I have worked with families living in poverty for over a decade.
I also spent over a decade coaching little league baseball.
If there is one thing I can attest to from my professional and personal experience is that kids are kids.
They have the same desires and aspirations as more affluent kids.
They want a safe, decent place to live.
They want to be loved by their parents, single parent, grandparent or guardian.
They want guidance and structure in their lives.
They want to experience all of the good things in life that others enjoy.
They want an education and an opportunity to succeed and lead a better life.
They want to be happy! All of us that have been blessed with adequate financial means need to do our part to make a difference in the life of a less fortunate child.
There are many ways you can help.
You can start by donating your time as a big brother or sister, by volunteering as a coach, by taking part in a literacy program, by donating clothing, toys and book's, or just by spending some quality time with a child.
Anything you can do to bring joy into any poor child's life is a step in the right direction.
In many cases poor children are neglected and left to raise themselves or their brothers and sisters.
They lack the loving guidance of a true caregiver.
In many cases the adult raising the children may not even realize they are practicing poor parenting for a lack of a good role model when they were children.
There are also situations where the parent or guardian must work long hours or two jobs to make ends meet leaving the child unattended.
This is obviously not out of neglect but an unfortunate result of the need to find a way to put food on the table.
Even though there are numerous social programs aimed at easing the burden of raising a family in many cases it frankly is not enough.
Unfortunately, those that suffer the most are the children.
Our future includes the children that are less fortunate.
They need a little extra help to overcome the barriers that perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
If we all made one small gesture to bring joy to an impoverished child it would be a step in the right direction.
Make an investment in our future let a child know that someone cares about them and that they loved.
Remember, kids are kids!