Welcome to America, land of opportunity - opportunity for 90% of the population. We're nearing a 10% unemployment rate throughout the country. That's one in 10 people; one in ten of your friends CANNOT FIND a job. Unemployment is not an issue of laziness, this is an issue of finding a job that can support a family.
So you say McDonalds is hiring. Lets do some math:
Minimum wage in Ohio is $7.30 an hour. We'll assume that this McDonalds is hiring full time. So $7.30 at 40 hours a week is $292 BEFORE taxes. A whole year's earnings, assuming this person works 48 40-hour weeks, before taxes, is approximately $14,016 for the year. Taking out taxes, that leaves them with considerably less than even that. The average income in Akron, Ohio is $43,000 a year.
Costs of living include rent/mortgage, utilities, and food. A small apartment can be rented for approximately $300 a month, so over 12 months, that comes to $3,600. Water, trash, and electricity amount to about $100 a month, costing $1200 yearly. Food costs about $50 to $100 a week - $200-$400 a month. Food costs can total in excess of $4,000 over the year. We're at almost $9000 for the year. Add in necessities like gas or bus fare and we're nearing our allotted allowance of less than $14,000 a year. Health insurance costs a lot of money. Vehicle insurance is expensive too. And what if the car breaks down? That could be an expensive fix. Can't really squeeze a new set of tires in there or a new catalytic converter.
Now, add in a child. Childcare costs include doctor visits, clothes, school supplies, babysitters, and their own food. So you say that charities can help these children. Here's the catch, they aren't relying on their own income anymore. They are not using their own income for their children. They are no longer living on their measly less than $14000 a year income.
To the point of homelessness. Mortgages are not inexpensive and are subject to change on interest rates. Its very easy anymore for anyone to become homeless. If a two-income household making a combined $80,000 a year loses one of those incomes because a job was sent overseas, that mortgage may not get paid. And adding a McDonalds job is not going to even the defecit. Imagine the other main breadwinner losing hours to less qualified individuals working for less money and there is a recipe for a repo - another hardworking family ends up on the streets.
Families with older children of different sexes are often split up. Some are even rejected from homeless shelters. Fortunately, there are specialized shelters that take on those families to keep them together. The summit county Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) is one of those places and they have branches all over the US. In Summit County's Barberton location, Lakeview UMC is a home to this rotating homeless shelter in partnership with several other Akron churches. Here's how it works: for a week, Lakeview becomes the host to two or three homeless families, then members from Lakeview and St. Augustine make dinner and stay the night as hosts. In the morning, someone drives a bus to the Day Center at the corner on Miller Ave. in downtown Akron for the adults and drops the kids off at school. The IHN offers short-term housing to the invisible homeless, families that don’t qualify for shelter - parents with teenagers of the opposite sex and two parent families with children trying to stay together.
Also, for those who are in need in Barberton, here is some helpful information:
If someone is in need of health care and does not have insurance or qualify for public healthcare programs, there is a free health clinic called the Barberton Community Health Clininc. The clinic is run by Walt Ritzman and Donna Keim and staffed by volunteers, including doctors and nurses. Its located at 113 Ninth St in Barberton.
Barberton Area Community Ministries( better known as BACM) runs The Soup Kitchen on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Soup Kitchen serves the area's less fortunate by serving over 104,000 hot meals since 1985. Should you need a meal,The Soup Kitchen is currently located in the hall of the Presbyterian Church next to the Barberton Public Library.
On Wednesdays, Lakeview United Methodist Church hosts the Springtime of Hope, a program to distribute hot meals to the homeless. In addition to the hot meal, they are sent off with a packed lunch for the next day. Lakeview is located across the lake from the Presbyterian Church, next to the new YMCA.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Christian Healthcare Debate
As you know, many representatives and senators in Congress openly declare themselves to be Christians. But identifying in Christianity has certain requirements, like believing in Jesus and striving to be like Him. Believing in Jesus also means knowing a thing or two about Him. So what would Jesus think about the current healthcare debate?
Well, Jesus was a lover of people, particularly sinners. Sinners don't know the correct path. How does this situation relate to healthcare and the economy? Those on welfare are the economic sinners of America. Jesus gave all he had to the poor. It's not right for us to withhold our time, finances, or sympathy from them because "they're lazy." The Christian thing to do is to help the poor by giving to organizations dedicated to helping the less fortunate. There are even organizations that teach people how to manage their money so they won't need yours anymore. But until then, they are the burdens of the state and ultimately your tax dollars. The government needs that money to improve technology, fund government programs, and ensure your safety in the world threatened by nations like North Korea and Iran.
