Thank you & that's how I meant it
 

Intelligent post with powerful message
 

You've said it all exceptionally well
 

If one person who has real need is left without care in this wonderful country it is too many.

If one person who is strong and healthy and can work and works the system in this wonderful country it is too many.


Too many are confused and angry. We have lost some our compassion and too much of our common sense. You cannot legislate morality. We can't throw the baby out with the bath water and we can't sit and look stupid either.

Could someone post the address of the schools in Wildwood and Fruitland Park, I would like to send underwear to them. Thank you

They are looking for folks to read to the kids too. You have to be fingerprinted and everything, but it is a good thing to do.


Someone post the addresses. Great idea, Slipcovers.

Barefoot, I did not say anything about being lazy.... "going to school", there are classes at Extension schools for trades, I went once for very little money (approx.$300.) and my husband did when we needed extra $$ and another profession after we lost our jobs. There are schools (not colleges) that offer trades for people. We were in our mid forties when we did it. Also, you can start a business right out of your home with hardly any cash. I've done that also. How about cleaning house, mowing lawns, running errands, etc,etc., for the seniors in The Villages and surrounding areas?? I was NOT born gifted or rich or smart, I just use the creative ideas that God gives me, just like He does for everyone that asks. And, fyi; I DO have compassion on the needy who have fallen on hard times, I was brought up in a household with 12 children who had to eat hardly anything for breakfast, lunch and dinner b/c my father was disabled due to a traumatic event in his middle age life and was out of work (factory worker) more than he was able to work. Me and my brothers and sisters use to pick blueberries, babysit,mow neighbors lawns,shovel snow for people during the winter & summer for $ and after all day would give our $ to my mother for groceries and other expenses. So, I know about it ALL from personal experience. I opened my 1st business at age 19,took out a 2,000 loan from a credit union and went for it. It CAN be done, I KNOW. Being honest.

I'm not sure you understand the depth of this issue here. I can only speak about Marion county. I had a student once that wanted to join my after-school program. She was a bus rider and lived in the Forest. She walked about a mile to and from her bus stop. The way my program worked was that I had to get her approved through transportation before the driver would accept responsibility for her travel. She didn't clearly understand that concept and stayed after school one day. The buses had already pulled out and by the time roll was taken in the program, we realized we had an issue. Not a big deal for most folks. Just call a parent to come pick her up, right. Not so easy. I called mom and she didn't own a car. She had a neighbor who might be able to help. She had to walk about a half mile to their house and ask for help. The friend wasn't sure that he could get his car started. I waited on the phone as they tried and tried to get the car started. It finally started but they barely had enough gas to get to our school. I offered them a gas card for their troubles and they arrived at our school about forty minutes later. I know this is a long story but I hope it puts in perspective of the level of poverty some of these families experience. They rely on the "system" to get them by. In this case, the bus system to get the child an education, backpack of food for the weekend and free lunches. If this kids makes it through high school, she will be the first in her family to have a high school diploma. That my friends, is generational poverty......

[QUOTE=graciegirl;913034]They are looking for folks to read to the kids too. You have to be fingerprinted and everything, but it is a good thing to do.


Someone post the addresses. Great idea, Slipcovers.[/QUOTE


That IS the KEY to success as a child,young adult, and adult. If you CAN READ, you CAN learn anything to enable you to become independent and self sufficient in life. I would volunteer. but I don't live there anymore.

I see....I never saw that "type" of poverty growing up in N.E. We had poverty there as well but not the kind you're describing. I CAN understand that on this level these people do need help and education to get OUT of extreme poverty.

Addresses for wildwood schools
Elementary...300 Huey St., wildwood, 34785
Middle-high... 700 Huey St....

This is what I mean about using today's circumstances and not those of the past. It is very admirable what you and your siblings did to help your family. But... in today's world, people don't have twelve children to help out... anyone who can afford it has a yard service and a snow removal service, and a car to run their own errands. Others who can't afford that do it themselves, or have adult children who do it for them.

Learning another trade is not so easy today as it was back then, and it costs a lot more $ unless you accept government assistance, which you and others claim is wrong.

So I see all this as putting the poor in a double bind, and then calling them all lazy. And that's what I object to.

There are already people working three jobs to make ends meet--and they have college degrees. Today's job circumstances are totally different than they were 30 years ago.

I wish those posters living in the past would do some research on today's circumstances, plus the situation of generational poverty.

Just curious and not trying to be ornery !!! Can you please link or post something about WHERE and WHO you are hearing about ALL poor as lazy ?

I have never seen that comment or anything even close.

Most I see is STATISTICS on the increase in welfare FRAUD !!!

PS...I have done some research on this and can tell you I have WITNESSED AND SEEN the soliciting of people in downtown Tampa to attend "classes" on how to work the system...not just welfare but all of the system. I never heard anyone say that ALL poor or even a percentage were lazy however and am just curious how this came to be

Thanks for asking, I'd like also to see that statement.