Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with poverty

Is is true third-world poor buy TVs instead of education?

UMDirector — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:20:55 -0800

I heard once that many people living in poverty tend to make more luxurious purchases, such as televisions, as they see simple luxuries as way to enjoy their life in a way they deem possible. Is this true? Can anyone point to a source? The general idea was that rather than gets their hopes up by pursuing education or a quality home they would save up and buy a TV for their shack, etc. This seems backed up by the number of antennas and satellite dishes always seen in photos on the Indian slums and Brazillian favelas but I cannot find a source to attest to this sociologic habit.

What happens when you report an illegal rooming house in Toronto?

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:52:05 -0800

What is the likely result of reporting an illegal rooming house in Toronto? e.g. How often do they end up getting cleaned up, repaired, and properly licensed vs. shut down (whether by the inspectors or by an owner who doesn't want to bother fixing it up)?

Help me avoid being a loan shark.

Salvor Hardin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:08:54 -0800

What's the scoop on the interest rates charged by Kiva's microfinance institutions? I am interested in lending some money via Kiva.org. Kiva has gotten pretty positive press, and the concept makes a lot of sense to me. However, I have heard conflicting and worrying things about the interest rates (averaging around 20%) charged by the regional microfinance institutions that Kiva uses to actually lend the money.

I have heard both that the interest rates are usurious, and also that they are way better than other interest rates that are available in impoverished areas of the world. It seems a bit suspicious that Kiva doesn't tell the lender (as far as I can tell) what the interest rate charged on their loan is. This FAQ from kiva.org seems to explain the high interest rate pretty reasonably, but IANAeconomist, so I feel like I could get suckered. This AskMe question has a bit of a side thread about this topic, but it wasn't very conclusive.

So: What's the real deal about Kiva? Do they suck the life out of poor people with predatory interest rates? Or is it the shining beacon of a new and better way to alleviate poverty? I also welcome any other insight about the pros/cons of kiva.org. Thanks!

Lollipop Fields and Robot Makeovers?

thebellafonte — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:10:31 -0800

Can anyone identify these cartoons? One about two poor kids who dream of a world made of food, then wake up to a feast in their kitchen. Another about a young couple at a future world/technology expo where they see instant houses, get groomed by robots, and ballroom dance? I had a VHS tape as a kid with a few cartoons on it.
Here's what I remember from the first cartoon:
Brother and sister living in poverty. They stand outside of a baker's (?) window and lick their lips, which the baker sees. Baker goes over and starts whispering to town butcher (?). Mother feeds them cake for dinner, and it's hard so the kids dip it in milk. They ask for more food, but there isn't any. Mom starts crying on table. She tucks them in, their blankets look like swiss cheese. They have this mutual dream in which everything is for eating- lollipop flower fields, possibly some carnival rides made out of cheese wheels and things. They wake up and realize it was only a dream. Then they go to the kitchen and there's a huge table full of delicious things to eat. The baker and the butcher are there. The boy stabs himself with a fork to make sure he isn't still dreaming.
Second cartoon:
Follows a young man and woman as they make their way through some sort of future world expo. There is a bullet train that takes the people to the expo, which is in a tall, rounded skyscraper. Inside, houses are being built very quickly by machines, and a stork flies by and drops a baby in one of the chimneys. The man sits in a robot chair that grooms him- shave, haircut, etc. And the woman steps into some sort of mold that gives her an hourglass shape and a cute dress. I think there's also some robot thing that puts lipstick on her and curls her hair. They go dancing in a ballroom. Oh and I just remembered that they each dance with a robot partner before dancing with eachother. Then they go up to a machine, press a button, and a block falls out. The block unfolds itself and is a totally awesome car. They get in and drive away.

I think about these cartoons more in my adult life than I'm willing to admit.
I'm 23, but I think they're from the 40s. Maybe 50s.

Any help as to identifying them or an idea of where to get a copy would blow me away.

Any good books about 'stone soup' days?

Catch — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:34:40 -0800

I'd like to read some good books, preferably autobiographical, about managing a household in hard times. For purposes of 'professional development' and generally cheering myself up about being the housewife in a single-income family, I have a craving to read good books about successful living on low resources.

Please recommend some! First-hand accounts preferred - depression-era, wartime, or just circumstantial modern hard-times.

