Sustainability

It’s time to reconsider the way we think about poverty. Today in Arizona, 46% of workers have jobs that pay them less than $15 an hour. That equates to over 3 million residents living on $31,200 or less, before taxes. And contrary to popular belief, close to 75% of these workers are over the age of 25. At the same time, Arizona workers must earn $17.56 an hour to afford a modest two bedroom apartment and are paying $321 a month on average for health insurance. Wildfire believes that education can be an answer to higher paying jobs and a better economic future. Unfortunately, over the last 30 years the cost of a post-secondary education has increased upwards of 200% and the average student comes out of college with over $30,000 in debt. The math simply doesn’t add up to move out of poverty. And yet, the common narrative that the economy provides ample opportunity to get ahead persists.

While many are now beginning to challenge this narrative, years of damage has already been done to the supportive systems in place to help families fill the gap between their inadequate wages and their basic expenses. Childcare assistance, food assistance, energy assistance, housing assistance, and financial aid have all seen cuts over the past decade. Cuts to these services, indicate individuals and families have the ability to correct the problem on their own rather than acknowledging the responsibility of an inequitable economic system. And so while corporate profits are at an all-time high, low wages jobs are on the rise and poverty persists.

At Wildfire, we believe that supportive services are an investment in our collective human capital and a crucial first step in stopping poverty before it starts. Wildfire envisions an economy where everyone is able to meet their basic needs on their income alone, but until the math adds up and that is possible, we must continue to ensure that families aren’t punished by an unfair economy.