Is the government giving the right people welfare?

By Akpedje Dick-Blewoussi
Roosevelt High School

Someone I know has two children and lives in Missouri. She has a nice and happy life. I think she can work but she never does. She has all the physical, financial and moral help from the government and the church. I believe she does not deserve or need it.

This woman lives in St. Louis. She gets food stamps and cash every month. She is a participant in the Women Infant Children's (WIC) program, which is a program that helps mothers and pregnant teens pays for day care, groceries and other needs. She needs transportation to go to the WIC programs, government offices, hospital and school, so the government gives her money for this because she says she can’t afford a car.

She has Medicaid insurance from the government for her children. Even though she has all that help from the government, members of her church help her with money, food, clothes and transportation when she is in need.

I think she can afford all that herself. Her job pays her $3,000 a week.

But she's not the only one.

It's a common problem because a lot of people believe they have to take advantage of the welfare the government provides, according to Stephen Anderson a liaison for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP.

If someone finds a job, the government will cut their insurance coverage, according to Quenshay Ramsey, a social worker with the St. Louis Public Schools.

The U.S is losing more children to poverty every five years than it lost soldiers (58,226) during the Vietnam War. Every day, 2,660 children are born into poverty, and 27 die because of it , according to Hearts & Minds, a social agency that tracks information about poverty.

Welfare systems should allow people to receive the benefits they need, but also work at the same time to improve their equality of life, said Ramsey, a social worker.

"As a kid, I was taught how to get welfare growing up," Anderson said.

I asked Ramsey and Anderson how they would define welfare:

Ramsey: “Welfare was developed to be a good concept, however, it has changed over the years and has made people dependent.”

Anderson: “Welfare is an economical assistance that comes from the government to help low-income families in housing, child support, utilities, health care and education.”