Homecoming and Capital Region Study on Poverty

I feel guilty admitting this but when last Saturday came I had no desire to wake up and get out of bed. I wasn't exactly sure what we would be doing so I had no idea what to expect. When we finally got to the school I felt as if they really didn't need our help. It wasn't until the parade started that my day began to turn around. When the parade ended and they began delegating jobs, I knew then that this was going to be a fun day. I got the job of manning the jumping castle. Even though some of the kids were a little rough for the most part they all had such a great time. It definetely made my day seeing the smiles on all their faces. When it was time to go I was a sad leaving all the kids and I realized what a mistake it would have been if I didn't go to this event at all.
After reading the Capital Region Study on Poverty, I had to sit back a moment and think about everything that I just took in. All the statistcis and facts were absolutely devastating and made me realize how naive I really am towards the world around me. I found it shocking that a person with two children can make under $15,000 a year off of minimum wage when the costs for a parent with two children living in Albany County for all thier necessities is $42,432 a year. The most upsetting part of the article for me, was when they talked about children in poverty. I couldn't believe that in some cities one third or more of the children are living under the poverty line. It's sad because so many people feel we have an obligation to be helping poorer countries around the world, but they don't realize how much devastation lies within our own borders.