The problem with most programs intended to help the poor is they only help the poor. In other words, you have to stay poor to keep getting any help. If you start making more money, they often desert you, possibly leaving you worse off than if you had never bothered to try. This is is not a reliable path out of poverty.
So when and if you find something that helps you for a reason other than your lack of money, go after it because they won't pull the rug out from under you just because your situation improves. Below, I will try to list things that actually help poor people without requiring them to be poor to get any benefit. I started with just one thing. I hope to grow the list over time.
So when and if you find something that helps you for a reason other than your lack of money, go after it because they won't pull the rug out from under you just because your situation improves. Below, I will try to list things that actually help poor people without requiring them to be poor to get any benefit. I started with just one thing. I hope to grow the list over time.
- Public Transit: Learn to use your public transit system. Get a compass card so you can get your day pass for $5 instead of $7. If you qualify for a discount based on age, disability or other status, do the paperwork necessary to get that discount. A month long pass is only $18 if you can prove you qualify as handicapped, versus $72 at the regular price. San Diego county has excellent public transit. Your life and opportunities will dramatically improve if you can arrange to be free to move about the county at will. And they won't take your discount away if becoming more physically mobile leads to upward financial mobility.
- Get Well: If you are on the street, the odds are high that you have a physical health issue, a mental health issue, or both. I have dealt with plenty of both in my life. Getting well is a cornerstone of my plans to get off the street. It is, in fact, working. Getting healthier is leading to increased mental function and physical productivity. This is slowly leading to more earned income. My medical condition is very expensive and debilitating. Getting well is the single most important thing I can do to resolve my problems.
- Educate Yourself: Go to the library and read. Spend time online learning useful info. Enroll in a class. Go to museums or the like. (They are sometimes free.) Feed your mind. It will empower you to view your problems differently and begin solving them.