Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the end of the longest government shutdown in American history. As federal employees went weeks without pay, many recipients of government assistance programs faced the threat of not receiving their benefits. As the media reported the possible demise of programs such as Food Stamps and WIC, the stigmas surrounding their recipients began to arise.
"People on Food Stamps are just lazy" and "They just want handouts" were comments were frequently thrown around, and I found myself wondering if any of the people making these assumptions actually know what it's like to rely on these programs.
Growing up, my five siblings and I grew up in a single parent household. The cost of living for five children of various ages was far more than my mother could afford with her daycare teacher's salary. So yes, we received government assistance on and off throughout my life. Some years would be better than others money-wise, but as a child, you aren't worried about whether the bills have been paid, you just want the newest toy that everyone's been talking about.
I can vividly remember the joy of taking my mom's EBT Card to the corner store, only being allowed to spend one dollar for snacks. Back when a dollar could buy chips and a can of soda, before the infamous "soda tax" in my city. My house was known for our "struggle meals" of spaghetti and tacos, which are inexpensive and can stretch to feed a family as large as mine.
Every night I went to sleep in my Section 8 reduced-rent house, I ate meals provided by Food Stamps and WIC, and I was even able to apply to some colleges for free because I was in the free lunch program in high school. And guess what? We all still worked and there was no "cheating the system" involved, we were just a normal family facing financial troubles like many others in the country.
According to the U.S. Census, about 12.7% of Americans lived below the poverty line in 2017. That isn't taking into account the high costs of living in an urban city. In Philadelphia, the cost of living is estimated to be around $3,623 for a four-person family. But with minimum wage set at only $7.25, it can be extremely difficult to make ends meet, especially with extra mouths to feed.
Single parent households have more difficulty since there is only one provider of income. According to the Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator, the average cost for a single parent household with four children is about $99,280. This directly correlates with the fact that most of the recipients of government assistance are single parent households with children under the age of 18.
When people unfairly judge those who receive government assistance, they have to keep in mind the financial hardships that many Americans face. Our economy continues to face the repercussions of the recession a few years ago. Not to mention that generational poverty is a vicious cycle that impacts many Americans today.
Today, with the help of part-time jobs and family contributions, I am more financially stable. My experiences growing up will always keep me humble. I'm far from rich, and definitely not looking forward to those student loan payments that are just calling my name, but I have no complaints. I've learned that money is a material object, one that sadly has the power to turn a country upside down.
If you've never required a "government handout" for food or shelter, consider yourself fortunate, but that does not give you the right to bash those who do. Regardless of your political affiliations, liberal or conservative, I encourage you to have empathy for others.
