Elderly People Living In Poverty in Southeast Louisiana

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

Lack of Infrastructure Leads to Poverty in Fluker, LA 

A couple of years ago,  I decided to drive down some of the back roads in Tangipahoa & St. Helena Parishes to talk with and interview some of the elderly people who live off the beaten path. They are the ones who lives in deep rural areas without enough heat, air conditioning in the summer, and sometime not enough food to eat. They are living on a fixed income from month to month. Each month a large percentage of their check is used to purchase  their medication.

Tears swells in my eyes when I look into their eyes and see all the hurt and despair that has left a lingering affect and has aged most of them by at least ten years. Their retirement checks or social security benefit is not enough for them to live on. They scrape all their pennies and nickels together to pay for basic living necessities. Every-day the number of elderly people living in poverty increases. The number are growing steadily since 2005 according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

For the last decade the number of elderly who experience hunger increased 80%, according to a report from the Meals on Wheels Research Foundation. In 2010, more than one in seven skipped meals due the lack of money to purchase food. Some of them eat at senior citizen programs that is provided by the state. Many of them are  to embassassed to tell someone that don't have enough food to eat. They are afraid that they would end up in some nursing home somewhere.

According to Zip Atlas, zip code number 70436 which is Fluker, Louisiana, the poverty level is 95.01% and is ranking at number 67 on a national level. The Town of Tangipahoa which is just about three miles from Fluker, Louisiana- and has a population of 533 people, the poverty level is 82.71% and ranks number 144 on the national level of poverty.

The lack of adequate infrastructure perpetuates poverty. The entire community is at risk. You will not find public transportation, schools, community centers, health clinics, supermarkets and jobs that is necessary for a community to progress. It is merely impossible to reduce poverty without the essential services. It has been proven through research that a number of related social problems can be found in the community because of the lack of infrastructure.

Creative Activites for the Youth in Tangipaphoa Parish, Louisiana

             Tre Irving of Amite, LA learning photograpy

Exploring the Arts in Tangipaphoa Parish

Nurturing Our Roots Fine Arts Gallery Art Program for children mission is to help the youth to explore their creative abilities. Every child regardless of income or social status should have an opportunity to express their creative capabilities. Lots of children spend their time being creative, drawing, coloring, painting and sometimes making their own toys. This past week Nurturing Our Roots Fine Arts Gallery had the opportunity to assist children with the arts. Whether that is through taken photographs, painting, drawing, planting a garden or horseback riding, the children enjoy exploring and pursuing fun things. Taking photographs is an art, whether the child or young adults are taking the photographs or being photographed, they all like cameras. Photography can be used to teach children lessons in science, travel, history, graphic designing, and can be used to enhance the child communication skills. Professional photojournalist Wesaam Al-Badry and Walter C. Black, Sr., believes that the best way to teach children about photography is just simply put a camera in their hands. Children learn technology five times faster then most adults.

Horseback Riding in Fluker, LA

Photo Credit: Walter  C. Black, Sr.

When my brothers were growing up in the Amite, LA as children, they would pretend that they were riding horses. Sometimes while watching the television series "Bonanza" they would pretend that the horses belong to them.  The children in Fluker, La enjoy riding horses as much as they enjoy playing football or basketball. It was good to see the youth outside enjoying activities like horseback riding. Many kids today like to sit inside and play video games. Children who live in extreme poverty can't afford video games so they play outside more then children who has access to video games.

   Bernard Temple teaching Pre-K Art Students      

"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last, you create what you will"

I haven't met a child yet that doesn't like to draw, color, paint or, enjoy arts and crafts. Nurturing Our Roots Fine Arts Gallery in Amite, LA is committed to encouraging the child to expand their creativity art capabilities. Arts is a powerful tool that help children developing many academic skills, such as critical thinking,  and how to stay focus. Art is science, the children can learn how to explore the arts through recycling items such as, paper, bottles, wood, and other items that we throw away. Children have great imaginations and can find creative ways to take trash and recycle it by making art. More importantly they can learn important lessons about recycling and how recycling can help save energy and natural resources.


          Please visit Nurturing Our Roots at
            www.NORFineArtsGallery.org

      

Giving Thanks to Stranger's for Their Kindness

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

Nine months ago I had my right leg amputated above the knee. I am one of the millions of people in America without healthcare, getting a prosthetic leg was only a thought and perhaps a dream.  Not knowing what to expect since this was my first time being without healthcare. I thought if I was going to get a prosthetic leg, I was going to have to find a way pay for it.  To make matters worse, Lallie Kemp Hospital in Independence, LA didn’t have a orthopedic clinic so I had to drive weekly to Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, LA. 

