Darkening Clouds... Silver Lining?

How bad are things getting?

Beyond the obvious numbers -- 7.6 percent unemployment, 6,600 foreclosures a day -- the depressing indicators keep piling up, each statistic representing more pain and hardship.

The United Way saw a 68-percent increase during the past year in the number of calls for basic needs such as food, shelter, and warm clothes.

31.1 million people received food stamps in November, an increase of 13 percent from a year earlier.

In Arizona, there's been a 100-percent increase in the number of people seeking social services from the state.

In Contra Costa, California, 40,000 families applied for 350 available affordable-housing vouchers.

In San Francisco, food banks report a 30-percent rise in demand for emergency food assistance. In Lehigh Acres, Florida demand is up 75 percent.

If, as it now seems likely, unemployment hits 9 percent, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates the number of Americans driven into poverty will rise by 7 to 10 million -- on top of the 37.3 million currently living below the poverty line (and while that number is the latest from the Census Bureau, it's from 2007, before the worst of the downturn).

Making matters worse -- much worse -- is the fact that the growing need is being met by a decrease in government programs and charitable services.

18 states cut their welfare rolls last year.

The number of families receiving government financial assistance is at a 40-year low.

In South Carolina, low-income women under 40 with breast or cervical cancer have had their treatment cut.

In Nevada, the state's largest public hospital has stopped providing outpatient oncology services.

In Arizona, programs to prevent child abuse and lower the number of children in foster care were slashed.

In Florida, home services for poor seniors are on the budget chopping block.

In Utah, 20,000 poor people face being removed from the state's primary care health network.

And more cutbacks like these seem inevitable as 44 states are facing budget shortfalls over the next two years.

"The scale of this is unprecedented," AARP Vice President Elaine Ryan told the Los Angeles Times. Ryan says that in her nearly 30 years of working on health policy issues, "I really have never seen anything like this."

Meanwhile, over half of the nation's charitable organizations saw a decrease in donations in the final quarter of 2008, normally the time of the year when charities receive the majority of their annual contributions.

This brutal combination of rising need and lowered services has led to a growing sense of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear.

"The first thing we see in times like this," Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton told me, "is a rise in domestic violence."

Adding to the volatility, gun ownership is on the rise. According to FBI data, gun sales in February 2009 were 23 percent higher than February 2008.

A recent study by the National Domestic Violence Hotline found that 54 percent of those calling the hotline had experienced a change in their family's financial situation in the past year.

"Domestic violence is about power and control," says a spokesperson for the hotline. "If you lose control in one area of your life, like losing your job, you may want to exert more control in another area of your life, like at home."

Even though there has not been a spike in other types of crime, criminologists say there is usually a one-year delay between economic downturns and a rise in crime. Not good news when juxtaposed with a new report that found 63 percent of police agencies across the country are facing budget cuts.

You can see America's already-frayed safety net coming apart, strand by strand.

That is why it is so urgent to buttress the government programs and charitable groups struggling to provide resources to the growing pool of those in need. Service, volunteerism, and giving are absolutely central to our recovery as a nation -- not questions of noblesse oblige.

As Richard Stengel, managing editor of Time magazine, said when he testified to the House Education and Labor Committee: "Service is in our DNA as a nation and as a people."

Indeed, while we are trying to move the economy to full capacity through the stimulus package, bailouts, etc., we also need to make sure that our communities are operating at full capacity. Our full capacity of giving. Our full capacity of service. Our full capacity of compassion.

That's why the passage of President Obama's plan to expand service in America should be a Congressional priority. The Serve America Act, introduced by Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch, is scheduled to come up for debate this month in the Senate, while House leaders are working to produce a matching bill. The legislation would increase the number of full-time service positions (based on the AmeriCorps model) from 75,000 to 250,000.

These positions have an exponential impact on the recruitment of unpaid volunteers. In 2008, 75,000 AmeriCorps members mobilized and led 2.2 million community volunteers.

And the demand is growing. Teach for America, for instance, this year expects to receive 37,000 applications for 5,000 positions.

