Around the turn of the century, the wealthy folk here in America began having what they called “Poverty Parties.” They mostly provided entertainment for the snooty rich where they could poke fun of the poor and say that it was all in good fun. I seriously doubt the poor saw it that way.
One such party was at the home of D.W. Tripp in Athens, Pennsylvania. Guests were instructed to wear flour sack clothing, no jewelry, and speak in dialect.
Here’s a portion of Mr. Tripp’s invitation and it’s very difficult to read: “Every womin what kums must ware a Poverty dress and apern, er something ekelly erpropriate, an leave her poodle dog to hum.”
Fines were assessed for dressing too richly, such as having cigars in a man’s pocket, slicking his hair down, walking with a cane, etc. The party was a fundraiser and the money went toward building a new church. Not one cent to help the poor people they ridiculed.
The food consisted of corn meal mush served with an abundance of cream and sugar, brown and white bread sandwiches, apple and pumpkin pie, donuts and cookies. The table was bare of a cloth or napkins and the guests ate from tin plates and drank coffee from tin cups.
Such parties established even a greater divide between the classes. They parties came at a time of great inequality. Immigrants were suffering as well as black Americans. I’m sure they had a totally different view of these parties.
One snooty woman wrote an article in the 1905 copy of Bright Ideas for Entertaining that stressed that the tinware was always borrowed for the party. She wanted to make sure no one thought the entitled would actually “own” any.
Yet, later on into the 1920s, one brave woman wrote that Poverty Parties should be used to shine a light on the less fortunate instead of making fun of them and that the guests should do some real service to help the poor. Southern fraternities and sororities carried over this form of entertainment well into the 1950s. When they tired of that, they added unemployment parties where they stood in a bread line to get coffee and donuts.
Give me a break!
My parents were very poor with little to their name. They married in 1934, my dad in coveralls and mom in a borrowed dress. A government migrant camp was their home. They crisscrossed these United States following the crops. They saw little to laugh about in their situation. And when I came along, fourth in the lineup of five kids, our family lived in a tent that a kind farmer let them stretch on his land and pick cotton for him. So poverty parties? No thank you. Each day was a reminder of how little they had.
I had never heard of these Poverty Parties until I ran across an article about them. Have you? What do you think about this? Leave a comment to enter a drawing for a $10.00 Amazon gift card.
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Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
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What a horrible thing they did! It’s so offensive and degrading to those they were making fun of. And it says a lot about their own character.
I totally agree, Denise. This horrifies me. At times, people have been so mean to classes lower than themselves. That seems to be going on currently to some extent. Makes me examine my own more carefully. Thanks for coming. Stay cool!
I have never heard of these “parties”. How insulting to the hard workers who probably helped them line their pockets.
Ann, it was a slap in the face for sure but it was prevalent back then. I haven’t heard of any of them now and I do think they’d be frowned upon if anyone did. Thanks for reading my post. Stay cool in this heat and thanks for coming.
I had never heard of these type of parties, and frankly find them abhorrent.
I have heard of parties where the wealthy or well to do had parties or banquets for the poor (or “common” in order to minister to them, as in some of Grace Livingston Hill books involving Christian Endeavor activities.
Hi Emily, Grace Livingston Hill had a huge following and my mother was one of them. She loved her books and shared some with me in my earlier years. She loved to read. Oh, how I miss her. I agree about the poverty parties. Those people needed a lesson in morality and decency. Wishing you a blessed day and thanks for coming.
Good Morning, Linda! I’ve never heard of such a thing. How horrible and sad.
Linda R, it was so sad how people have acted and some are still in this mindset which is horrifying. The division in classes is again growing and it’s hard to see. Wishing you love and many blessings.
No I have never heard of such a thing. I thing it is truly horrible.
Joannie, thank you so much for coming. May we never see such a thing in this day and age, although the division in classes seems to be widening. Makes me sad. May we always be kind and tolerant to the poor. Blessings and love.
haven’t heard of it
BN100, I’m happy to see you. Thanks for being such a great supporter of P&P.
I’ve never heard of these parties. I realize that times and attitudes were different at that time, but it’s just awful that they done such things. To think that they would sometimes do this to raise money to build a church. It sure didn’t seem like those people had much of a Christian attitude, they were very self centered.
I wholeheartedly agree, Connie Lee. I learned way back early that our Maker teaches us to be kind to the poor and needy and lend a hand, not ridicule them. I love writing stories centered around the poor. They lead far more interesting lives than those people who focus on money and power. May we always be mindful of our actions. Blessings and Love, Connie.
Good morning Linda! That is awful! My grandparents came from humble beginnings and my parents through the depression when they were young. I’ve not heard of these parties. I imagine they were in larger cities? Either way, that is ashame.
Best wishes always Linda!
