycle where they are always reacting to crises rather than proactively shaping their futures. This traps them in poverty.
There are government programs that help, but people in poverty often cannot access those.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) or Northwest Community Action Partnership (NCAP) can help people get into programs like SNAP or LIHEAP (utility assistance). They offer several more assistance programs. However, a person might have to take off work to set up a meeting—and have their pay docked. Or they might not be able to leave their jobs to get away during normal office hours. Many people might not have the skills or access needed to fill out the forms that government agencies require. Often the agency requires that the form be filled out on a computer.
Perhaps a person may not even know these programs exist. And now many of the programs are being cut back.