How can an injured homeless person expect to be treated at a hospital?

Sully — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:13:37 -0800

How can a homeless person who has been injured (stabbed, for instance) expect to be treated at a U.S. city hospital with no money or health insurance? Surely they wouldn't let him bleed to death? And if they do turn him away, what are his options?

How does one convert idleness into currency, sans boss?

AAAA — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:37:54 -0800

What are some interesting ways people have used to make money, without having a job, per se? (Legally, I mean.) I'm a student in an urban area. I'm relatively broke right now and the thought of asking Mom and Dad for (more) money is really getting me down.

I could go bus tables or wash dishes, but I don't want to. I need some way of selling my time that will make me proud. Experience has taught me that being elbow-deep in suds and other people's food scraps is generally bad for my spirit.

I'm applying for jobs that are more to my liking, but it's looking like it might be a little while before I'm able to land one. Now I'm thinking, as a survival strategy for the next little while, it might be best to make up my own job, and just hire myself.

Has anybody ever successfully made money using nothing but their wits? What, specifically, did you do? How much did it make you?

I have the following assets:

-I can write PRETTY well, though I might not be a good enough copy editor to do the I-will-edit-your-essay-for-$$$ thing.

-I can perform repetitive work for a few hours at a stretch, quickly.

-I have a house located centrally in my city and a bike to get around on, though I am definitely not cut out for bike-messengerhood.

-I have 20 to 30 hours per week to devote.

Broke beyond broke.

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:47:27 -0800

We just found out that my husband's not getting his paycheque this week. I'm currently unemployed and have been actively looking for work, to no avail. What to do? His pay has been lovingly garnished by his employer due to overpayment spanning the last year, and we're not even sure he'll be getting a cheque at the end of the month.

He's appealing to his employer this afternoon, and I'm trying to reach the food bank to set up an emergency ration pickup, but their line is busy.

Is there anything else we can do? We don't have any assets, and nothing to pawn. I'm afraid that we won't be able to get continued assistance from the food bank because his salary is decent (when he's receiving it!). All we are promised, if I can get through, is a 3-5 day hamper.

Although we weren't planning on anything big (this is our first christmas together away from family), it would be kind of nice if we could eat/feed our pets.

I have been poor before, but have never felt so destitute. We have 20$ until god-knows-when, with no one to get a loan from.

Get rich quick schemes, anyone? Anything I'm not thinking of?

Britains Lower Class Kids - Would Like the Tour, Please.

watercarrier — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:31:42 -0800

Movies about Britain's Lower Class children and the society they live in? Having read about a British minister coining the phrase *feral children* who've gone wild, where most of the population now fears them for the crimes they commit and their *anti-social* behaviors, my curiousity is peaked. Where can I find videos and movies that depict the lower class/poverty level society in Britain with the main focus on the children that grow up in that environment and their behaviors? Not looking for YOBS - just the kids that raised in these families - ages 0-12 and how they act out.

Please recommend books on infant mortality rates in Peru

Solomon — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:57:40 -0800

Please help me find a present for my sister's 30th birthday. She's asked for book(s) on certain topics that she's interested in, but I have no idea about these particular genre's. The first genre she mentioned is India. She wants a book about the country, with specific leanings towards things like female literacy, projects that help the poor, infant mortality, etc, and less on the geography and politics of the county. Basically, what is being done there on a grass roots level to make people's lives better for them.

The other genre she mentioned is what sounds to me like an atlas of world issues. It seems to be about things like freedom of speech, poverty levels (and stuff like the example above), around the world. She's been to South America, and speaks Spanish, so maybe something about SA would be nice.

She works with less-well-off communities as a job, to help improve people's local spaces, if that's relevant. I bought her a Kiva gift certificate for Christmas, and she's been quite into that ever since.

I've tried looking on Amazon, and Googling, but I know very little about such things, and I'm not having much luck. I'm looking to spend about £20-25, which is about $35-45, I think. Product recommendations would be great, or links to websites where I can have a poke about would be cool too.

Top social justice issues and organizations

roaring beast — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:07:02 -0800

What are the most important social justice issues in the world today (such as AIDS, poverty, clean water, human trafficking, slavery, etc.) and what is one organization that is working in that field to make a difference? I am giving a presentation on this topic, and specifically looking for organizations where "normal" people could learn about the issue and get involved to help change the biggest problems in the world.

