Sr. Sharon Goodremote, FSSJ
Public Policy Coordinator
Catholic Charities 

It is only 9:30am and because I'm trying to stay true to the poverty challenge of living on $7.87.  Already I've had to choose not to have a healthy breakfast with my usual orange and almonds, but rather only coffee and slice of bread and looking forward to having only an apple for lunch gives me little incentive to feeling nourished for the day.  My thought is, I don't like living in poverty.  It limits my choices and prevents me from trying to live a healthy life, which I believe is a right of every person.  If I was truly living in poverty, there would be the added fear of not being able to eat healthy and how this will affect my health and I have no insurance.  I get a sense that living with all this, it would be very hard to live with hope and dreams of a better life. This little experience so far today makes me realize why I see the sad and vacant looks in many faces of the people in the front office of Catholic Charities as they wait for assistance in their situation in life.  

Aaron Bartley
Executive Director
People United for Sustainable Housing, Inc. (PUSH Buffalo)

This seems like a critical time for me to be learning more about the daily challenges people who live in poverty confront.  Today's General Motors bankruptcy is symbolic to me of the millions of industrial jobs lost in this country over the last forty years, and all the pain and suffering that continues to cause Buffalonians and others.

I've been much more aware of my personal privilege today as I contemplate things I won't have access to tomorrow.  My car needs an inspection and I know I'll have to do it today, or I'd bust my entire transportation budget.  I took greater note of how much my lunch cost today--$7.45---knowing that that won't be possible tomorrow.

I'm used to thinking about poverty in big, structural terms, and through my job I do hear many first-hand stories about poverty from folks on the West Side.  While in school, there were certainly a few days when I was broke and had to scrounge around Ivy League conferences at fancy hotels for food.  But I always knew that money was just a phone call to family away.  With the Challenge, I hope to do my best to reflect on what it really might be like to have no other options, although I know that my privilege will keep me from grasping the true depths of the poverty condition.

Paul V. Vukelic
President-COO
Try-it Distributing

"Well, it is the day before the start of this year’s Poverty Challenge. Last year the Vukelic family participated in the Challenge and was it ever a challenge. We ended up pooling as much of the funds as was possible. Television was skipped as was the internet and personal cell phones. Even with all these sacrifices we did not have enough for the three square meals recommended by health experts. We did have dinner together which included pasta from what I can remember. We did not have enough for salad or anything other than water to drink. I can also remember foregoing lunch so that our two teenage children could take lunch to school. I can also remember a couple of times where we had to negotiate with the kids about what daily “luxuries” they could do so that we had enough for food. These moments certainly highlighted for me how lucky we are to not have to take on these burdens on a daily basis.

This year, I am sure will be no different. Tuesday night I have to be at community function where there will be tables of food set up by local area restaurants. I know I cannot partake in what will be available given the cost of the event and food. Usually, these events provide much more food than is needed. Many times in the past I have seen much food wasted due to over-abundance. I often wonder what happens to the perfectly good food left over. Does it go to places like the Little Portion Friary?, or is it just thrown out. I was at a high school graduation party last night where there must have been six to seven leftover sheet pizzas. This does not include all the other salads and food items left over. My guess is that they were just tossed in the trash. My hope in doing the poverty challenge would be to have people be more aware of the services to the poor and homeless, places like the Little Portion and Night People. In addition, is there a way where we can cut down on the food provided at events and the saving go to some kind of a food fund for the poor?

So, I am preparing myself today to focus on the plight of the poor and hungry. I know that I will be hungry for the next two days, but that is the reality of it all. I know my wife and I will be negotiating tonight with our kids as to what we all must give up to eat a simple meal. I think I would rather go hungry than go through those negotiations."

Michael P. Kearns
Councilmember, South District
City of Buffalo

President Lyndon B. Johnson in an address to a Joint Session of Congress stated:

“And so I say to all of you here and to all in the nation tonight that those who appeal to you to hold on to the past do so at the cost of denying you your future. This great rich, restless country can offer opportunity and education and hope to all-all, black and white, North and South, sharecropper and city dweller. These are the enemies: poverty, ignorance, disease. They are our enemies, not our fellow man, not our neighbor.

And these enemies’ too-poverty, disease, and ignorance- we shall overcome.

As I prepare for tomorrow’s challenge, I reflect back to this speech from 1965 and President Johnson’s “Great Society” program. I think this challenge gives us the opportunity to measure how far this country and our great city have come in the fight against poverty. If not made a priority by elected officials at all levels of government, poverty could lead to the demise of the City of Buffalo

Every day we have the opportunity to make decision which will lessen the impact of poverty. As elected officials, we have the ability to wisely allocate federal funds for slum and blight, to keep open library facilities that provide the poor with access to the internet, information and free tax preparation, and to give impoverished children a quality education that is on par with that received by affluent children from the suburbs.

During the next few days, those taking the poverty challenge will be forced to confront decisions on our budgets, schedules, time and transportation. Those who live in poverty, however, must make these kinds of difficult decisions every day of their lives.