URGENT Give Send Go Fund Raiser

 Many people living in poverty are not there because of personal choice, laziness, or moral failing. This is a persistent and harmful myth that overlooks the deep-rooted systemic and societal factors that trap individuals and families in cycles of hardship, often across generations. The Reality: Systemic Barriers and Generational Conditioning. Poverty in the United States is largely a structural issue, shaped by decades of policies, economic systems, and social inequalities that limit opportunities and perpetuate disadvantage. Key factors include:

• Historical and ongoing discrimination — Policies like redlining, segregation, and occupational exclusion have created lasting wealth gaps, particularly for communities of color. These legacies mean families face unequal access to education, jobs, housing, and capital, making upward mobility far harder.
• Intergenerational cycles — Poverty is often "inherited" through self-reinforcing mechanisms. Children growing up in low-income households encounter underfunded schools, limited role models, food insecurity, and chronic stress, which affect health, development, and future earnings. Studies show that about one-third to one-half of children who experience substantial childhood poverty remain poor as adults, not due to lack of effort, but because systemic barriers block paths out.
• Economic and policy structures — Low wages (often unsustainable minimums), wage stagnation, lack of affordable housing/childcare/healthcare, and inadequate social safety nets keep families precarious. The U.S. stands out among developed nations for high poverty rates tied to limited welfare spending and punitive programs that emphasize individual blame over structural fixes.
• Decades of conditioning — Growing up in poverty can instill survival mindsets, hopelessness, or limited "hidden rules" of middle-class institutions (e.g., navigating professional networks or education systems). This isn't a "culture of poverty" chosen by individuals—it's a rational response to environments where hard work alone often doesn't yield security. Systemic racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of marginalization compound these effects, disproportionately impacting certain groups.

Evidence consistently debunks the idea that poverty stems primarily from poor choices. For instance, most people in poverty work (often in essential, low-wage jobs), yet structural forces like discrimination in hiring, unequal pay for the same education, and barriers to advancement keep them trapped. Blaming individuals ignores how society has designed systems that favor some while disadvantaging others. 

Local Context in Kalamazoo County: 

In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, these dynamics play out clearly. Recent data shows around 13-14% of residents live below the federal poverty line, with higher rates in the city of Kalamazoo (around25%). When including ALICE households (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—those earning above poverty but unable to afford basics), about 38% of households struggle financially. Single-female-headed households with children face rates as high as 73% in poverty or near-poverty, reflecting broader systemic issues like childcare costs, wage gaps, and limited affordable housing. These aren't isolated personal stories—they reflect regional economic challenges, historical inequities, and national patterns where effort alone can't always overcome entrenched barriers. 

Why This Matters for Our Work At New Guardian Angel:

 We see this reality every day. The families we serve—widows, single mothers, seniors, and people with disabilities—aren't in unsafe, aging homes because they chose hardship. They're there because of systemic factors that make repairs unaffordable and stability elusive. By providing critical home repairs, we're not just fixing roofs or plumbing; we're addressing one piece of a larger cycle, helping restore safety, dignity, and hope so families can focus on breaking generational patterns. Recognizing poverty as a societal ill—not an individual shortcoming—calls us to collective action: stronger safety nets, equitable policies, and community support. Your partnership helps turn compassion into real change for those conditioned by decades of disadvantage. If you're moved to help, a contribution today can make homes safe and livable for families who deserve better—not because of what they've done, but because of what society owes them. Together, we can help rewrite their stories. God bless your generosity and our shared commitment to justice. 

We were founded by two entrepreneurs who enjoyed the successes that God's blessings had bestowed on them, they were brought together by Divine Providence and as they met working on projects developed by the well known national non-profit Habitat for Humanity they agreed to form a new non-profit that focused not on building a new home for those less fortunate, but rather  repairing and remodeling homes for single mothers, retirees, individuals with disabilities and others that had a home but couldn't afford to keep up with the continuing repairs required of homeowners.  They made a solemn promise to work together under the loving leadership of a Higher Power and help others that needed a hand up.  Seeing a need for energetic, nonprofit work in this area, we formed our organization to provide sensible solutions. We've consistently grown since then, all thanks to the helping hands of New Guardian Angels that serve our amazing communities !