{"product_id":"broke-in-america-seeing-understanding-and-ending-us-poverty-9781637743454","title":"Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending Us Poverty","description":"\u003cb\u003eFOREWORD INDIES FINALIST -- POLITICAL \u0026amp; SOCIAL SCIENCES\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eNAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS SILVER MEDALIST -- SOCIAL CHANGE \u0026amp; SOCIAL JUSTICE\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARD 1ST RUNNER UP -- CULTURE \u0026amp; MONTAIGNE MEDAL NOMINEE\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A valuable resource in the fight against poverty.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"An exploration of why so many Americans are struggling financially . . . A down-to-earth overview of the causes and effects of poverty and possible remedies.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eWater. Food. Housing. The most basic and crucial needs for survival, yet 40 percent of people in the United States don't have the resources to get\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003ethem. With key policy changes, we could eradicate poverty in this country within our lifetime--but we need to get started now.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNearly 40 million people in the United States live below the poverty line--about $26,200 for a family of four. Low-income families and individuals are everywhere, from cities to rural communities. While poverty is commonly seen as a personal failure, or a deficiency of character or knowledge, it's actually the result of bad policy. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePublic policy has purposefully erected barriers that deny access to basic needs, creating a society where people can easily become trapped--not because we lack the resources to lift them out, but because we are actively choosing not to. Poverty is close to inevitable for low-wage workers and their children, and a large percentage of these people, despite qualifying for it, do not receive government aid. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox, \u003ci\u003eBroke in America\u003c\/i\u003e offers an eye-opening and galvanizing look at life in poverty in this country: how circumstances and public policy conspire to keep people poor, and the concrete steps we can take to end poverty for good. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn clear, accessible prose, Goldblum and Shaddox detail the ways the current system is broken and how it's failing so many of us. They also highlight outdated and ineffective policies that are causing or contributing to this unnecessary problem. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEvery chapter features action items readers can use to combat poverty--both nationwide and in our local communities, including the most effective public policies you can support and how to work hand-in-hand with representatives to affect change. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSo far, our attempted solutions have fallen short because they try to \"fix\" poor people rather than address the underlying problems. Fortunately, it's much easier to fix \u003ci\u003epolicy\u003c\/i\u003e than people. Essential and timely, \u003ci\u003eBroke in America\u003c\/i\u003e offers a crucial road map for securing a brighter future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJoanne Samuel Goldblum\u003c\/b\u003e is CEO and founder of the National Diaper Bank Network, encompassing more than 200 member organizations that provide diapers and other basic needs to families across America. In 2018, she founded the Alliance for Period Supplies, which provides free hygiene products to the one in four people for whom menstruation means difficulty attending school and work. Joanne has spent her career working with and advocating for families in poverty. She has written op-eds for \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eUS News \u0026amp; World Report\u003c\/i\u003e, and HuffPost. She has been an ABC Person of the Week and the subject of profiles by CNN, \u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e, and many other outlets. Joanne is an inspiring and in-demand speaker. In 2007, she was chosen as one of 10 Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leaders on the basis of her work to found the New Haven Diaper Bank. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eColleen Shaddox\u003c\/b\u003e is a print and radio journalist and activist. Her publication credits include \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, National Public Radio, America, and many more. She left daily newspapers when an editor reprimanded her for \"writing too many stories about poor people\" and went to work in a soup kitchen. She has had one foot in journalism and one in non-profits ever since. In states throughout the country, Colleen has worked on winning campaigns to get kids out of adult prisons, to end juvenile life without parole, and to limit shackling in juvenile courts. She is a frequently anthologized fiction writer. Her award-winning play, \u003ci\u003eThe Shakespeares\u003c\/i\u003e, and other dramatic works have been performed around the country.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Benbella Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50554520174866,"sku":"9781637743454","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_27eaba4b-36aa-40e0-be70-5f9dd7049f67.jpg?v=1731718396","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/broke-in-america-seeing-understanding-and-ending-us-poverty-9781637743454","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}