Saturday, April 10, 2010

Live Poverty

Now, AmeriCorps is serious business. I mean, getting pooped on in a regular day is nothing to laugh at, right? Sometimes, though, amidst all of the learning plans and books on dyslexia we forget to laugh at ourselves. The AmeriCorps website has changed all of that. It reads, verbatim:

"Join a team committed to social change. Serve NY members not only fight poverty but live it, not only lead the community but are a part of it, and not only change the nation but are changed by it.

Yes, you read that right. Live poverty. Who, exactly, may I ask are they targeting? Live poverty! You'll love it! And here I thought the goal was to get people out of poverty, not sink into it yourself! Is that not just a self-defeating prospect?

Honestly, $1,000 a month seems like a fortune to me. Maybe my perception is a little skewed---I did just graduate from college, where a $15 a week grocery budget was the norm. $1,000 a month is good money, enough to pay rent, pay student loans, and travel. After Guatemala, $1,000 is a fortune.

No comments: