Perilous, Dangerous Times: Great upheaval of humans. Mass migrations, refugees, homelessness due to war, famine, pestilence, natural disasters, political persecution, ethnic persecution, religious persecution, economic conflict. The time will be exceedingly ‘dangerous’ for migrant/refugee women baring young children, who have little to no access to food, shelter, medicine, water or protection. It will be so perilous that those women who don’t have babies or young children will be considered ‘lucky.’

Perilous, Dangerous Times: This is what poverty looks like in the US right now. More than 36 (6×6) million Americans who struggle with hunger, including more than 12 (6+6) million children. In 2014, childhood homelessness hit a record-high of 2.5 (5×5) million, or one in every 30 American children each year. When a homeless woman was found with a stillborn infant at a Portland bus stop last year, the city set up beds on a shelter’s spare floor space.

Ellen Cranley. Business Insider•October 29, 2019

Though poverty has slightly declined in recent years, the US Census Bureau found last year that nearly 40 million people are living in poverty in America.

Poverty affects almost every area of life for Americans in every state and city across genders, ages, employment, and education.

See the different ways poverty affects Americans across the nation.

Though those living on the street are the most noticeable, homelessness is just one issue Americans in poverty face.

People in a variety of circumstances rely on government programs and local resources to aid in their struggle to support themselves and their families, working long hours on small incomes.

As costs of living rise across the country, some are forced to take up residence anywhere they can.

Those who are homeless in cities resort to public spaces instead of shelters because of strict rules and eligibility requirements.

Those who live on the streets are at the mercy of weather conditions, law enforcement officials, and finding small available spaces.

Some cities create additional shelters for colder months. When a homeless woman was found with a stillborn infant at a Portland bus stop last year, the city set up beds on a shelter’s spare floor space.

There’s been controversy in cities with overwhelmingly large homeless populations, as local officials have ramped up the physical removal or prevention of homeless settlements. Though officials in Seattle are supposed to offer a move to a shelter and 72 hours notice, that only happened around 60% of the time as of August 2018.

To manage the number of people who need shelter and immediate services, massive temporary shelters provide a stable place while authorities can prepare more permanent arrangements.

In 2014, childhood homelessness hit a record-high of 2.5 million, or one in every 30 American children each year.

Though public housing may be seen as a more permanent solution to provide for those who have been homeless, issues of decay and mismanagement run rampant among housing agencies.

New York City was ordered in June 2018 to pay $2 billion to settle claims of corruption and mismanagement in the city’s Housing Authority, the largest public housing agency in the US, after investigators found unaddressed leaks, crumbling walls, lead paint, mold, broken elevators, and rats.

Some in cities find small supplemental incomes collecting cans out of recycling bins and turning them into profit. Though this could offer some relief, the collecting takes time and there is high competition.

Those who work but do not earn specified income rates miss out on federal healthcare benefits. In recent years, clinics by mobile medical groups have been on the rise to provide free dental, vision, and medical care to isolated and poverty-stricken communities.

A March 2018 study from the American Public Health Association found that medical expenses pushed more than 7 million Americans below the federal poverty line.

More than 36 million Americans who struggle with hunger, including more than 12 million children.

Many local nonprofit organizations provide community access to free or discounted food in food banks and pantries.

Some shelters provide temporary relief for the homeless with occasional sit-down dinners.

Organizations work to alleviate other major expenses by offering free or discounted groceries and household supplies. Food banks, like the one below, are a resource in areas known as “food deserts,” where residents live without easy access to fresh, healthy food, including fruits and vegetables.

Around the holidays, local relief organizations offer ways for homeless and low-income people to find groceries.

The approaching winter months pose brutal conditions to those who are living on the street, and the greatest need for donated supplies to shelters.

Those looking to help should consider contributing to local resource centers

For those who live in a city or other area with a homeless population, some shelters advise to carry snacks, gift and transit cards, and information on nearby shelters to hand out as more sustainable solutions than just cash. 

Food and clothing banks are often overwhelmed in the winter and around the holiday seasons, so donating items like non-perishable food and extra clothing can ease the strain on the community. National organizations like The Salvation Army and Feeding America have a finder to locate centers in need of donations.