"Americans are blessed with great plenty; we are a generous people and we have a moral obligation to assist those who are suffering from poverty, disease, war and famine." -Adam Schiff, U.S. representative. Poverty is a huge crisis. There are 50 million people who suffer in the United States. People in poverty are poor and lack the simple necessities for life, including food and water. Unfortunately this problem is nearly impossible to solve but we can take small strides towards a better outcome. Poverty is a major issue but we can take steps to solve this problem by understanding its victims, recognizing how troublesome it is, and searching for solutions.

Poverty affects the poor community along with the general population. We may not directly be affected but in the long run, anything can happen. One way that we can be affected is through diseases. Since poor people don’t have clean clothes and healthy lifestyles, new diseases can erupt any second. These diseases can eventually be transmitted to us. Continuing on, if we don’t do anything about poverty and ignore it,the numbers will keep increasing. The lifelong handicaps and struggles will carry on from generation to generation to every new child that is born. Again, this will only lead to more problems. Furthermore, millions of unlucky children suffer from starting their life in poverty. They are very likely to be hit by a disease at an early age. In addition, they do not receive a proper education and end up in child labor after the age of six. I personally feel this is a horrible way to live life and it is not fair they are suffering while we are living their dream life. I believe that our country needs to make an effort in decreasing the number of poverty-stricken communities.

One solution to reduce poverty is to increase minimum wages. Raising the minimum wage can raise a family of three out of poverty. The United States is in the top 10 richest countries in the world so why can’t we spend some of that money to help the needy? If we raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.25, as many as four million Americans can be carried out of poverty. This is a significant number of people who are not able to afford the basic needs. It would be the right option to reduce minimum wages if it means saving four million people. With just three dollars of more money per hour, many poor people are able to buy healthier food and cleaner clothes. With this one change, millions of people will be saved!

Poverty is a problem that will take many years to eliminate, but with determination and constant changes, we might be able to spare more people than we can imagine. To achieve this goal, we need to understand who is affected by poverty and the number of people who go through this day to day struggle. Then, we take action and keep working towards our goal. There are many solutions, but one of my suggestions is raising the minimum wage. Hopefully, this will work. I know that as our future president, you will do your best to make this possible.

Sincerely,

Khushi