What is Working

       Obtaining an education helps people to get better employment thus assisting them in getting off of government assistance. College degrees aren't the only option for furthering income capacities. Technical colleges and trade schools provide less expensive, yet financially stable careers.

As an example: a fast food worker making between $7.18 and $9.25 an hour would earn a little over $17,000 dollars a year. On average, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the year 2000 a person with an Associate’s degree made around $31,000 a year; a significant increase. Earning a Bachelor’s degree increased average salaries to around $45,000 per year (U.S. Census, 2000).

Another example is from a study of “158 single mother students in New York [which] found that 100% of the former welfare recipients who earned 4 year degrees stopped relying on public benefit programs, compared to the 81% of those who got two year degrees” (Freeman, 2015). 

Helping the under-educated become more educated saves money in the long run, because they will be more self-sufficient and better able to support themselves. Breaking the cycle through education will help this generation encourage their children to go to college, which in the end will help the welfare epidemic. Helping people while they are getting an education is key to success.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has had a system in place since 1936 when, then President of the Church, Heber J. Grant, instituted it with the primary purpose that “idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished and independence, industry, thrift, and self-respect be once more established among our people. The aim of the Church is to help people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership” (Riley, 2012).

Members of the Church donate time and resources to help fund and run the welfare system. Each month, members of the Church hold a fast in which they go without food and drink for two consecutive meals. Money they would have spent on those two meals is then donated to the church for use in the welfare system (LDS Church, 2014). Because Church members donate their time to serve in these facilities, there is very little expense. To be able to receive assistance, families are required to do things to contribute to their own self-reliance. They must create and follow budgets and come up with a plan to get out of their current situation.

This program has helped millions in need who couldn’t do it for themselves; by giving assistance when needed and helping people budget and learn to be self-reliant, while not draining the working class to take care of others.