CANADA

Canada's motivation was to provide the poor children of Harlem the same opportunities to succeed as the children of urban areas. What motivated him was the impact that he could have on these student and to see these children that came from broken homes, violent environment, poverty, attend COLLEGE.
With this goal Canada did face some challenges. The one ethical challenge was selecting who could or not attend the school. This was a task he hated because he knew that in provided the opportunity of success for one child was to take the opportunity away from another. He didn't like knowing that the child that didn't get into the school was would be more likely to fail in life.
The community partner leader, Chris, comes to mind when reading of Canada. She has this strong drive to make a difference in the homeless community of Marin County. She has made her job to teach college student of the issues in hope of an awaking with in student the same drive. She didn't start this program to help the homeless but she does have the same motivation to create change to help those in need for a better future.
What was most surprising to me was social scientists Charles Murry evaluation on poverty. He believes that a reason there is poverty if because the government helps too much. At first glace my reaction was of shock, but reading on I began to understand his reasoning. I have actually even seen the things he spoke about in people I know! Murry points out how government aid has motivated people to not work not wed and have children. The people I know, one is a class mate from high school, a friend of a friend, he has works the system taking advantage of government aid. He lives of of unemployment and admitted to not wanting to find a job because unemployment pays him plenty! My mother's friend's daughter has, I think, 8 kids all from different men. She is always dressed nicely, has even gotten 2 tummy tuck. I asked my mother one day, out of curiosity, what did this woman do for a living, my mother told me that she lived off welfare and child support! I understand Murry's point of view. It is unfortunate that people take advantages of these services that the government offers. It is also unfortunate that people that find themselves in the situation where they need aid in the first place, don't try to get themselves out.
A non basis reason for poverty is innovation of industry. With the creation of machine operated factory many people were left with no jobs, many of whom had no other skills. Its all a domino affect, these people that lose their job are then forced to move to low income neighborhoods where crime and violence is regularly seen, and like Canada said, children exposed to this type of environment have a difficult change of succeeding. So these children instead of growing up and finding jobs rising up from poverty find themselves stuck in the ghettos, because the don't have the education to get out, the don't know of anything else, there influences have taught them to live the easy life of selling drugs or living of the government aid. And as those children have children of their own the cycle begins again and each time making it more difficult to break because if the children's children's role models are parent that didn't amount to anything, what will motivate them to amount to something. And that's where Canada would like to intervene and break the cycle.
My community partner some what helps in attempting to break the cycle as well. They provide assistance to people in need of assistance before they lose their homes to try to prevent them from becoming homeless. The help is just enough to get them past to the next month. Chris, my community partner leader had told us it is not our job to take on the life problem but just to nudge them in the right direction. The community partners want to stop people from losing there homes and moving to the street where there are dangers (violence, drugs) especially if they have children. Unlike government aid that has the ability to influence people to grow dependent, the help provided by the community partners is not. The help these people receive is an incentive to continue to try to come out of there situation.