Morning, Miss Tracy, it’s always so nice to see your name pop up. I think coming from humble roots makes us value kindness and compassion a lot more. I know it does me. From what I can see, a lot of folks today are turning a blind eye to the unfortunate among us and that makes me immensely sad. It’s a shame that a lot of kids today are not taught compassion. The gap between classes is growing. Never forget where you came from. Our roots are important. Much love, dear friend.
I had never heard of these. I agree that they should have raised money for those that they were making fun of. My mother-in-law was one of those families that moved to California because of the dust bowl in Oklahoma.
Wow, that’s amazing, Becky. The Depression was such a horrible time and it took almost a half century to recover from that. With us, it did, anyway. My mother talked a lot about those tough years when it took everything they had just to survive. Our family stuck together and clung to one another and that made it somewhat easier. Thanks for coming. I wish you much joy. May we always remember where we came from and value our roots.
I never heard of it. My paternal grandparents got married in a courthouse. No party since her family was in norway. I doubt they even had a honeymoon since my grandfather worked for the phone company. They had a photo of each of them taken but no photo of them together. My Maternal grandparents were on a reservation since my grandfather was mixed race and got paid by the government. No photo or party for them either.
Kim, I know for my parents honeymoons were unheard of. They worked every day from sunup to sundown and complained little. This was a time of survival and it was a hard life. May we always be mindful of the poor and not ridicule them for having so little. I’m happy to see you. Thanks for coming and take care of your body in this awful heat. Blessings and love.
Man’s inhumanity to man
Absolutely, Joye. It breaks my heart now to see how awful some people are treating each other. Instead of compassion and kindness, we spit on them. Always remember where you came from. Blessings and love, my friend.
I had never heard of these parties, but the more things change the more they stay the same. I remember hearing about this “native and colonial” themed party, where certain prince Harry dressed into a VERY controversial costume. Not that anyone else’s costumes would have been any better. Not to mention the theme of the party in the first place.
Minna, it’s always nice to see you and I agree with you. Some people are so out of touch with reality and show little compassion for others. Are you in the time of the “Midnight Sun?” Over here, the weather is hot, hot and the days long. How I yearn for Fall! Relief won’t come until late September for most of us. Much love.
Well, the nights are getting dark, so no more Midnight Sun. And fortunately the summer hasn’t been hot for weeks on end like last summer was. Still, we could use some more rain. The waters here in “River’s Mouth” (Joensuu means literally “River’s Mouth”) are really low.
Minna, thank goodness your nights are darkening. I think in Alaska they have just the opposite where it’s continuous night for long periods. I don’t think I can live like that. Too depressing. I hope you get more rain soon. We’re very dry here in West Texas and get little rain whereas parts get an abundance.
I have never heard of these parties. It is sad that they didn’t offer to help the poor instead of making fun of them.
Linda, it is so very sad to hear, or see, people acting this way. They’ve strayed far from their teachings. Wishing you cooler days and much love.
I never heard about this and am shocked that they existed. What a dreadful experience.
Anne, it is shocking. But have some even now strayed far from the teachings of their youth? Drug culture is really prevalent and the poor is spit upon. Always remember where you came from and don’t try to erase your past. Thank you so much for coming. Stay cool.
I have never heard of them. I don’t think they made their way to Canada.
Kathleen, maybe they didn’t. Canadians are known for their kindness and compassion. Too bad some down here cannot embrace that. Some actions horrify me at how easily it is for them to forget their teachings. Thank you for coming. I pray your fires are put out soon. How destructive they are. Be safe.
Never knew this. A horrible part of history.
Ellie, sometimes history saddens me when people treat each other so horribly. Seems we’re repeating a lot of that. The more things change, the more they stay that way. I’m glad you enjoyed my post. Please take precaution in this heat. Blessings and love.
Poverty parties were degrading, demoralizing and downright offensive to say the least. I became aware of them when taking a History class that encompassed the 1900’s. Prior to that class I vaguely remember my Grandmother mentioning how the elite of Chicago looked down upon those not in their social circle – including household servants.
As previously noted, those who were being ridiculed were the ones who allowed the “snooty rich” to live the lavish lifestyle they so loved. No thought was given by the upper crust to those who lived on nothing and in abject poverty so the “holier than thou” attitude and behavior could be perpetuated.
Carol, my heart breaks even now how ugly people treat each other. If you don’t like someone, get rid of them. We’re better than this. My heart will always lie with the poorest among us. It took my family a long time to rise above the Depression that gripped our country…and the world pretty much. The characters in my books are always poor and I love that struggle to survive. It satisfies something inside me. Thanks for coming. I wish you a cooler day. Stay safe in this heat.
I don’t think I’ve heard of poverty parties before. But, while it’s not quite the same thing, they remind me a bit like the beginning of the 1936 movie My Man Godfrey.