But I digress; healthcare reform in the government is what I want to discuss. Jesus cared for all people, no matter what their size, shape, color, disease, financial situation, pre-existing health condition, or age. Is it right that we keep public healthcare dangling in front of those who need it like a carrot tied to a stick in front of a donkey? It is not God's will that there be such staunch inequalities between classes - so much that 40% of the wealth in this country is held by the wealthiest 1% of the population and the bottom 40% possesses less than 1% of the nation's wealth.
The heart of this discussion is, however, whether the Christians in government are aware of how their self-proclaimed beliefs should be affecting their judgment. I'm not suggesting that we revert to a complete socialist government, but rather that they realize that it is not a Christian moral to let those less fortunate suffer while the wealthy watches and says "that's too bad. Should've worked harder."
The truth of the matter is that unemployment is nearing 10%. Not everyone is fortunate enough to afford higher education. High school diplomas just don't cut it for good paying jobs anymore. Even a bachelors degree is beginning to lose its wow-factor. Are we going to sit around and just watch as our nation's infrastructure crumbles as we fail to support it at the base? The lower class are typically the unskilled laborers who work in boring assembly lines or sorting packages in warehouses bringing you prepackaged coffee or tubes of toothpaste or any number of gifts you're going to open on Christmas day. Don't the people who make the things you take for granted - your basic necessities - deserve the insurance of a healthy life, just like you?
Christmas? You say Christmas because Christ is the reason you celebrate what you have. While you remember what you have, try thinking about those who don't have any gifts to open Christmas morning. Think about those who are too sick to visit family members. Think of children whose parents can't afford to visit the doctor. While you think about Christmas, remember that its not about receiving your gifts and visiting your family, its about giving of yourself to others less fortunate than yourselves.
Healthcare is not a problem in Europe and many other countries around the world. Why? They have nationalized healthcare programs. Its working for them too. They declare themselves to be Christian nations and have taken the step that Jesus would have proposed. It is not His will that we should snub our noses at those less fortunate - and they get that.
How can you help? Write to your representatives in Congress. Share your opinions with them. They love to hear your opinions. Its their job to represent YOU and YOUR OPINIONS.
Well, Jesus was a lover of people, particularly sinners. Sinners don't know the correct path. How does this situation relate to healthcare and the economy? Those on welfare are the economic sinners of America. Jesus gave all he had to the poor. It's not right for us to withhold our time, finances, or sympathy from them because "they're lazy." The Christian thing to do is to help the poor by giving to organizations dedicated to helping the less fortunate. There are even organizations that teach people how to manage their money so they won't need yours anymore. But until then, they are the burdens of the state and ultimately your tax dollars. The government needs that money to improve technology, fund government programs, and ensure your safety in the world threatened by nations like North Korea and Iran.
But I digress; healthcare reform in the government is what I want to discuss. Jesus cared for all people, no matter what their size, shape, color, disease, financial situation, pre-existing health condition, or age. Is it right that we keep public healthcare dangling in front of those who need it like a carrot tied to a stick in front of a donkey? It is not God's will that there be such staunch inequalities between classes - so much that 40% of the wealth in this country is held by the wealthiest 1% of the population and the bottom 40% possesses less than 1% of the nation's wealth.
The heart of this discussion is, however, whether the Christians in government are aware of how their self-proclaimed beliefs should be affecting their judgment. I'm not suggesting that we revert to a complete socialist government, but rather that they realize that it is not a Christian moral to let those less fortunate suffer while the wealthy watches and says "that's too bad. Should've worked harder."
The truth of the matter is that unemployment is nearing 10%. Not everyone is fortunate enough to afford higher education. High school diplomas just don't cut it for good paying jobs anymore. Even a bachelors degree is beginning to lose its wow-factor. Are we going to sit around and just watch as our nation's infrastructure crumbles as we fail to support it at the base? The lower class are typically the unskilled laborers who work in boring assembly lines or sorting packages in warehouses bringing you prepackaged coffee or tubes of toothpaste or any number of gifts you're going to open on Christmas day. Don't the people who make the things you take for granted - your basic necessities - deserve the insurance of a healthy life, just like you?
Christmas? You say Christmas because Christ is the reason you celebrate what you have. While you remember what you have, try thinking about those who don't have any gifts to open Christmas morning. Think about those who are too sick to visit family members. Think of children whose parents can't afford to visit the doctor. While you think about Christmas, remember that its not about receiving your gifts and visiting your family, its about giving of yourself to others less fortunate than yourselves.
Healthcare is not a problem in Europe and many other countries around the world. Why? They have nationalized healthcare programs. Its working for them too. They declare themselves to be Christian nations and have taken the step that Jesus would have proposed. It is not His will that we should snub our noses at those less fortunate - and they get that.
How can you help? Write to your representatives in Congress. Share your opinions with them. They love to hear your opinions. Its their job to represent YOU and YOUR OPINIONS.
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