Volunteers in Service
to America
In our pursuit to help others,
VISTAs are willing to get down and get dirty.
We are willing to demonstrate the toughness required to live below the
poverty line. We are America’s
volunteers who chose to forsake nicer paying jobs, with tangible medical,
dental and retirement benefits, in order to serve the veterans of poverty.
Calling those in poverty “victims” seems a bit
offensive/ And it is. No one wants to consider themselves a victim
(although many rich and poor people display this debilitating mindset). Self-pity,
self-defeat and poor attitudes are thought to accompany the poorer members of
our society. However, there are other ways
to see the attributes of those who live in poverty.
Veterans in
Surviving Tough Atmospheres – VISTA
This is the acronym that comes to mind after observing
residents in poverty for the past three months.
Veterans because poverty is often a lifelong or long-term
condition. The ability to endure in
spite of tough living conditions (poor access to quality food, transportation,
shelter…) is a learned skill. And, maybe
when we look at those in poverty, we could see some things different.
For instance:
Poor people are tough:
It takes grit and grime, sheer willpower and hope to face the same day,
again and again, with the same amount of limited financial resources. Imagine being a mother of three young
children and having a certain amount of money to feed, clothe and provide
shelter for your family month after month, after month. The money is clearly income. But the benefits she reaps for her hard work
are priceless. Mom is tough and not a
victim.
Poor people are
resilient: Bounce back.
Poor people can bounce back from the brick walls and closed doors often
faced each day. Learning to maneuver
obstacles is a skill developed by resiliency carried over from childhood into
adulthood. Of course, this doesn’t apply
to every poor person, but too many of us, indeed.
Poor people are resourceful: Where can I get….? If you can’t afford it, you make adjustments or
do without. A second hand or
creatively-crafted Halloween costume for a young child at the end of the month
is just one way poor people use their limited resources to make the best of
everyday life.
Poor people share
information: Did you know…? Forget social media. Before there was electronic messaging, there
was the good ol’ pipeline. The network
of words used among a community of people to spread the news about
opportunities, gifts, giveaways, death, funerals, births and rewards. Since poor people often must, at a moment’s
notice, tell their personal woes in order to find a solution, it is often that
same sense of desperation and transparency that can bring solutions quickly to
one’s dilemmas.
Poor people support
each other: It always amazes me how poor people bury each
other. It is common knowledge that many
people don’t have the proper insurances in place over the course of a life
span. So, when someone dies in a poor
community, the people pull social and financial resources together to give them
a proper resting place. And, the way
they support each other in death is the same way life is supported through
sharing of food, clothing, advice and love.
Poor people won’t
let you give up or give in. Their “we can do”
attitude and positive, “let’s get this done” mindsets establishes success long
before they break the barriers of economics.
All these adjectives are resources VISTAs learn to utilize
while serving in poor communities. Regardless
of prior socioeconomic status, all VISTAs learn lessons of life that equip them
for many years to come.
