People here seem to like to throw stones but shy away from actually figuring out how to address it.

I think the biggest obstacle for the poor is the seeming lack of any coherent way to get out of poverty. Americans are fond of proclaiming that anyone who works hard can do whatever they want but they don't tend to address those who have no idea how to begin that.

I think the most positive things we can do about poverty are to institute programs that help keep people from falling into it in the first place and that help them climb out of it if they're already there. Things like -

Job training programs
Resume writing programs
Job interview workshops
Child care programs
Job placement programs
Transportation assistance
Low-cost addiction assistance
Medical assistance


Also -

After school programs
Career programs for schoolchildren
Parenting classes for both adults and teens
Mentoring programs
College prep programs
Programs to help low income students find funding for higher education

All of these things are the first things to feel the budget axe when things get tight and they're the things that I see as most likely to help people out of tough situations. We need to quit funding prisons and start funding people.