Poor Kids Extra Credit Video

            You never really think about the fact that there are so many children living in poverty. These kids have all the reason in the world to give up and loose hope, yet they all have the biggest dreams. They want to do well in school, so that they can get a good job. They have hope that they will one day get out of poverty and improve their lifestyles.

            My heart literally broke when Kaylie said that the hardest part of dealing with her family’s financial difficulties was ignoring the hunger in her stomach. “I’m just starving. We don’t get three meals a day, like breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Her brother also said that “Sometimes when we have cereal, we don’t have milk, so we have to eat it dry.” I couldn’t imagine not even having enough money to afford cereal and milk. It’s sad to know that there are families that can’t even afford to have food on their table. Kaylie spends her free time collecting cans in order to help her family with money. The squished cans are only worth five cents, yet to her those few cents are extremely valuable.

When Brittany and her brother Roger shared their story, it made me realize how much I overlook the basic essentials given to me. They are very aware of their situation, and they are able to process everything so maturely. It amazed me when Roger said, “You can go from doing okay, not having to go hungry, to this. Going hungry and having to pay all your bills and not being able to buy food, on the verge of being homeless again.” Brittany said that one day she got in the shower and it was cold; their hot water had gotten shut off. I couldn’t imagine my siblings showering with cold water every day. I can only imagine how terrible it must be during the winter. Brittany at one point also said that she wants her family to be happy, that she doesn’t care about her happiness. That just shows you that children are so innocent and genuinely have good hearts.

Johnny and his family lived such a normal lifestyle until his dad lost his company. The one thing he said that stood out to me was, “People who come to a homeless shelter, it can just be just somebody who was living good at one time and had it all; a bill that didn't get paid, a utility bill, a payment, a foreclosure, anything. Anything can easily take them straight down to the floor and down to ground zero”. This is so true. We tend to think that we have everything granted to us, that we are untouchable.

This video really did upset me. I couldn’t believe the living conditions that these children were living in. These are only three families living in poverty. This doesn’t show the other millions of families that live in the same conditions, if not worse. I am grateful that despite the struggle, my parents have been able to provide me with the basic living essentials.