Just finished watching a documentary (yes, I love my documentaries!) on people having to rely on welfare payments and government assistance. A lot of these individuals receive a mere $500 from the government each fortnight, which is barely enough to cover life's basic necessities of food and housing. Many such individuals are unable to work, for various reasons such as physical injury or disability, and are therefore dependent on these payments. For those with children, the situation becomes that much harder, as $500 a fortnight is already not enough for even just one person.
Even before watching this documentary, I already knew of individuals in these sorts of situations, but it's so easy to lose sight of this fact. What really struck a note from this documentary were the simple things: some couldn't afford rent and therefore end up just sleeping in their cars; others have to rely on soup kitchens for a proper meal. Many are unable to even afford a cup of coffee whenever they please (which to me, is an absolute daily necessity!).
It's good to be aware of how fortunate we are to have what we have and to be thankful for it. From now, each time I have a cup of coffee, I'll be reminded of how there are so many amongst us who can't even afford this simple luxury.
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