All across America, people are hurting. Most of all, people are hurting for jobs- even those already employed. Half a million Americans have lost their jobs this year, bringing unemployment up to over 7%. But how many Americans are “underemployed”?

In order to prevent poverty, people need jobs that provide a livable wage with basic medical benefits. Underemployed Americans are forced into working part time simply because there are no full time jobs available. Employees who are underemployed rarely receive benefits of full time employees. Sick employees are forced to buy medical insurance outside of their job, which further reduces their income. In fact, some companies purposely reduce employee hours below full time to avoid paying for their benefits!

One state that has made the news lately is California. For many Californians, times are the roughest they’ve been in 14 years. 1 in 5 unemployed adults in California have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer. The overall unemployment rate is nearly 9%. These unemployed adults are forced to turn to public aid for help at a time when California faces one of the biggest budget shortfalls in history.

California is a perfect example of what could happen in 2010 if states across America don’t push for economic and financial reform. By the end of 2009, if the foreclosure rates continue, several million Americans will become homeless. Meanwhile banks and credit card companies continue poor consumer practices that are tearing the American dream apart at the seams.

Poverty prevention is a complex issue, but it begins with an individual’s ability to become self-reliant and maintain a standard of living. Without a chance, many Americans are simply giving up. It’s time to inspire action and demand for consumer and employee protection.

For more information, see A Time for Growing Need

In New York, almost 8000 families spend the night homeless. Most of them aren’t gamblers, drug abusers or criminals. Most of them are simple families just trying to make it in a tough economy that offers little hope of education or job progression. One emergency can set a family like this into a downward spiral of homelessness as they suddenly can’t pay rent.

The United Way has designated three main factors that can prevent homelessness: education, income and health. New York poses a significant challenge to many families struggling to live “the good life”. According to the United Way:

• 5 in 10 public school students don't earn a high school diploma

• 1 in 5 New Yorkers live below the poverty line - just $22,200 for a family of four

• Thousands of families and children lack access to basic preventive and primary health care

Without education, there’s almost no hope of job progression or better wages. Without better wages, there’s almost no hope of saving money for an emergency, much less a medical emergency. As families expand, their children usually suffer the most from the lack of basic medical care and needs.

The United Way in New York has founded the first court-based homelessness prevention program in the U.S. This program is designed to attack all three problem areas that can lead to homelessness.

To improve education, the United Way has paired with local community programs that reach out to at-risk youth to provide educational opportunities funded by private donors. As a result, more underprivileged children are receiving their diplomas every day. Many more are attending college and apprenticeship programs, fueled by a consortium of private community programs and the United Way.

Improving financial stability is a key factor in sustaining self-reliance and dignity. Many New Yorkers have been forced to choose between rent and necessary survival items. The United Way created the Food Card Access project, which increases accessibility to food stamps. Families can now save some of their money and increase their own sustainability.

Finally, medical bills have led to more bankruptcies in America than any other financial problem. Unfortunately many medical problems could have been prevented with healthy food and preventative health care. The United Way has teamed up with the Department of Health and community-sponsored agricultural projects to provide nutritious food and health education to thousands of low-income residents of New York.

This program is a great example to state governments across America. It’s time we recognize that homelessness isn’t just a personal problem. It’s a national crisis that we must band together to solve.

For more information, visit The United Way.

For veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, many never thought they would still be at war when they came home. Unfortunately, everyday more veterans are becoming homeless. Just how does a vet become homeless? Usually, it has a lot to do with the military lifestyle. Here are some factors that make it especially hard for vets to obtain employment following duty:

• Constant moving: the military moves most of its enlisted and officer force every 3-4 years. This makes it especially hard for a vet to obtain professional contacts in local areas, or have a reliable reference record.

• Budget constraint: military members are paid a salary, but most do not make more than $50,000 even if they live in a high cost living area. As a result, many go deep into debt trying to live on their small military budget. Furthermore, due to the military lifestyle, most cannot hold second jobs while they serve.

• Lack of mental health resources: Most military members are exposed to extreme stress throughout their careers- even more so if they deploy often. The VA has gotten better at providing mental help but its far from perfect and many fall through the cracks

• VA Paperwork: Did you know the average time between discharge and when a vet sees their first benefit check can be as long as 2 years? During that time, the vet isn’t getting paid and isn’t getting any benefits whatsoever. This includes health. As a result, many go even further into debt as they struggle to survive.

For the vets that come home and rent, almost 2% have to spend over 15% of their pay on rent. This leaves little room for health care, food and utilities. In some areas of the nation, the almost 8% of all veterans are homeless.

The best solution needs to be immediate as we have more coming home every day. Job skills and continuing education are the top factors that will help a veteran combat poverty and homelessness. With their sacrifice, they deserve no less.

For more information, visit End Homelessness.