Isolation

NOTE: This story is not discrediting any organization. Rather, the experience is used as an example in the hope people whom read this can relate and better understand the affects of poverty and isolation.

Last night I was at a dinner at a local church where people from all over Ames can come for a free meal and a support group. The support group helps those in poverty build community and share resources.

I sat at a random table where I didn't know a single person sitting at my table. All of them were around my age, a few looked in their 20s, another few were high schoolers and the rest younger. Perhaps because of the age similarity, I thought it would be easy to sit down and have a conversation with them.

What happened is that it brought back terrible memories of being the new girl in school. Sitting there awkwardly while everyone else around you is ignoring you and having their own conversation.

If you've ever been new to a place or new group, you can hopefully remember the feeling--it's terrible isn't it?

All of us are bound to feel that way at least one time in our life. But what if that feeling never goes away. Can you imagine?

Earlier this week the Volunteer Center hosted an annual dinner party. On two walls we had large sheets of paper split in half. The top half said 'What is Poverty?' and the bottem half said 'Causes of Poverty'.

Mentioned several times on the 'What is Poverty?' section was isolation. Isolation comes from feeling helpless about finances but also from not having the necessary social support. People in poverty can feel embarrassed about their situation and not want to ask for help or they can be working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet and due to time have limited social connections. Those are just two possibilities but there is no real answer. (The article in the link above, though a few years old, gives some great statistics of how family and social connection have changed in the U.S. over the years.)

I really don't have a particular way to end this post. There isn't a clever antidote or a right quote or link to sum up my thoughts. Rather, I want you to think on what it means to be isolated, who is most isolated in our society and what can be done to help it.