The pay-off is remarkable. For example, of the 230,000 special needs children mentored by 30,000 Senior Corps "Foster Grandparents" last year, 81 percent showed improved academic performance, 90 percent showed improved self-image, and 59 percent reported a reduction in risky behavior. And students working with an Experience Corps tutor did 40 percent better than students without tutors. Plus, schools with Experience Corps programs had 50 percent fewer suspensions than schools without Experience Corps.

Writing about the housing meltdown, I said that foreclosures are "a gateway calamity: every foreclosure is a crisis that begets a whole other set of crises. Someone loses his or her home. It sits vacant. Surrounding home values drop. Others move out. Squatters move in. Crime goes up. Tax revenues plummet, taking school budgets down with them."

Volunteering and service are the other side of the coin. They are a gateway opportunity: not only do they meet a pressing need, they allow us to expand the boundaries of our caring beyond ourselves -- the reverberations are felt throughout our communities.

And there is the additional psychological advantage for those who've lost jobs of using their skills to help others while they are dealing with their own harsh economic realities.

As America's Misery Index soars, so must our Empathy Index.

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[MCTSilverlakeCA]

Ms. Huffington - Well Said ...but do you think you could please make a comment - one that will be heard by those employers out there who are presently, or who contemplate hiring someone in the future...t­o please... please..ig­nore using "positive credit scores" as a way to deny employment to people? I mean, WE didn't cause this crisis... WE are the one's suffering from it... and WE are the one's needing those jobs... we don't need the Employment Door's slammed in our faces because the Banking Industry lied and cheated and stole from us... we aren't the criminals here... so stop treating us like a criminal..­.

[lastpost]

Survival of the fittest works for animals, and so far it has worked for us. Unfortunately however, it can only work for as long as an arena exists in which such struggles can be played out. Beyond that, survival is strictly reserved for the most adept. Thus accomplishing or not accomplishing the transition from one type of strategy to another, will determine our fitness to continue.

[GOODREASON]

All this and Congress wants to spend a wad of cash on Pig Smell studies? Hello????!!!!!!!!

[dianhow]

There have always been so called ear marks-they all do it. Old habits die hard-it will take awhile.
Still Obama has done a lot of good things in his first 50 days. The budget you're speaking about was for the fiscal 2008 budget. Dems & Repubs both have many ear marks in it. Sure- I'd like Obama to veto it-but I will give him the benefit of the doubt until the 2009 budget comes out- once he has been in power for a year. Our Big Problem is - Bush & Co left us with no money and a gigantic crisis-so we are forced to consider that which we should never HAVE TO consider. In other words-
Its a dire emergency folks. S0...Thank Reagan - Bush- Cheney &- Greenspan for their
'legacy ' of crap that they dumped on Obama - and all of us !!

[billw8017]

I hate charity and means tested welfare; the first because I am somewhat susceptible to it; the second because it is arbitrary and even whimsical; both, because they only work in good times. When everybody is hurting, they tighten up. It can get pathetic: In the Great Depression, cities sometimes asked civil employees to work free on "pay-less" workdays. They often did this even while extending some welfare to the needy. You know this was "political" in the sense, the pitch had to be made and many didn't have the persuasive powers.

Many people who hate "socialism" and recommend charity know this voluntary character. Their plan is to say they have no obligation to the needy and, finally, deny them both welfare and charity. Besides, what is the point of means testing? Won't the person who can afford it, increase expenses by starting a family and taking on their provisioning? A means tested charity is teasing people with arbitrary largess but cut it off if it works and just keep people in misery.

While we mean to labor and justify our existence to our society, there are things we can more practically do together: public roads, public schooling (not vouchers to switch schools, but if that's needed, extend ourselves to improve the schools in the same spirit that we build interstate highways -- those who prefer can use helicopters at their own expense), and health care. Planning and system are infinitely superior to catch as catch can charity work.

[SpruceCreek]

The main fear is not the collapse of the financial markets and the realization by the common investor that Wall Street is a game of fools, but the coming hyperinflation, see Economic Apocalypse, The Inconvenient Debt...

