What's the difference between starving and poor - or is it the same thing?

Question

As for me, I belong to the upper middle class, but my sister and her husband are different. They both work, but they aren't able to afford medication for their illnesses. I've been to their home, and they barely have any clothes and furniture. My daughter asked me if they were poor - especially because they live in the hood. I told my daughter that only the Africans are because they are starving and homeless.

My sister and brother in law don't even have a savings. They live paycheck to paycheck and can barely make ends meet. I'm so afraid for my sister because she has a brain tumor that needs to be removed and even with their insurance, they can't afford that or even any medication. I looked at this:

http://www.sociology.ohio-state.edu/classes/Soc463/matthews/Class%20System.pdf

It didn't help. I'd say they're "working class", but at the same time, they have no savings and can barely make ends meet. They were close to both becoming homeless before, so I really fear their future.

Answer 1

Poverty is common in the USA.
What's the difference between starving and poor?
Answer: It's a matter of degree. Obviously some people are poorer than others.
Bellow certain amount of income per year a couple would be consider poor. In the USA that is about $30,000 gross income a year.
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living.

Answer 2

I know things change, and I do not fit into either category any more, but I will give you a first hand answer. My mother came from large family, 9 brothers and sister, The home they lived in had 3 rooms, in her teens a kitchen was added on giving the home a 4th room. Water came from a well just off the side porch. I heard the stories many times of the house being so cold in the mornings when they were getting ready for school they would crack the ice to get to the water. The bathroom? An outhouse about 150 feet out back. My Grandfather worked in the coalmines; my grandmother raised the children. The raised almost everything the needed, Corn, beans, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, They grew wheat, and sugar cane, that they turned into molasses. They did buy coffee, and spices and some other items. They raised cows for milk, butter, and beef, they raised pigs, for well you know pork, They raised Chickens for eggs and Sunday dinner. Only thing elec. was the light hanging from the ceiling, the Floor radio was powered by the truck battery. A phone came in the very early 60's. They where poor, but they always had clean clothes even though washing cloths was a major chore and they always had plenty to eat. Great home cooked food, simple meal cornbread, green beans, fried chicken. I know in the spring when the wild strawberries would ripen my grandmother would make "pies" she would take slices of bread cover with the fresh strawberries, and dust with sugar. Nothing to u and I, but to them a wonderful treat. Finally a used TV, came, My mom told of many times they all gather around the TV, with popcorn popped in lard over the wood cooking stove and they would watch Gunsmoke, or Bananza, or a great old classic like the Wizard of Oz, and it was like going to the movies.

Many today make dumb choices, I see the "poor" whose kids where $70.00 sneakers, and Tommy shirts. I see the "poor" with cigarettes and all the beer they can carry. No one should be forced to go without health care, and I have yet to see anyone turned away from a hospital that was in need. I know there are many government plans for families if they are really in need,

I hope this helps, by the way I am only 40, this was not all that long ago, my mother married and left home at 16 in 1966, I was born a year latter. I love the old homeplace, my grandparents are gone, but their values, love of life and family will never pass on.

Answer 3

Starving: no food to eat. Does this happen in the US? Yes, but not to anyone who has a "home" (trailer, condo, tenament, duplex, single family home, etc.). Welfare provides food to those with an address...where this doesn't work is when you don't have an address (homeless people). However, homeless people have shelters, etc. No, it's not a nice place to be, but it's not starving either.

Poor: this is a relative term, especially since you state they might be poor because they live check to check. That, my dear, is a money management issue. I make 6 figues a year, but live check to check. Why? because I choose to put my money in investments that force me to manage my money closely. I have credit if I need it, but rely on a steady income. There is risk to this lifestyle, but after doing this for the past 32 years, it's worked for me. So, living check to check may not be the wisest decision, but it is certainly not an acid test for poverty. The fact that they are living in a fixed structure with utilities means that they are doing better than 90 percent of the world's population. It doesn't mean their in the top half of the US, but it doesn't mean their in the bottom 20 percent either.

It is wonderful that you're concerned for their well being, especially with the medical problems they are facing. As a previous reply stated, most of us are one serious medical problem away from poverty, regardless of our income, so I can understand their dilemma. I would suggest you start checking charities that might be able to help with the payment of medical treatments for your sister. Although she's an adult, you might check with the local "Shriners" club to see if they have any ideas of where you might get some financial help. Meanwhile, there is no reason for any family member to be "homeless". As long as any other family member has a home, then any family member should have a roof over their head and a hot meal in their belly. We all have rough times in our lives, and the only ones we can ever really count on are family.

Answer 4

Their is a difference between poor and starving. You can be the working poor which there are a lot of in America. They make just enough to live on poorly but can never get ahead.
But starving that is something else. You have nothing to eat and no where to go to get any food. Pride keeps most in America from getting help. But we do have some help for people who are hungry you just have to know where to go.

Answer 5

Hi, The difference is we have more agencies that can help the poor here. There is also a smaller ratio of poor here in United States. Most of those third world countries only have two classes of people. The very rich and the very poor. Because there are only two classes the living standards of the poor are more noticeable. We have, in addition to the rich and the poor, the middle class.

Answer 6

You have my total respect. I have no idea what your age is and that's not important. The fact that you are concerned for another member of your family gives me a little bit of hope that there are still people on this Earth that are still willing to help some one, that's absolutely wonderful. Although this is a moot point,(the government dosen't give a flying damn about the members of your family going hungry), I beleive that you just could not let that happen.
Children that have to go to bed hungry, is something that should not happen in any family in this country.
I realize that pride is a very strong emotion, but it should NEVER allow a child to go to bed hugry.
There are enough programs in this country, that are desinged to help people in your sister's predicament, that they should never have to send their children to bed, or even to school hungry.
I don't have a very large income becaused I'm disabled.
But if you could find it in your mind, to give me your sisters address, I would be proud to send them a few dollars.
I can be reached at [e-mail], I'm looking forward to being able to help your sister, and her family.

Answer 7

What kind of person are you to not offer assistance?
Can you afford to help them? Are you not human?
The class system needs to go. We are all human after all. We all rely on each other, one way or another. It's time that we reconnected before we lose everything. I fear that we will realize it too late with the way things are going.
If she were my sister, I would be paying for her treatment. This is serious. If I couldn't afford it then I would be arranging fundraisers, rally the community.

Answer 8

This has unfortunately become the harsh reality for more and more Americans. Inflation, sky-high house prices, constantly raised interest rates for mortgages, lower real wages, fewer benefits such as pensions and health care, fewer jobs due to outsourcing--all of these factors are indicators that America is steadily headed toward becoming a third world country. You can thank globalization and the neocon agenda fo this. They are steadily destroying all the progress we have made since FDR. They're killing the American dream in favor of cheap slave made goods from China. Watch that gap between rich and poor beome ever wider. It's just too bad THEY have all the good weapons, or we could have had another good old fashioned uprising.

Answer 9

Well you have poverty which is like a family income below $14,000.00 a year. than you have a living wage which is like $30,000.00 a year. Poor will be more like living pay check to pay check just barely getting by. Starving is no paycheck and do not qualifying for any gov assistance.

Answer 10

well... it depends...

most would say they aren't the "same thing"... especially since we have gov. programs that feed people and few starve... although many are poor, even poorer than your sister...

and the situation your sister is in is becoming all too common today...

basically, many people in the U.S. are a heath problem away from "being poor"... get somewhat sick once, you're poor...