eNetworking 101: The Blog: Blog Action Day: Focusing on Poverty

The idea of focusing on poverty for Blog Action Day (Oct. 15) was set months ago, yet it is very timely. The world wide economy is in turmoil and everyone is being affected, especially those who make less that the median income and those who are below the poverty line.

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the median income in the U.S. in 2007 was $50,233. The official poverty rate in 2007 was 12.5 percent.

How does the government define poverty?

As defined by the Office of Management and Budget and updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, the weighted average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2006 was $20,614; for a family of three, $16,079; for a family of two, $13,167; and for unrelated individuals, $10,294.

Blog Action Day is about taking action, so today think about your income and resources, and those of the people around you (especially other family members). It is likely that someone in your family or someone near to you is living below the poverty level. Find a way to reach out to that person and to offer appropriate assistance in love. If you are uncomfortable reaching out to that person, consider a way of doing it anonymously. A gift card to a supermarket or gas station might be greatly appreciated, for example. If you have food left over from your garden, consider sharing it. (Remember that is it better to have it eaten than to have it rot and go to waste.)

After you have done that, then spend time thinking about how you can save money in the coming months as our economy tightens. Look at the big and little things, keeping in mind that even changing 1-2 things can make a big difference in remaining financially secure.