Actively deal with the issue of poverty in our region

It would be my resolution for 2016 as a resident and a community to actively deal with the issue of poverty as it relates to all our local people in need.

Of course we immediately think of our homeless people within our community. With the cold winds of winter upon us we must realize our homeless are vulnerable to conditions daily that are life-threatening. This opens up our eyes to how we as a society have failed to address assistance for many citizens who suffer with various types of mental illness. In addition to no home, job or means to receive health care they deal with deeper issues just trying to survive. From the streets and tents we find another type of resident who lives day to day with the fear of what tomorrow has in store. Many of our elderly face not only a bare existence with little funds to pay for rising costs of food, shelter and medicine. They worry about physical restrictions and loneliness add to the burden. With so many cutbacks to organizations assisting the senior citizens their good work faces limits as to whom can be served. In our post flood prosperity we still have no Senior Center since the flood of 2008. Last I look at the multitude of families with and without children who may appear to be doing okay but in reality are not even close to making ends meet. Lots of people do not have enough food in their home to feed either their children or themselves. We have many children who do not eat a meal unless it is at school.

It is not a crime to be poor. The crime is to ignore we have people who live in poverty right here. During the 1930's our country suffered a national financial depression and a multitude of our people suffered greatly. In 2016 we have a growing number of people far below the poverty line. It is not in our best interest to place blame on the poor. We must use current programs and introduce new ones both from the public and private sector and lift our people from this burden. We will never be as great and powerful a community as we will be when those with the least are helped from the despair of poverty. What are we going to do as a community? Instead of looking the other way lets find a way together.

' Linda Seger, of Cedar Rapids, is a neighborhood advocate and a member of The Gazette Writers Circle. Comments: lsiglin44@gmail.com