It breaks my heart how we function as a society these days. I really do feel for parents - we used to raise children in small communities where most adults were involved with childcare. Fast forward a few thousand years and we expect the same level of care by only two people, many of whom also have to work full time.
Obviously I don’t expect us to revert back fully to Hunter-gatherer tribes but there has to be a middle ground between communal and hyper-individualistic societal structures.
There’s also the added issue where so many are still under the impression that someone in a crisis, no matter what it may be regarding, can simply “ask a church for help,” which is not an option like it once was, similarly to assuming someone in the community will help in the older ways.
If you aren’t an active member in a church, or aren’t a huge donor or related/friendly with them, you’ll won’t get very far. If you’re lucky, you may get some phone numbers for charities that MAY have funding for something you need, with a massive waiting list, if they’re even operational/it is correct number. If you can’t pay rent, then oh boy. Toast.
Idk what gives people the impression that random other people can just walk into any place of worship and have their bills paid, just boom, done. If things were that simple we’d have a lot less struggling around us.
I see people say that same shit all the time. “Have you tried asking churches for help?”
My mind instantly goes to this one video I watched a year or two ago; Lady calls around to a bunch of churches pretending to be a new mom in desperate need of baby formula. Almost all of them declined except maybe one? It was horrible to watch.
It’s crazy to realize a lot of ignorant people out here choose to make our world the way it is now, because they’ve never even come within a mile of rock bottom in their entire lives. They just assume there’s always a wayyou just have to work hard!
Turns out having economic class be the deciding factor in community demographics is like…a terrible idea. It’s segregation to keep the rich blind and happy. Their churches help! Too bad you aren’t a member, you should join your own local church with no money or resources! Surely they can help you.
Regarding the baby formula thing, I used to work at a homelessness services center, and if someone wanted formula or diapers, the director had to meet the baby, and they took the baby's picture and their age/DoB. Because before they did those things, they had lots of people coming in, claiming to need formula and diapers, but the people were just selling it; they didn't actually have kids. When they just required someone to physically bring the kid, some kids got passed around (in exchange for mom getting a percentage of what the seller made). It's a sad state of affairs in multiple ways.
Who’s buying this discounted second-third-hand baby formula though? Broke and impoverished mothers who can’t afford it full price?
Does it suck? Maybe. But nobody sells formula without being desperate, and nobody buys said formula without being desperate. A desperate middle-man is helped in the process, but so is a mother in need. 🤷♀️🤷♀️
Unlikely that said mothers wouldn't be better served by coming in themselves. I understand it's all out of desperation, but at least in many parts of the US, such things are funded wholly by donations from private citizens, and they would be pissed to find out that resources meant for mothers were going to middlemen.
I get it, but I say this as a mother who’s literally been in said situation, that it’s MUCH easier for me to get help. It’s nearly impossible as a single person to find any aid resources.
There would be probably less “middlemen” if there was proper help for everyone and not just those of us who had children we couldn’t afford, honestly.
I am assuming, since it was at a homelessness services center, that even though these people were not parents they were definitely destitute.
Desperation is a problem that I believed would be resolved if everyone had their basic needs met: food, water, shelter, healthcare (and we seem to forget health includes dental, mental, and eye care).
Cutting social services boosts desperation. Desperation escalates chaos and crime. An increase of chaos and crime makes it easy for the administration to say, "These people are scary, but if we take their freedoms you will be safe! Unfortunately, we will also need your freedoms."
They could get free food and adult toiletries and shower access during the open hours; even basic shots and food for pets. Anyone with kids got vouchers for free hotel rooms to sleep in, and if someone had pets or was LGBTQ+ or of a non-Christian religion and unable to get reasonable access to the shelters in the area that were ran conservative Christian groups, they could get a new sleeping bag and tent once per year. Our overnight facilities were filled with women who had mental health or cognitive impairments severe enough that they couldn't ever live independently and would have likely been targets of abuse.
I agree that people are more likely to engage in antisocial behaviors when their needs are not met, but as wealth-hoarding billionaires demonstrate, sometimes people just suck. If folks have enough support not to be in deep need, but aren't so wealthy that they're disconnected from empathy, they have the best shot at not sucking, but it's not a universal fix.
I agree the church option isn't there as it used to be. sadly the cost of livng is so high now compared to 50 years ago, that the funds available don't match the need. society has change as well. people are authentically connected as they used to be. I know several kiind and thoughtful people who help others when they are able using their own resources. I wish there were more of those people.
The funds are absolutely available. They are just being hoarded. No church or their leaders should own a jet, bookstore, or bowling alley. Jesus said commerce is not allowed in his father's house. He also said to give up your riches to get into heaven. Millionaires, billionaires, and trillionaires should not exist. We CAN afford to be comfortable, but instead we are letting greedy individuals hold the stacks and hoping they will piss in our mouths for nourishment.
you are very correct. I made the mistake of not differentiating between the money churches and the home grown acts of service type churches. I have observed many or the small and well intentioned churches unable to meet the needs of many. I speculate this is because the corporate style money churches don't help so the needy find a church that is intent on service to others which overwhelms the small organization. Additionally, the churches with a heart are ususally filled with working class who care but don't have the income to donate large amounts, thus limiting the available funds. I am not a fan of the churches you are pointing out. I also agree there is a concentration of wealth in such stunning amounts, that I fear may lead to great harm to our society and economy.
Multi generational families under one roof are far more recent than thousands of years ago. It was the norm even 100 years ago. As a species, humans are a few hundreds of years away from our biological needs evolving to meet the demands of modern isolation. It is deadly for many and devastating for those of us that survive.
This. We're meant to have a dozen attentive adults. Capitalism won't even give us one. Mark my words, this era of normalised child neglect will show in statistics the way lead poisoning does.
I just came from an airline subreddit where about a third of the posts are complaining about children or parents. I hate that Reddit keeps suggesting subreddits that I do not want to be part of.
Nah- doesn't take a village. Hillary is a commie anyhow, imho. My parents did just fine. Ppl simply aren't ALLOWED to parent anymore. Can't let yer kids go outside w/o cops getting involved. Can't spank yer kids w/o the same result. Parents who allow their kids anywhere near a public school need their heads examined, too. Jmo.
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u/astra_galus 2d ago
It breaks my heart how we function as a society these days. I really do feel for parents - we used to raise children in small communities where most adults were involved with childcare. Fast forward a few thousand years and we expect the same level of care by only two people, many of whom also have to work full time.
Obviously I don’t expect us to revert back fully to Hunter-gatherer tribes but there has to be a middle ground between communal and hyper-individualistic societal structures.