The Poverty We Don't Always See

My group went to a church a church in Watts this past week to help with food distribution at the church. When we got there a church service was going on and then after the service concluded we were there to help set up tables full of food and then hand out the food to the people that came through the line. There were over 100 people that came through the line most of which were families with multiple children. As they passed through the line we were only allowed to give them one item of food per table. This equated to each person getting on bag of salad...one tomatoes...one apple...a random frozen food item (but not enough of those for everyone)...a whole frozen chicken...2 cans of sweet potatoes...2 bag of crushed walnuts..and 4 bags of dry milk...thats it. Nothing more. It was a sad sad reality to be apart of. These families came in needed food to support their family...and we saw the large families entering into the gate to get food but all we were able to do is give them a small random selection of food that they couldn't even make one meal out of for their whole family.
This is the kind of poverty that i think we often forget about....the kind that we look past because it isn't so blatantly visible...its not looking us in the face as we walk down the streets everyday. This isn't the visible poverty of a homeless person sitting on the streets with no food. This isn't the poverty of family that cant afford the cost of living anymore and is in a shelter on Skid Row getting meals from the shelter. This isn't the poverty of mental illness and drug addiction. This is the poverty of lower class families struggling everyday to make ends meet. The help that they are getting is really doing little to give them any sustainable food. The help that they are getting is doing little to move them up the economic ladder to get out of the trap that they are in...they are stuck...
This is the kind of poverty that i think can be found anywhere. There are people everywhere in our own backyards..down our own streets...that are struggling everyday to make ends meet. That are barely surviving and could use more help. These are the people that with just a little bit of help can be back up on their feet.
Im not at all saying that what Lighthouse is doing is not good enough. The church that we helped at is doing a wonderful thing for the people in this community. The people are in need of this food...they just need more. What Lighthouse is doing is great..they could just use more resources so that they can help more people and help the ones that are already coming in a better way.
It makes me think about the places that are helping people like this across the country. I think what they need is a little more awareness and they can help people better and help more people.
I pray that God continues to open up my eyes to the people that need His help wherever I am..not just here in LA..but as i go home too...how can i continue to love and serve at home? There might not be extreme visible poverty in Sioux Falls like there is here in LA..but there are people struggling to make ends meets everyday...how can i love and serve those people?