The Math Doesn’t Work
What a single father's story reveals about poverty, wages, and the limits of nonprofit Band-Aids
Working at a nonprofit, you become accustomed to justifying your existence to various parties of interest. I am constantly tracking data: client statistics, volunteer hours, and money spent are all documented thoroughly.
I do these things happily because I, too, want to see results and progress.
However, there is one question I feel is asked unfairly. How will you become sustainable?
Sustainability is a fair and necessary question to ask of a for-profit business.
But when I think of social service nonprofits, Family Promise of Bradley County and others in the community, I believe we want nothing more than to be worked out of a job.
It is my goal for all of the families I serve to have the income and resources they need to live a productive life and not be dependent on agencies and support from others.
Recently, we assisted a single father with a young child in school. The father was employed full-time but received no benefits. When his child was home for spring break, and the father was unable to find childcare, he lost his job when he had to stay home and care for his child. The father found new employment, but because of a lack of childcare, he was forced to take a part-time job that mirrored his child’s school schedule.
In this family, and in so many others, there was steady employment. Although without the benefit of paid time off, this was unsustainable. This puts parents in quite a predicament, having to balance their employment with their parental responsibilities.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in Tennessee, individuals paid minimum wage must work 129 hours per week to afford rent for a one-bedroom housing unit at fair market rent. NLIHC Tennessee Dashboard
The math doesn’t work.
When almost 47% of households in Bradley County live below the ALICE threshold, meaning they are not bringing in enough money to cover the basic costs of living, the community must reevaluate and look to find solutions. Bradley County ALICE Report
Economics is a major contributing factor of poverty and homelessness in our area.
This means systemic change.
There is no reason for an individual to struggle with housing when they are working full-time. Yet, I hear this story repeatedly.
Instead of funding nonprofits and social service agencies to fill needs, wouldn’t it be more effective to provide a living wage with benefits to residents in our community?
There must be an economic solution that would meet everyone’s needs.
Although I love my job, I want nothing more than for people not to need me.
So, no, I do not want to be sustainable. I want people to live independently, contributing to our community.