Ruthless Credit Card Companies

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:02:46 -0800

HUGE economic pressures combined with ruthless credit card companies: about to be bankrupt AGAIN what should I DO? I was barely making it, paying around 500 bucks in credit card minimums, but I have not missed a payment in husband's last two and half years of un/under-employment. I am not late with any payments now but as you will see that is soon to end......

Today a credit card company really screwed me to the wall, raising my interest rate by 10% to 28% and jacking up the minimum payment, and the expected minimum payment was $150 more then I thought it'd be around $370.00. I have never been late or missed a payment but the balance is high. I pay $200.00 minimum on one other credit card and $75 on another. I was already drowning now they have sent a tsunami over me.

It has been a miracle I have kept them paid this long, it has taken selling ebay, and more, but I am dug deep in the hole and see no way out.--- $17,000 in debt and they have just made it worse and now impossible.

The descent into major debt began with, the fact his working class salary did not keep up with prices, him getting laid off of a job-economic--a year of unemployment there, and then us moving here for him to get a job which he lost within 3 months. They told him, he was not a "good fit"- but this could have kept the debt manageable--it was less back then. I am disabled, get a check, and in no shape to work as of now, though I am doing what I can to regain health. Medical expenses are a huge part of the picture as well.

His chances of being able to work a normal job again, [this is long and complex story in itself] are minimal, he has never made great money, and field is falling apart, and he does side work from home such as freelance and transcribing. {BTW Yes, the relationship is under severe stress and the credit cards are all in my name}

Does anyone here have any suggestions? Is this the time you just fold your cards and realize you are bankrupt? Only around $1900 comes into this household a month, {22,000 a year combined} with 715 going for rent, so that should tell you how tight things have been.

I can with clear conscience say I didn't buy anything unnecessary with the cards. They just made it hard, raising interests rates and payments as much as they possibly could. It is like I was punished for making on time timely payments. I will never touch a credit card again, why didn't I learn my lesson the first time? Anyone reading this just don't touch them. I bought nothing but groceries, gas, medicine and car repairs on them. I buy everything used even clothes on ebay, and make cabbage soup. Frugality has its limits.

I'll take any ideas and/or advice. There doesnt seem to be much help out there, and all the credit help agencies want money themselves.

Income tax versus Fair tax....help

madmamasmith — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:32:48 -0800

I need to better understand the proposed tax systems. Mainly the fair tax or sales tax versus an income tax. I am writing a paper for school on the viewpoints of TTARA (The Texas Taxpayers and Research Ass.) and CTJ (citizens for tax justice) but cannot gain a clear idea of what each side is proposing. Obviously the republicans want the fair tax, and since TTARA is business minded, I assume they too seek the fair tax, or at least support it. But what is the Dem idea of fair taxation? Do they want an income tax? What is all this talk on CTJ about income tax cuts? I don’t have the patience to sift through all the material so I'm hoping someone can give me a basic idea of the differing positions on the matter. Mainly answer the question of who wants what and why, and who benefits most from each plan.... Also what about the working poor, do they benefit most from an income tax? Etc. Etc.

How many of the rich are solid and how many are on borrowed time and other peoples' money?

IndigoJones — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:20:24 -0800

Seeking hard stats on how much of the wealthy population is genuinely rich (owns outright solid assets, stocks, cash, gold, real estate) as opposed to living rich (owns much of above but with borrowed money). I'm curious as to how many people living on, say, Fifth Avenue or in Atherton or Greenwich can actually afford it and how many are simply spinning plates on borrowed time, borrowed money, and a (for now) high income. (Time will tell, of course, and perhaps sooner rather than later, but I'm curious now.) Many thanks.

Environmentally friendly, people unfriendly?

soma lkzx — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:13:30 -0800

Is the organic movement (and its related environmentally-friendly pals) putting pressure on low-income consumers? Examples of what I'm interested in, suffixed with question marks because I Have No Idea:

*Increased demand for organics decreases demand for non-organics, upping the price, bad news for the poor?
*Increased acreage dedicated to organics decreases acreage going to non-organics, reducing supply and upping prices?
*Biofuel production eats up crops that could be going into peoples' mouths? (the blue)

I can only think of things involving food, if there are other basic costs being affected that's great, too.