I met caring staff and doctors at both hospitals who really cared and helped me to get through my medical crisis. Realizing I was blessed with loving and supportive friends like Walter and Joan who drove me to the hospital weekly, my two sons, and grandchildren who took turns pushing me in the wheelchair and fighting over who is going to get my crutches for me.  I realized that those tiny little hands did so much for me in my time of need.

Faced with the many different situations that one can encounter on this journey.  I no longer needed two shoes.  After going shopping for a comfortable shoe at one of the local department stores.  I asked the saleslady if she could sell me only one shoe at a discounted price. She informed me that she couldn’t do that.  I started an online petition asking stores to sell one shoe to amputees at a discounted price.  

A man named Alex contacted me, he informed me that his girlfriend Erika had her right leg amputated and she had passed away due to other illness. He told me that he would donate her prosthetic leg to me if I could use it.  After we brought our conversation to an end, I didn’t know what to think.  Tears of joy took over me. Within the next three days he mailed the prosthetic leg to me. Now, I had to find a certified Prosthetist/ Orthotist to fix the leg to fit me. I called Hanger Clinic, Bernard Watson, III, CPO to find out if he could make the donated prosthetic leg work for me.  The company secretary gave me an appointment to come in the office with the leg. The rest of the story is nothing short of a miracle from Hanger Clinic once again.

I did some online research and found that Hanger Clinic is the company that created a prosthetic tail for the dolphin called Winter who lost her tail and joint when she became tangled in a crab trap in the Indian River Lagoon, along Florida’s East Coast. Hanger’s had given so many people like me, a dream come true by helping us to walk again.  

Research has revealed that in the United States, there are approximately 1.7 million people living with limb loss. It is estimated that one out of every 200 people in the U.S. has had an amputation

“What We Do for Ourselves Die With Us. What We Do For Others and the World Remains and is Immortal.” — Albert Pine

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

Millions of people all across America spent their Thanksgiving Holiday indulging in Turkey and all the stuffing’s. Eating pies and cakes while watching football games with family and friends. Some people were preparing for the big shopping day on Black Friday. For the past several years Gathering of Hearts and volunteers have collected food, clothes, and other personal items to distribute to families who are in need of a helping hand.

Gathering of Hearts—is a non-profit organization that helps families or individuals who need food, clothes, and shelter. “People are really hurting financially because of this recession, lost of jobs and income” GOH co-founder Ines Soto said. Gathering of Hearts receive phone calls all the time from people who want to help others in need. Photojournalist Wesaam Al-Badry, who lives in Nebraska wanted to document the living conditions of people in the Mississippi Delta, contacted Gathering of Hearts. He didn’t want to come empty handed; he packed his car with donations of socks, jackets, brand new comforter sets, clothes, cameras, shoes, and other items and headed down south.

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

GOH made plans to distribute these items to the people from Fluker, Louisiana to the Mississippi Delta on Thanksgiving Day. Avrell Stokes just three weeks shy of getting his Master Degree at the University of Southern Mississippi in Public Health with an emphasis in policy and administration, volunteered his time to help distribute the donations and to learn more about poverty and what he could do to help eradicate poverty in the state of Mississippi.” I lived in Mississippi all my life and didn’t know that poverty exist to this extent, Stokes said.”

GOH would like to thanks photojournalist Wesaam Al-Badry, the Center for People in Need, and everyone who made contributions to this cause.

“If you would like to get involved, please contact Gathering of Hearts—we can use volunteers to help others in need, “ Soto said. Soto and Boston Mother Care founders organized their 3^rd Annual Women’s Winter Coat Drive for the women at Rosie’s Place in Boston, MA.  

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

Please follow us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/gatheringofhearts

Poverty in Fluker, Louisiana

Poverty Hurts Everyone!

Lack of resources and economics can have a lifelong affect on children in poor communities. Our focus should be to provide empowerment programs to the underprivileged thoughout America. Rural towns throughout America often times lack the resources to help needy families and children. For the past four years I have been traveling to Fluker, Louisiana to talk with families there. I have met children with some of the most brilliant minds and children who are very creative with what little they may have. A new analysis released on September 28, 2012 by the bipartisan children's advocacy organization First Focus finds that child poverty in several states grew at rates more than triple the national average from 2010 to 2011. Children are becoming more vulnerable due to the economic crisis and the recession.