[dianhow]

Spruce- Yes- and as I said it's the Reagan - Bush-Cheney- Greenspan legacy of selfish greed & no controls on Wall St or banks. That's how we got here What say you- Rick Santini fat cat guys !
If we do not acknowledge that fact- we are bound to REPEAT IT.
So I mention it whenever I can. Lack of control of Wall St is how Madoff got away with his ponzi scheme for so long !

[Dredd]

Good news:

http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-international-womens-day-2009.html

Happy Women's Day

[Roberto31]

PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIKE THE CAPATALIST SYSTEM SHOULD MOVE TO A SOCIALIST COUNTRY. YOU WILL BE MUCH HAPPIER. THERE ARE COUNTRIES WITH YEARS OF FAILED SOCIALIST ECONOMIIES AND THEIR CONTROLLED PRESS LIKE OURS KEEPS THEM SO STUPID THEY DONT KNOW THEY ARE LIVING IN A WORTHLESS SOCIETY. MOVE ON BROTHER. MAKE ROOM FOR SOME REALLY AGGRESSIVE, CREATIVE, IMAGINATIVE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO WITH YOU GUYS GONE WILL BUILD AMERICA BACK TO WHAT IT SHOULD AND COULD BE. THOMAS JEFFERSON WILL WAVE AT YOU AS YOU SAIL OUT FOR THE LAST TIME FROM AMERICA. THINK POSITIVE. YOUR COMMUNE MAY HAVE HEAT IN THE WINTER. ALL THOSE RUMORS ABOUT NO HEAT , NOT ENOUGH FOOD OR HOUSING IN UTOPIA ARE PROBABLY JUST LIBERAL PRESS BS ANYWAY!!

[snoopbuzz]

COULD YOU REPEAT THAT, I DID NOT HAVE MY HEARING AID IN.

[Roberto31]

THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAD THEIR CHANCE AND BARNEY FRANK, CHRIS DODD AND BUSH BLEW IT FOR THEM. WHEN WILL AMERICANS LEARN THAT THE MORE GOVERNMENT INTEFERES WITH OUR ECONOMY THE WORSE IT GETS?? COULD IT BE POLITICIANS HAVE A POLITICAL AGENDA RATHER THAN AN ECONOMIC AGENDA??

[elefantnhaus]

the private sector had their chance and blew it

btw, your caps lock key is on

[DiscernTruth]

hmmm. no heat, not enough food, or housing. sounds like the U.S.

[rnadna]

Ans what that sound going down the toilet...?­??

[dianhow]

Capitalism / free markets are great Its only when they are uncontrolled and have no safe guards to protect the public- that it runs wild - as we've just seen. Madoff and and his ilk could NOT HAVE run his giant scheme for so long without the Reagan / Bush deregulation of banks & Wall St
Helping folks is NOT socialism - never has been - never will be. That's why folks all over the world risk their lives to come Here. Bush / Cheney almost had a dictatorship for 8 long years.. Good riddance.

[irtrad17]

On September 11th as I watched the towers burn and fall, I remember a talking head (I'm pretty sure it was CNN) say "These towers represent so much money" without any regard to the lives and souls that were destroyed. The naked greed in this country is astounding, is my point. Conservatives are only good at conserving their own money, not conserving energy, resources, the environment, etc...Ther­e is still a Manifest Destiny mentality in this country that assumes that the individual can always just get what they want and screw everyone else. If I run into trouble in the coming dark clouds, I have no faith that the state will help me whatsoever and I will most likely have to emigrate and try my luck in another country (preferably a socialist one ;-)

[kenstremsky]

Some websites that may help people improve their finances and help them improve the finances of others are

http://www.kiplinger.com
http://assetbuilder.com
http://www.couponmom.com/
http://www.debtproofliving.com/
http://www.mybargainbuddy.com/
http://www.finishrich.com/pages/home.php


http://www.bargainoutfitters.com and http://www.sportsmansguide.com have 100 percent satisfaction, no time limit guarantee polcies. The websites often have great prices on pants, jackets, socks, and shoes. If you want to stretch your charitable dollars, you might want to buy things from the companies. The companies have e-mail specials and a 30 day price adjustment policy. If I buy a product from either of the companies, the price decreases, and I call the company, the company has put the difference back on my card. I have bought many things from the companies. Sometimes, the companies have had items for more than $30 less than other internet retailers.

