Addressing poverty requires solutions like living wages, affordable healthcare, education access, and housing support.

By Mike Roman (Kiribati 2000-2002)

January is National Poverty in America Month, a time to confront the reality of poverty in the United States and reflect on a conversation with my father, who worked tirelessly to lift our family out of poverty. When I joined the Peace Corps, he asked, “Why would you go overseas to help when there are so many problems here?”

I remember riding in the car with him after church, the engine’s hum filling the silence. His hands gripped the wheel firmly, his eyes fixed ahead, his voice heavy with confusion. His journey was one of relentless effort, navigating scarcity, and pursuing opportunity through hard work. To him, I imagine my decision to serve abroad felt like a betrayal of everything he’d built here.

It wasn’t easy to explain that my choice wasn’t about betraying all he worked for but living the values he’d instilled—compassion, service, and empathy. His question echoes every January, reminding me that poverty isn’t “over there.” It’s here—from the Texas border towns where he grew up to Over-The-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio, where I taught Junior High School 25 years ago and continue to serve in non-profits today. His words fuel my commitment to service, both abroad and at home.

Poverty affects millions. As of 2023, 11.5% of Americans—37.9 million people—live in poverty. Children, single parents, older adults, and people with disabilities are most vulnerable. Addressing poverty requires solutions like living wages, affordable healthcare, education access, and housing support. My father’s question remains a call to action for compassion and service at home and abroad.