Photo courtesy of Roy Curtis

I spent years conducting genealogical research on my maternal side of the family in Amite, Louisiana. Now it was time to start conducting genealogical research on my paternal side of the family. My paternal research took me to Fluker, Louisiana. I wanted to go and see the place where my paternal family lived. I took Hwy 51 traveling south from Kentwood, Louisiana. I learned that Fluker, Louisiana is not incorporated as a town, although there is a Post Office located there. I drove around just to site see, basically looking for the old family homestead, the family church, cemetery and people who could give me a little oral history of Fluker, Louisiana and the people who live there. I didn't find a library, doctor's office, community center, park or any other center that would help empower the people who live there. What I did find is lots of poverty and houses that are in need of repairs. Without a community center or recreation center where would the local people get public information, social support or any other educational empowerment activities? In other states and communities you can find community centers, Christian community centers, Islamic and Jewish community centers that service the people and communities.

Community center can play a major part in building a strong foundation in the community development. It also can address the peoples needs, desires and aspirations. The community center can have a specific purpose by serving the entire community. It can provide education in the arts, free seminars, support networks, community activities, performing arts and provide a community meeting place. 

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

According to the Fluker, LA Demographic Information, the estimated population is 629. The Black population is 444, White population is 187, Hispanic population 8, Asian population 8, Indian population 2. The average household income is $12,188.00.

Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it make some virtues impracticable, and other extremely difficult. Samuel Johnson

According to the new poverty data by the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 830, 000 Louisianans lives below the poverty line. " In 2010, Louisiana had the seventh highest poverty rate in the country, compared to the ranking eighth in 2009. The Governor of Louisiana made deep cuts to health cares, education and other vital services that family who are struggling depends on.

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

Photographs taken in Fluker, Louisiana. 

                                              http://www.facebook.com/gatheringofhearts

  

Poverty in Webb, Mississippi

There is a saying that there is no poverty like poverty in rural America. All across the United States in rural towns you will find families and individuals living in extreme poverty. Some are living without heating, air conditioning, food, and sometimes water. I traveled throughout the states of Mississippi and Louisiana to small towns on poverty tours. Some towns aren't incorporated. The poverty data reports is one of the best placed to start researching and can provide the much need help to your community.

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.                   

Webb is a town in Tallahatchie County. According to the 2000 census the population was 587. Webb was founded circa 1880. The first post office was founded in 1880 and named Hood for one of the earlier settlers. In 1882, Judge James L.A. Webb, a Confederate veteran and University of North Carolina, operated the only store there. The town was later renamed in honor of Judge Webb. In July of 2001, Earnestine Dixon became the first African American mayor of the town, serving one term from 2001-2005.

Family Below Poverty Level
According to the most recent surgery, families living below the poverty line in Webb numbered 21, or 16.2 percent of the population. The percentage of families in America living below the poverty line was 9.20%.

Individuals Below the Poverty Level in Webb, MS
Individuals living below the poverty line in the community was 144, or 26.6 percent. The percentage of individuals living beneath the poverty level in the country was 12.40%.

Webb, Mississippi is just one of the many rural towns in America that is poverty stricken. The lack of jobs and resources is the main two reasons why poverty is extremely high in Webb, MS. This past week photo journalist Wesaam Al-Babry and Walter C. Black, Sr spent their Thanksgiving holiday helping me to give out blankets, socks, coats, and other needed items to the needy and documenting through photographs the impoverish conditions. Avrell Stokes a student studying at the University of Southern Mississippi who is just three weeks shy of getting his Master Degree in health policy to help those in need of health care in the state of Mississippi joined us on this mission to help those in need in the Mississippi Delta. He had no ideal that poverty were this bad in rural areas. While driving to other locations, we had the opportunity to discuss poverty issues and causes. He phoned some of his college friends and told them what he was seeing here in the Mississippi Delta. This was his first time visiting the Mississippi Delta. By the end of the poverty tour, he has already arranged to have furniture donated to one of the family in Webb. The family lost their home to a fire about three months ago.

Poverty Hurts Children

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

If you would like to help these families in need, please contact Antoinette Harrell at 504.858.4658 or email Antoinette Harrell at afrigenah@yahoo.com. Items such as food, clothes, shoes, blankets, underwear, educational items, books, toys, pencil and pens are accepted.