Faces of Poverty: A Single Mother
Adrielys, a 23-year-old Reading native and single mother of two children, struggles to find stable work that will allow her to pay rent and support her family. Adrielys experiences the systemic barriers commonly faced by single mothers who struggle to make a living wage that will cover such basic expenses as childcare, health care, food, and housing.
Care for Those Experiencing Disproportionate Impact Challenges of Single Parenting Economic Injustice Ministry with Single Mothers Poverty The Dignity of Work
Faces of Poverty: A War Veteran
After serving in Iraq, Victor, a young father, returns to Reading, Pennsylvania and battles unemployment as he and his wife fight to get a leg up in a tough economy. Eventually Victor and his wife both secure employment only to experience the systemic barriers that arise when jobs fail to pay a living wage. Unable to pay their mortgage and other expenses, and with two young children, Victor finds a job 74 miles away before being laid off and losing their house.
Care for Those Experiencing Disproportionate Impact Poverty Spirituality and Veteran Life The Dignity of Work Veteran Benefits Veteran Unemployment
ON the Street: Families Are Complicated
According to the Pew Research Center, multigenerational households are a growing phenomenon in the United States. In 2021, 18% of the U.S. population lived in multigenerational households, four times as many as in 1971. The change is largely powered by economic pressures forcing young adults to return to their parents’ homes. Families continue to change and reflect social and economic trends, but what remains constant is how key family relationships, however complicated they may be, are to everyone.
Call to Family Community and Participation Diverse Family Structures Family Advocacy Family Ministry Family Justice Theology of the Family
ON the Street: Marriage
On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled marriage is a fundamental right for all. On December 13, 2022, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, providing statutory authority for same-sex marriages in all 50 states. We asked people in Times Square about their views on marriage, its relevance today, and how, if at all, their spiritual and religious beliefs impact their perspectives.
Covenant Marriage Equality Marriage Ministry Respect for Marriage Act Same-Sex Marriage Theology of Marriage
God’s Little Acre Feeding the Hungry
According to a recent report by Oxfam, it will cost $37 billion dollars every year until 2030 to eliminate global hunger. An additional $14 billion a year is needed to end hunger in a just, sustainable manner. In four years, with only $80,000 and a team of volunteers, God’s Little Acre, a farm in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, gave away 420,000 pounds of produce to the hungry. No questions asked. Though food insecurity cannot be eliminated by charity alone, the produce provided by God’s Little Acre turns an empty stomach full.
Sumter Faith Clinic, The Lord Led Us
Nurse practitioners Mary Wysochansky and Anna Stinchcum founded and opened the Sumter Faith Clinic, a free clinic established to treat the uninsured and underinsured in Americus, Georgia, a community hard-hit by many economic downturns. The Sumter Faith Clinic treats patients’ holistic health by caring for body, mind, and spirit, and works to make healthcare accessible and affordable.