Last week we read an enlightening academic article about the economic, health and crime effects of impoverished neighborhoods. The article took a new argument and made it applicable to everyone because the author used examples that effect everyone. Poverty costs us half a trillion dollars in wasted GDP because these individuals lack jobs, lack income and lack opportunities which do not add to our economy. Children who live in impoverished households are more likely to be impoverished as an adult. The effects are most severe when the children are younger because they lack essentials like pediatric health care, early education and nutrition. In addition to economic effects, their health is considerably negatively effected because of the environment. The environment is no conducive to proper health care, it is very unsanitary and smoggy and they lose “health capital.” Impoverished areas also have higher crime rates which everyone has to pay for in the form of police and court systems. Poverty affects everyone in a community and in a country.

Bridgeport

Bridgeport is a middle class neighborhood, consisting of blue collar and white collar workers.  Its crime and poverty rates are not at a high level; in fact, the rates are lower ranking than other Chicago neighborhoods.  Although the only documented tutor-mentoring program in Bridgeport is the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago-Louis L. Valentine Club, there are most likely after-school programs and a lot of help within the schools, and there are many elementary schools in the area to boost child development for future education, resulting in the low crime rate.

Englewood

Englewood is a lower class community near the border of famous Hyde Parkm, consisting of mostly lower end wage workers. In terms of Tutor-Mentor programs, this community is severly lacking despite the area being peppered with many schools ranging from K -12 which would indicate a large adolescent population. Tutor-Mentor programs are practically non-exsistent in Englewood. It is likley that the schools may host their own form of tutor-mentor programs for the youth just nothing memorable. Though on the contrary, there has been some recent initative to keep the youth off the streets through the creation of recreational programs but their effects have not yet been calculated.

Gage Park

Gage Park is a neighborhood where most of the households average around $30,000, slightly above poverty level. The resources available to the neighborhood reflect the low incomes. The neighborhood has limited tutor/mentor programs (only about six, located in and around the community), even though they have a very high population of school-aged children. Clearly, the resources do not supply enough for the demand and this causes a discrepency. There is a shortage of resources for children, which leads to poorer test scores, and academic achievement which leads to more poverty in the child’s future.

Chicago Lawn/Marquette Park

No information was collected for Marquette Park because the Tutor-Mentor Search Engine includes it within Chicago Lawn boundaries. Chicago Lawn is a great neighborhood that has a median income of $47,017, and has many resources for the area such as, the YMCA with their mission of  “Help them belong, Help them become” the strive for youth to deepen positive values. The Arab American Action Network, which provides many services in cluding After school Matters, a tutoring program for youth involving creative writing. The last is the Latino Organization of the Southwest, an organization that provides gang provention and GED classes. Overall Chicago Lawn is a great place with many resources.