I'm looking for articles one way or the other, or things like a lot of the acreage was never for normal crops in the first place, so the two aren't in competition, or biofuels only affect corn so processed food is more expensive but not produce, or the industry sells enough non-organics that the increase is negligible. Supporting your claim is great, but even if you don't it could still be a jumping-off point.

Secondary costs/benefits (Less cancer risk so it costs less in the long run) are cool, but I'm mostly interested in the direct paycheck-to-dinner-table costs.

Nothing italicized is a belief of mine or anything researched; they're just in the vein of ideas I'm looking for

Social Action Artwork

Etta Hollis — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:51:43 -0800

I need ideas for a visual representation of a human rights issue. I'm in an Int'l studies class and we must create a Social Action "Art" project. Basically we create some sort of "artistic" entity that explores the human rights issue.

This sounds awesome, however, I'm also writing my thesis and don't have oodles of time to be artsy-fartsy.

What ideas can you give me for art projects relating to food security, poverty, hunger, homelessness etc etc?

I'm open to other ideas, but the problems of hunger and homelessness are what I find most fascinating.

Why am I finding it so difficult to determine my future?

charmston — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:57:37 -0800

It’s that time - the beginning of the last semester before I graduate from collee. It’s time to find a job or graduate school program and plot out the rest of my life. A renewed interest in charity and decreased interest in psychology, my chosen field of study, have led me to question my planned life course. Open my mind to what I might be able to do with my life. For 6 or 7 years, I had my mind set. It was going to be great - I was going to go to college and get a degree in psychology with a related minor (which ended up being family studies), go on to graduate school in clinical psychology, and have a fulfilling job in academia (which I now realize tends on the oxymoronic side).

My research interests are/were varied: the role of the family in latent psychology, social justice issues relevant to psychology (availability of low cost mental health care, etc.), the etiology of autism, and most eminently, the role of psychologypathology in the child welfare system. I have six children adopted from the state of Minnesota, all of whom have special needs due to abuse incurred while living with their birth parents. I love them dearly, and would have loved to be behind research that could help children who have been similarly abused.

This past fall, in the midst of one of the busiest semesters in the history of postsecondary education, I was struck with an ulcer. “Trim the fat from your life,” my doctor demanded - and I did, putting grad school on hold for a year. I found a job for the interim year, working for a private social work agency in the southwest as a case manager for a community adoption program. This is set to begin at the end of May, after I graduate.

But I’m beginning to reconsider. I talked to an eminent psychology researcher who specializes in child abuse research, who repeatedly emphasized that if my sole purpose of entering the field was to make a difference that I would be better served working for UNICEF. I’ve also spoken with two social workers, both of whom insisted that I was a very smart person whose talents would be better used elsewhere. I also concluded that I’d struggle

Currently, I’m investigating a few alternative options. I'm currently fixated on the possibility of a career in charity. I have a very, very, very strong interest in NGOs. Careers at Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are incredibly appealing to me. I’m currently looking at MPP (public policy) and MPA (public administration) graduate school programs. Rutgers has an MPA program that intrigues me; it emphasizes international development and integrates a year in the Peace Corps. I’m also entertaining the idea of spending the next year in the Peace Corps, probably in Sub-Saharan Africa. I’ve also looked at full-time jobs for the Clinton Foundation, Amnesty International, and

Other possibly relevant factoids: I’m very liberal - an avid and well-informed supporter of Barack Obama. The Constant Gardener and Blood Diamond are among my favorite films. Am I a bleeding heart? Probably, but if that’s the case, it’s as much of a component of who I am as my green eyes are, and it’s not going away. I’m a very good student (3.8 GPA, ~1400 GRE). I also have a variety of professional and volunteer experiences that range from directing fundraisers benefitting autism research foundations to research assistantships . I’m a very talented web and graphic designer, and could easily make 50-75k/year doing freelance design work. I’m obsessed with the idea of living in either Africa, England, or Loudoun County, VA (near Washington DC).

