We are getting fatter. And by we I mean Americans–some 26.7 percent of adults in the United States were obese in 2009. So, not only are our New Year’s resolutions to lose weight not working, but we’re actually gaining. According to a report issued yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009 [...]

I am perhaps the only tourist who intentionally seeks out the “bad” neighborhoods in each place I visit. I’ve been through the worst parts of Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cleveland, Gary and Detroit. I’ve walked through all the wrong parts of Chicago, Springfield, East St. Louis, St. Louis and Kansas City. And, as I walked through what [...]

rest in St Louis, MO   0.0 miles When it comes to breaking out of the cycle of poverty, so many times it is suggested that education is the key. But teachers can only do so much. As one middle school teacher I had the privilege to meet today described it, they are just scratching [...]

Chicago – Alsip 19.8 miles It is perhaps no surprise, but living in poverty means a life without flowers. As I walked the old Route 66 out of Chicago today I passed pockets of gentrification. And I was bothered by the fact that the ramshackle, run-down buildings were surrounded by garbage and rot, while the [...]

I admit it, I don’t know what it’s like to live in poverty. I don’t know what it’s like to be in a situation where I have no money and no real options. But I thought I had come to understand the stress and desperation of living without. I was wrong. Poverty also means seeing [...]

It appears Wal-Mart does have a heart, of sorts. Today the world’s third largest corporation announced it would contribute more than $2 billion towards the fight against hunger in America. The donation will come in the form of 1.1 billion pounds of food from Wal-Mart stores, distribution centers and Sam’s Club locations (valued at $1.75 [...]

Sooner or later, most people will encounter a panhandler. It is an unjust fact of life. Though on most days my path crosses someone or another begging for some change, typically I don’t give money to panhandlers. It is not that I don’t empathize with their suffering, or that I doubt their need, but I [...]

For the past 40 years Earth Day has been a time to think about our stewardship of the planet, and to vow to do a better job. Frankly, we are not doing such a great job–and I’m not just talking about caring for the plants and animals with whom we share the planet. On this [...]

Sometimes it takes being smacked in the face with the cold, hard truth to realize what has been slowly happening all around you. For me, the truth about just how much affordable housing has been lost in Alexandria, Va., the place I’ve come to call home, happened today as I was walking to the Braddock [...]

March 16, 2010 Today, as I watched a screening of Josh Fox’s documentary GasLand, about natural gas extraction by means of a hydraulic drilling process called “fracking,” it struck me just how often we allow short-term greed to stand in the way of what is best for everyone over the long term. Natural gas has [...]

March. 02, 2010 Are you poor if you earn enough money to buy food and keep a roof over your head, but not enough to pay for child care or essential prescription drugs? What about if you earn twice the official poverty rate, but, thanks to a high cost of living, are paying more than [...]

Jan. 27, 2010 Those who are homeless are often invisible, ignored. We chose to see, or not see, the man begging for change as we walk down the street. We forget that our friends who just needed a place to stay “for a few days” are still sleeping on our couch. We ignore the waitress [...]

Jan. 25, 2010 Apparently South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s recommendation not to feed strays extends beyond feral cats. At a recent town hall meeting in Greenville, Bauer, who is seeking the GOP nod to run for governor this fall, compared giving assistance to those living in poverty in his state to feeding stray cats.  [...]

Yesterday marked the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It is among the most controversial Supreme Court decisions in U.S. history, and each year those for and against legalized abortion face off in what seems to be a never-ending battle. As I am fiercely pro-choice, I can accept that some women believe abortion is wrong. [...]

Jan. 20, 2010 Tuesday’s surprise defeat of Democrat Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts special Senate election has many Democrats scratching their heads and pointing fingers, and has Republicans jumping for joy. Republican Scott Brown’s victory strips Democrats of their filibuster-proof majority, and throws the entire health care bill into jeopardy. But, despite the wild speculation [...]