The LA Times is publishing a four-part series on poverty and how it affects children. Its impact is astounding. Volunteering at the LA Mission, I’ve seen poverty up close. But typically, the people I interact with are adults. The first article in this series describes how in the suburbs, poverty is harder to see, but it’s still there. Instead of in tents and cars, multiple parents and kids are living in single-family homes. Families of four are staying in one room, and even garages.

For me this series was a reminder of how far-reaching poverty and homelessness is. Even when we can’t see it outright, it’s there. It’s also a reminder for me of how important giving is.

But this is the challenging situation. There are so many needy causes out there. Poverty and homelessness is just one. According to Grant Space, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States alone, including public charities, private foundations, chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations, and civic leagues.

Read the full article about homelessness and poverty by Steve Pomeroy at Medium.