Below is a quote from a former poor person. In an unpublished autobiographical manuscript that I discovered written by my father who recently passed away, I found this. My father grew up as a child in a very impoverished family, but through ongoing pursuit of education and hard work he ultimately became a distinguished professor at a major Big Ten university:
"I actually considered my inheritance, in the way of physical and intangible assets to come not just from my ancestors, but from benefactors that included relatives, intimate friends and compari who treated us D'Angelo children as kin and were regarded as such by us. It also includes charitable friends and neighbors, private agencies, schools and state and local agencies indispensable for the poor who seek redemption. Without the kind help of these living entities life would have been extremely difficult for us. This outside assistance was not an infrequent handout, but was often repeated graciously and extended, but never fully acknowledged for what it was. Our parents depended on it even if they wouldn't admit it to themselves or to the rest of us. The benefits we received through their interventions were material and physical in the form of food, fuel, clothing, money and experiential opportunities that enriched our lives. Just as important in the list of benefits to us were real but intangible things like love, attention, acceptance, warm relations and recognition of our worth. Whatever deficiencies or incapacity's our parents possessed in providing these refinements were supplemented by many benefactors that I acknowledge with gratitude."
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