In short, I’m confused. I badly want to make a difference on this planet that we call our home, but I’m naive to many of my options and don’t know where to go from here. I’d appreciate any advice, anecdotal or otherwise, that you might be able to provide, Also, any suggestions or recommendations of programs that I might be interested in are also welcome. Thanks everyone, this is a stressful proposition for me, and for the first time in my life I feel like I’m in over my head.

Hunger in America: Meals missed per day?

lasitter — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 06:16:29 -0800

How many people in America miss one or more meals per day because they can't afford to put food on the table? Any authoritative (citation) answer / statistic appreciated. Of many available hunger / poverty / food-insecurity statistics, none provides an answer to the question in these terms. Lots of stats for "food-insecure" at SOME point during the year. I'd prefer an answer that did more than take existing millions-per-year numbers and then divide by 365 days.

My mother-in-law thinks we're cheap!

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:38:39 -0800

My mother-in-law is under the impression that my wife and I are far wealthier than we actually are, and it's threatening to drive a wedge between us and the rest of her family. Help! My mother-in-law has been on some form of welfare for most of her adult life. She currently lives in a government-subsidized urban housing project, and has for at least the last 20 years. She's had substance abuse problems in the past, although I don't believe she's used for many years now. She currently lives off a monthly disability check.

On the other hand, my wife and I are thoroughly middle-class. We live in a relatively modest home in a suburbs of a large city in another region of the country. We're not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, however, from the perspective of someone (like my MIL) who has lived their entire life in urban poverty, we are quite wealthy. For example, after the first time my MIL saw our home, she went home and told all her friends and relatives that we live in a mansion, and that my wife and I both drive big fancy cars. To put it in perspective, the "mansion" is well below the median for our area both in terms of market value and square footage, and the "big fancy cars" are both 8 years old, each with over 120,000 miles on the odometer. I earn in the high five figures, and my wife is a stay-at-home mom, so we're not exactly swimming in cash.

My MIL, in the past, has used us as a "safety net" of sorts - coming to us when there's something she really needs but her very limited income doesn't permit her to get for herself. This hasn't really been a problem, and we've been happy to help out.

However, over the last few months, this has started to mushroom: First, my MIL has been asking for a lot more, and it's slowly been creeping from "asking" to "demanding". The latest example was for a winter coat. My MIL told my wife that she didn't have one, and that she was going to have to spend $300 for a new one. My wife immediately went out, bought a warm winter coat (about $70) in her size and overnighted it to her. However, my MIL had her heart set on the $300 winter coat (one she saw in a notoriously overpriced catalog), and wasn't shy about expressing her great disappointment with the one that my wife bought for her. We've not heard the end of it since, including "it's not like you two can't afford it." She's been bringing up how "rich" we are in nearly every conversation, and also starting to badmouth us to her other relatives, all of whom now share her opinion that we're just a couple of tightwads out to have her freeze to death for our own pleasure. Or something like that.

Now, she's asking for a new computer (I gave her my old one when I upgraded last year). As it turns out, she doesn't intend to keep it, however - we found out that she plans to sell it and use the money for the $300 winter coat. This morning, it really came to a head when my MIL called to nag about the computer, and oh, was she getting anything for Christmas besides? My wife had had enough, and blew up at her. Of course, this resulted in a massive guilt trip about how rich we were, and how we could afford it, and how we "have so much and she has nothing", leaving my wife a complete mess.

Complicating matters is the fact that last year, my wife's childhood best friend, in a nearly identical wealth-disparity situation, ended up being completely ostracized by her family.

So, Mefites - how do my wife and I salvage her relationship with her mother, and her extended family as a whole? Do we just cave and buy my MIL whatever she wants, and chalk it up to "the family tax", or is there a way to put our collective foot down without making the situation even worse?

Questions to: MyMILThinksWeAreCheap@gmail.com

In search of maps with a higher purpose

desjardins — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:06:26 -0800

I'm looking for Web sites that use interactive maps to display social phenomena, such as Oakland CrimeSpotting. They don't need to be that sophisticated. I'm especially interested in maps related to poverty and education.

Barrel Poor

Falconetti — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:27:58 -0800

Why does an image of a naked man wearing a barrel with suspenders symbolize being poor? What is that image's origin?

