DECEMBER 10, 1971
Poverty Exists in Des Plaines;
Do You care?
"Are you kidding? There's poverty here, in Des Plaines? I don't believe it. Why, I've never seen any!"
These were the words of a few people when I told them I was doing an article on the poverty in Des Plaines for the school paper.
It's too bad I didn't make up the topic, but it does exist. And one of the problems is that no one realizes Des Plaines actually has problems with poverty.
I know it surprised me a few years ago when I learned that there were poor here. I never thought of Des Plaines, with its fine homes, to ever have any housing or poverty worries. It's a crime poverty has to exist anywhere, but especially in our own area. Nothing is really done because no one knows enough about it.
A statement by the Northwest Opportunity Center said in a recent report that, from Des Plaines, they helped 105 families, and two-thirds of the 105 were below the poverty line! And 91 housing units consist of only one room!
According to the Herald Day, "There are also 149 housing units in Des Plaines without full plumbing." They defined full plumbing as hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, and a bathtub or shower inside the home.
A few weeks ago Maine West tried to gather food and money for the needy in Des Plaines so they could have a pleasant Thanksgiving. The students were not entirely helpful and some just didn't seem to care. It was our chance to really help the
people who aren't as fortunate to have money or better still, a job. I feel we should reach out and help them all year long, not just on holidays. They need our help, and together we can solve the problem. I'm not sure of a solution, maybe low income housing would help. I don't know, but we can try to find out.
The dictionary defines poverty as "the state of being in need." If we work on it and start right here in Des Plaines, maybe we can wipe out "being in a state of need" all over. Anyway it's a start!