2 Homelessness, an ever-present problem in the world, is a murky road to ultimate despair. There are many different reasons for homelessness, but there are a few well-traveled paths to destitution; mental illness, lack of affordable housing, family breakdown, and alcoholism are all factors. A chilling fact, from any point of view, is that small children have become the fastest-growing group of homeless people. "The average homeless family includes a parent with two or three children. The average child is six years old, the average parent twenty-seven" (Orr 29). This may seem unreal, but in Massachusetts alone, three fourths of all homeless people are now children and their parents.

10 From everything, it's obvious that somewhere in the cradle of humanity, there is someone that is worse off than you are. Children starving, cold on the streets, parents without work. Although hard to imagine, it is true. Homelessness, hunger, lack of work and illiteracy are all problems of poverty in the world today. Without the help of the government or the compassion of society, these people will continue to struggle on their own to gain position in society. They need that push towards hthe right path in life.

7 Hunger also contributes to penury. "Mealtime...for some it is sitting down to a small portion of the usual rice and vegetables" (Aaseng 7). When small children are only fed a small portion of rice at every meal, it is not enough for them to develop properly. The reality of hunger in the world is almost too hideous to ponder. Hunger, malnutrition, famine, and starvation, all refer to the situation in which a person doesn't eat enough to sustain normal life. Once this takes place, the body cannot grow, but has to sustain its current level. This will prevent children from growing to their full genetic potential. The resistance to disease will be reduced and a longer recovery time from illness will occur. Malnutrition may impair mental capacity and physical capacity. The biggest effect is that malnutrition greatly increases mortality rates. "Each day, 35,000 children under the age of five die of starvation or preventable infectious disease" (Readings on Poverty). This does not happen because there is a lack of food in our world today, but because of the urban peoples' lack of money today. In order to provide food for a family, there must be available work; either harvesting or buying food themse

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