While the path out of poverty is not an easy one, when you put these issues into perspective, you can see how all of us working together can do our part to break the cycle of poverty for this generation and the next.
Americans drop $40 billion dollars annually on lawn care. From leaf blowers to lawn mowers, U.S. consumers spend some serious cash on their landscapes, according to Ted Steinberg, author of “American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn.” For the amount of money spent keeping it green, we could help educate children around the world.
Although there are American communities with unsafe water sources, the U.S. generally has some of the safest and easiest access to clean water on the planet. In fact, 99% of tap water in the U.S. is drinkable. Nonetheless, Americans spend roughly $16 billion every year on bottled water. With that amount of money, we could practically eradicate diseases that still plague impoverished children and communities around the world.
The world spends $109 billion on video games each year — and those numbers are nothing to play around with. For the amount of money we spend staring at our devices, we could provide people the basic services and necessities that we take for granted every day.
On average, Americans go out to lunch twice a week — all that dining out adds up. In the U.S., the average consumer spends about $1,043 per year just going out to lunch. If we opted to brown bag it now and then, we could help others living below the poverty line and suffering from hunger and malnutrition.
In 2019 alone, Americans spent $95.7 billion on our pets. From gluten-free dog food to designer pet beds, the pet industry grows year over year with new ways to show our affection for our furry friends. With the money we spend pampering our pooches, we could help end hunger for children and families around the world.
Putting poverty in perspective allows us to see how global problems can be solved when we all do our part. Your sponsorship or gift provides children access to educational, health care and dental programs while also funding empowerment and employment initiatives, and building community centers. Together, we can give children the chance to envision a better future and create lasting change for their communities.
