“Poverty is the extent to which an individual goes without resources”
Excerpted from Payne, R. K. (2013) A Framework for Understanding Poverty
Types of Poverty
1. Situational
2. Generational
3. Abject
Resources Needed to Overcome Poverty
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Emotional Strength: The ability to withstand the emotions that come with surviving on a daily basis and deal with the obstacles we face.
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Financial: The money and credit to provide food and shelter for the family.
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Mental/Cognitive: The ability to think for ourselves and develop solutions to everyday problems.
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Spiritual: The ability to obtain guidance from a church, religious, or spiritual entity or mentor.
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Physical: The time, energy, and focus to take ideal steps to better ourselves physically and medically.
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Support Systems: Obtaining support from family and friends, as well as support systems in the community.
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Relationships/ Role Models: Developing relationships that can offer support, advice and a new perspective on handling everyday problems.
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Knowledge of Hidden Rules: Developing an understanding of the expectations and hidden rules of the various social situations. For example, how to conduct oneself in a meeting.
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Language/Formal Register: An understanding the phrasing and sentence structure of the various social classes.
2020 Federal Poverty Level Chart
US Department of Health and Human Services
Household Size Income Per Year
1 person $12,760
2 $17,240
3 $21,720
4 $26,200
5 $30,680
6 $35,160
7 $39,640
8 $44,120
What We Know
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It's normal if a person, or family, has no idea how not to be poor anymore
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It's normal if a person, or family, has a desperate need to feel connected
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It's normal if a person, or family, is primarily motivated by their relationships
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It's normal if a person, or family, has their long-terming planning thwarted by constantly living in "survival mode"