Shannon M



TRANSLATION

A Look at Poverty in White River Junction


by Shannon McHugh

94.1% of high school students graduate in Vermont. We are all lucky enough to be given an education. How we use that education is up to us.

We all have homes to live in. No matter whether they are small apartments or big houses, we have places to live. We pay rent or mortgages that often make life difficult if you can’t afford it along with everything else needed.

On the outside we look like a normal  everyday kid. We play, we learn, we laugh with our friends. You’d never guess what we come from.

Lots of families who are suffering from poverty are those with big families. often times rooms are shared.  Which isn’t so bad unless you’re not use to it, then it’s a bummer.

“We fought a war on poverty. Poverty won” -Ronald Reagan 

2.9% of the population is unemployed, luckily we have local Havens with food shelves so we can feed our families. Food Shelves are places where food is donated and sold at cheaper prices than grocery stores. 

We also have thrift shops with hand-me-downs for little money. I tell you what clothing can be expensive! 

We still find happiness, we find fun and joy in the smallest things. At the end of the day we know we have what matters most. Family.

“We need to stop viewing it as aid. It’s an investment” - Chuck Hagel