Lack of Resources

Generational Poverty, Day 2

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

              Many of my student interns broke the chains of generational poverty. Somewhere along the line they had a teacher who loved and taught them well, encouraging them to do whatever it took to go to college and break the cycle. We as teachers can literally change the whole trajectory of a child’s life by our kindness, teaching, and guidance.

              There was one particular student that I still remember. She grew up in an abusive home and school was her safe place. Her parents, products of generational poverty, never took them to the doctor, dentist, or optometrist. Their clothes were all secondhand and meals were whatever they could get their hands on. But she had several teachers who told her she could make something with her life and thankfully she believed them.  

              The day after graduation she moved out and got a job. She enrolled in college and began courses that fall. For three years, she bought BOGO shampoo, soap, cleaning products, toothpaste, and deodorant. She pinched pennies and saved as much as she could. During this time, she also got health insurance through her job and got her teeth in good shape, vision checked, and had bloodwork for the first time. Her landlords helped her navigate the health system and showed her the best ways to save and prepare for her future. By the time she finished her third year in college she was ready for her final internship.

              She didn’t have any family to rely on. As a matter of fact, she cut all ties with her parents, only communicating with select siblings. She had never had access to health resources until she was on her own. And attending college was something her family said she’d never be able to do because she was too dumb and incapable. But she beat the odds. She found assistance to gain access to the necessary resources. People in her church helped her not only grow in her faith, but also navigate adulthood. Even her landlords played a part in helping her find the correct avenues. And do you know what is amazing? She didn’t work during her final sixteen week internship, and she survived because others helped her learn to save, stock up, and plan.

              Generational poverty often impacts people who live in rural communities or high-crime neighborhoods. Survival is often the only goal these children have. Often parents are focused on other things rather than seeking healthcare, dentistry, optometry, or proper nutrition. Sometimes these children are not taught proper self-care in general like hygiene practices of bathing and deodorant, toothbrushing, skincare, and eye protection. Our healthcare system in America offers many of these services in the public schools to help kids who are not properly taught these practices at home.

As teachers, we must never assume our students have been given access to self-care resources. We don’t know the home situations or practices in the homes. We must pay attention and pray for our students regularly, that God would give us the proper insight and access to the resources these kids need. We might be their only advocate.

Do the Heart Work

1.      What resources do families in your community have limited knowledge about?

2.      What is the biggest issue in your classroom related to self-care? How can you help your students in this area?

3.      How can you inspire a student to be all they can be and break the cycle of generational poverty in their life?

Digging Deeper

Read Ruth 2:1-13 (NIV)

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”

Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!”

“The Lord bless you!” they answered.

Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”

The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

“May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”

Boaz noticed Ruth. He saw her and stepped in to protect her. She was living in situational poverty that could have very well led to generational poverty. But Boaz stepped in. Made a way. Showed her he cared. We can do the same for our students. We can be a lifeline to resources they’d never know about otherwise.

If You Get Spare Time

              The next time you go to the doctor or dentist, stop and lift a prayer of thanks. Many children have never received any healthcare services and may never in their lifetime due to generational poverty. This week, locate as many services and resources you can find and begin making these services known to the parents of your students. Be the link that offers hope.