If you sponsor a child in the 3rd world, what could you send to brighten their day?

bystander — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 02:40:02 -0800

If you were to sponsor a child in the 3rd world, what could you send to brighten their day? Following a holiday to Thailand, my kids had questions regarding poverty. I have agreed to sponsor a child in Vietnam through Worldvision to help give my kids and understanding of the issues and our position/responsibilities in the first world.
The child we are sponsoring is a 7yro girl who speaks Vietnamese. My kids are 6yro girl, 4yro boy and 1yro boy and we all speak only English.
The charity says we can write to an address in Saigon and letters will be passed on.
I have talked with the kids about what might be nice to send and we thought maybe some picture books, a photo of our family and some drawings.
Any mefites with experience, insight and tips would be be appreciated.
I guess my concerns are to be sensitive and appropriate within the cultural differences, and help develop my kids' awareness. TIA

Islamic charity and global poverty

raheel — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:40:25 -0800

Looking for statistics: How would I go about calculating how much impact Islamic charity or zakat can make on global poverty - if collected and distributed on a global scale? Right now, in most countries the once-a-year, personal charity obligation, zakaat, is a local community effort. People disseminate the money/goods amongst the poor and other relevant projects around their locality or in their town/city/village. I have a feeling that a global version – although impractical at the moment – could be more effective and efficient for humanity as a whole, but wanted to do some ballpark estimation. How would I go about this?

Zakaat rules can get a bit arcane with special circumstances, but in general it is about 2.5% of an earning person's savings (cash or otherwise) and not actual income.

Entry into NGO aid work

iamck — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:15:35 -0800

How does one groom oneself for development/aid work in developing countries? What are your experiences (or resources for experiences) landing positions with NGOs, and the difference between bottom-up and top-down approaches for contact? In the Amazon I met friends of Dorothy Stang who traveled to the (then) poorest district of Pará, utilizing her dedication and international attention to drastically change the area (establishing schools and sustainable development projects). Her story is inspiring and surprising - to alleviate poverty, to fight "on the ground" what does one need?

In the small villages in Northeast Brazil, I discussed the possibility of teaching in exchange for food and a place to live and was welcomed with open arms. Acquaintances with a hospital in Mozambique said they need translators, and I was welcome to come.

All of these options are voluntary of course. I'm not independently wealthy, and would like to be able to get home to see my family at least once in awhile - so it would be beneficial to someday work this into some type of work. Before diving headfirst in, is there something I should know? Would I be better off training and specializing in a field, or am I better just to hit the ground already? (I currently hold a Bachelors in Bioengineering, practically sans skill set besides speaking English and Portuguese).

How do I deal with non-profit disorganization?

amileighs — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:54:16 -0800

I have been working for a non-profit in New York City for the past year. It is a great program, using education as an anti-poverty tool. There have been money and organizational problems since I began working here, but now it seems as though everything is falling apart. I need advice. I am an Americorps VISTA volunteer, which means I only have a one year term with my organization. My service ends at the beginning of August.
The main problems facing my organization are as follows:
-There is not enough staff to cover the programs we have. Staff continues to leave, and we have to keep destroying programs that we have.
-There are not defined enough roles for the employees. For example, I write grants, press releases, do administrative work, recruit volunteers, manage volunteers, and handle events....All with no real support or clear protocol established.
-There is no organization in the office (everything is broken, my boss refuses to throw out old papers and electronics so it looks like a tornado hit it)
-We don't have enough money to cover program costs, and are using grant money allocated for future programs to cover old debts.
-Recent specific things have occurred that have made me want to write to the Board of Directors or take some more serious action. A co-workers previous 6 checks have bounced, other workers have not been paid and are calling and calling, our employees have been kicked off of their health insurance without being notified for two months....
I have spoken to my boss (the CEO) mulitple times about this and all the concerns I had. He assures me that everything is fine, and keeps giving me work to do as though nothing is wrong. I can't pretend that everything is fine, this chaos makes me angry, and extremely stressed out to the point that I think it is bad for my health.
I need help. First of all, what actions can I take in the situation? How common are these outrageous problems in the non-profit world?
Secondly, I have about two months left here. How do I cope? How do I deal with my anxiety and stress about a situation I cannot change? How do I spend my day in this horrible chaos? It seems to seep into me, and I can't just ignore it. I also have very long hours in which there is no work for me to do, and although i try to occupy myself by reading, writing, etc, it is these times that the stress is the worst.