2008 Woodie Awards
What about young Ivan?
Education is key to solving poverty in America
Shannon Obey '08
Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Commentary
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Rather than spend my spring break in Cancun or Acapulco like some of my other PC classmates to Camden, N.J. with seven other Providence College students, from all different class years to build houses through Habitat for Humanity. I participated in Habitat last spring break in North Carolina and loved every minute of it, so I was feeling good about this spring break when I hopped into the van at 10:00 a.m.
I had never experienced poverty in the United States before, with the exception of the occasional homeless person or roadside "father of two, in need of work," so I was shocked when we got to Camden and saw small houses, packed closely together, and crumbling to the ground. There were more houses vacant than occupied, and there were houses missing from lots like a 6-year-old's missing teeth. The number of drug dealers on street corners wasn't missing, however. In fact, I saw a total of 10 drug deals in my stay in Camden. We were intentionally not taken into the worst parts of the city, and we were told not to drive around at night because it was too dangerous.
After seeing where we would be working, I felt even better about being in Camden, even if we were just touching up someone's house. They were the small details, like painting a room pink for a little girl and caulking everything in sight, that would make these houses into homes for people when we were finished. We even got to meet and work with the homeowners who would be moving into the two houses we were working on, which made the experience much more meaningful.
But then, the woman running the site who was in charge of the volunteers for Habitat in Camden, showed us an ABC Diane Sawyer special "Waiting on the World to Change" on Camden children, following around a few children and finding out what their daily lives are like. One little 5-year-old boy, Ivan, lives with his mother and younger brother and often goes hungry. His mother is illiterate and unable to find a job, although she sees someone everyday who is trying to help. She is unable to leave her children with her mother because her mother is addicted to crack. Ivan and his family often get help from their pastor but soon get evicted from places where they are staying because they are unable to afford the rent.
I had never experienced poverty in the United States before, with the exception of the occasional homeless person or roadside "father of two, in need of work," so I was shocked when we got to Camden and saw small houses, packed closely together, and crumbling to the ground. There were more houses vacant than occupied, and there were houses missing from lots like a 6-year-old's missing teeth. The number of drug dealers on street corners wasn't missing, however. In fact, I saw a total of 10 drug deals in my stay in Camden. We were intentionally not taken into the worst parts of the city, and we were told not to drive around at night because it was too dangerous.
After seeing where we would be working, I felt even better about being in Camden, even if we were just touching up someone's house. They were the small details, like painting a room pink for a little girl and caulking everything in sight, that would make these houses into homes for people when we were finished. We even got to meet and work with the homeowners who would be moving into the two houses we were working on, which made the experience much more meaningful.
But then, the woman running the site who was in charge of the volunteers for Habitat in Camden, showed us an ABC Diane Sawyer special "Waiting on the World to Change" on Camden children, following around a few children and finding out what their daily lives are like. One little 5-year-old boy, Ivan, lives with his mother and younger brother and often goes hungry. His mother is illiterate and unable to find a job, although she sees someone everyday who is trying to help. She is unable to leave her children with her mother because her mother is addicted to crack. Ivan and his family often get help from their pastor but soon get evicted from places where they are staying because they are unable to afford the rent.