Sincerely,

Ken Stremsky

[Klimb]

Again, very well said AHuffington. Why aren't many in the MSmedia beating the same drum sound like AH...such thoughtfulness is the ANSWER TO PROMOTING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE!

[entropygal]

We have to keep in mind that productivity in this country was so high that fewer people were needed to do the jobs that were automated, streamlined and replaced with computers. We as a society must now figure out how to bring back the leisure society while providing our food, clothing and shelter...­the basics without handing all housing over to the banks.

Who can provide the permanent solution? It is a true paradigm shift and it seems we're still looking backwards for the answers.

[UNCLEJOE]

In many cities the high school drop out is as high as 50%. There is no employment for these students; even college grads are taking up all the menial jobs. These High School Drop-out represent a very large population much like my "Lost Generation in Pre WW II days.

In 1941, I dropped out of high-school. Fortunately there was an educational program for high school drop outs where young men could enroll in a free technological school located in wilderness of Maine, studying technical skills that prepared us for skilled employment in the aeronautical field, in preparation for WW II duties.

I wrote a book about this experience with a dozen photos of the campus which was more like a self-sufficient village for 600 students.

I want to submit my documentary with photos to the Obama teram as a suggestion to create similar self-sufficient villages all over the country to help train our High School Drop-outs; the benefits are only too obvious.

Any suggestions on how I can contact the appropriate Obama team to submit my free High School Drop-out documentary as a solution to a problem of tens of millions of roaming unemployed youths with future hazards only imaginable­.?

[DiscernTruth]

That sounds great, UncleJoe. I would start with the Office of Public Liaison http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/opl/

[DiscernTruth]

There is also this newly formed task force http://www.whitehouse.gov/strongmiddleclass/
There is a "Submit your ideas to us" form on this site.

[FilipinoW]

My husband gets around US$500 worth of hypertensi­on/diabete­s meds from his US$30 monthly medicare contribution With it, he can also see any doctor or specialist for a fee of less than US$5 per visit. Size does matter as Taiwan is just a 23million size population so coverage is extensive (no dental however).
Your health care cost is too high because hospitals, doctors and pharmaceutical companies have too much liability cost. When an operation goes awry, one can sue for millions of dollars. A drug causes adverse reaction among a group of people, class action suits are filed. Who benefits? Lawyers of which your president and most of your politicians are. Unless, lawyers/lawsuits are out of the equation then and only then can you reform your health care system.
California has more lawyers than the whole of Japan combined. It is probably not only for the low wages but fear from being sued by the employees and neighborhoods where they operate that American companies are moving jobs to countries where no such risk exists.
America is fighting too many fires, but the banks and the housing problem have to be fixed first. Unless everybody would chip in (literally with money and jewelry) as what the South Koreans did during the Asian financial crisis, then this mess may well go on forever.
I do not wish for America to fail, because if you do then my country whose politicians ape almost every move of your Congress, will also fail.

[SnapShots]

I don't know if you noticed, but in Limbaugh's bouncy-bouncy GPAC speech, he mocked 'community­.'

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Obviously he's not part of one, domestically speaking.

[gretasmom]

I agree with you. Things are really tough. But I believe that things can only be changed by changing ourselves. Thank you for the information on Domestic Abuse. It was alive in the 50's when I was a kid and it's still killing children..­. and if not physically then psychically. Empathy helps... but I think this old lady has got to get out there and do some more stuff. I want to work with PTSD returning vets. Though I have lots of experience with PTSD and with art groups, I've never started a non-profit and I know this one on my mind would be great... not just in MY community but in other places.... Anyway. Thanks for bucking up my spirits and letting me "comment" my idea....