One of the most stressful places to be in our country is living in poverty.
We tend to think that poverty is strictly an urban problem but with our experiences in so many rural counties in our own state of Pennsylvania we find that it is also a significant problem in the heartland of America. Many of our rural communities have had to deal with serious unemployment, factory shut-downs and ensuing problems all related to low-income. We find that in these communities many individuals who are using coping mechanisms such as drugs to deal with a significant amount of chronic and toxic stress.
Here is one article that surfaces some of the struggles that families have to face that are living under the significant pressure of trauma related to poverty. Here is the article as published in Stand Together:
https://www.stand-together.org/toxic-stress-poverty-effects/
In a society that has this kind of inequity there are significant consequences to individuals and families that are constantly under the stressors of living in poverty.
This economic trauma disables those impacted in significant ways and is a national crisis that we need to address through economic growth, job training, employment opportunities and programs that provide help to them in practical ways.
We as a nation have the resources to help these families. We must rise to meet the needs of these families and children. It is my hope that our newly elected leadership will focus on dealing with this significant problem in our American communities who have been economically deprived and chronically stressed.
Gerry Vassar, President/CEO