Bridget, that was a great movie and William Powell’s performance made it a keeper. Always be kind and compassionate to those less fortunate and you’ll be rewarded. But for the grace of God go I. Thanks for stopping by. Hoping you have a break from this heat.
I have never heard of these parties and am constantly amazed at how people treat one another. I would like to say we are past this but unfortunately there are always people out there who are insecure and unhappy who want to bring others down to make themselves feel better. I wish they would look to more positive ways to make themselves feel better by helping others rather than work to tear them down. We would all be better for it.
Man’s inhumanity to man, Patti. It really saddens me to see how people can be so blind to the less fortunate and want to get rid of them by whatever means they can dream up. My heart will always lie with the poor. Thanks for coming. I hope you’re managing in this awful heat gripping our nation.
I had never heard about them and nearly cried! I can’t imagine the cruelty.
Barbara, it makes me cry too. And I do so often these days. We’ve become so callous and turn a blind eye to the unfortunate. It’s just so horrible. I’m proud of my roots. Thank you for coming.
I know someone like my grandmother, who grew up in the most unimaginable poverty, would probably have enjoyed going to one. Not as a sign of making fun of others, but as a proud reminder of what she was able to overcome. Her family was so poor that her mother couldn’t afford both she and her brother. Through the church, she was sent to another state almost 400 miles away to live with a family no one knew. She didn’t see her biological family again until she was an adult. Through hard work and determination, she lived the American dream. 🙂 Like most things humor has evolved through the years, I don’t believe that every rich person was snooty and snobby, news articles were written to get attention, and sell a paper, some truth and fiction mixed together.
Thank you for coming, Sabrina. How heartbreaking. I never had to endure anything like your grandmother’s situation. I can only imagine how many nights she cried. Luckily, our family managed to stay together and slowly, we raised ourselves up and bettered our circumstances through a lot of hard work. I would believe you’re right about the article, except it’s in history books. Don’t let this heat get to you and always remember where you came from.
I had never heard of the poverty parties. It sounds like they would be a good idea if they were used to help the poor and not used to promote the rich. It seems to me that no matter what today, it would be a way for the rich to find a way for themselves to get attention for themselves in some way instead of what the parties are actually for. It sounds like it has been that way all the way throughout history.
Deborah, it has been the same for centuries. The saying springs to mind that the more things change the more they stay that way. You can find the same treatment in today’s society, much to our shame. That’s not the way we were brought up. At least not the way I was. Thank you much for coming. I wish you cooler days this summer. We’re in the midst of a heat wave here in Texas.
Never heard of them… how awful… makes me sad.
Colleen, it’s very shameful and not the teachings we’re used to. We should always try to do better, yet history seems to be repeating itself. Thanks for dropping by. I pray we get some cooler weather soon. Take care and stay hydrated.
How horrible! They should have used their wealth to do some good to those less unfortunate. I didn’t grow up with much but my parents always made sure we had food and roof over our heads, not to mention we had a great childhood with lots of love and fun memories
Laura, a good many of us came from poor roots. We should always remember and embrace the hard times when little was had. I’m glad you stopped by. Blessings and love.
This is absolutely “beyond the pale”, as my grandmother used to say. Having money has nothing to do with the worth of a human soul. Interesting and disheartening article. Thank you and the other authors for educating us with this and other important information.
Catherine, that’s for sure. What good is money if you lose your soul? I think this applies to a good many down through history and to some extent, still flourishing today. People who don’t learn are destined to repeat it. Faith, hope and charity, but the greatest of these is charity. I really believe that and that was the teaching of my youth. I never want to forget where I came from. Thank you for coming. Stay cool and hydrated in this heat.
It is no surprise the “rich and well to do” could believe this was okay since they never gave a thought for that less fortunate person who worked for them. As long as they did the work they were assigned and did not quibble, they were like dust under their precious feet. Just someone to walk on. Very few of those with money lent a hand to someone deeply in debt or too poor to support their family. But there were some good persons with a heart and compassion for those less fortunate. Ridiculing the less fortunate will not get you into heaven.
Indeed, it will not, Judy. God bids us to have kindness and compassion for the less fortunate, instead of ridicule. I was taught this at an early age. If we fail to heed history, it’s going to repeat itself. Walk a mile in someone’s shoes before you ridicule them and turn a blind eye to their plight. I’m proud of my roots and never want to forget those difficult times. Blessing and love, Judy.
There is a “hard times” party in Emily’s Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary, but it doesn’t mention anything about making fun of poor people. It talks about them dressing up in gunny sacks and old clothes as a way to pay tribute to the hardships faced by their ancestors and remind them to be thankful for what they had. The best I remember, it was a fundraiser to try and get a library started for the town. Most of the characters in the book aren’t rich though, I would guess they were probably middle-class citizens. Emily’s father was a farmer.
Kim, my kids used to love Beverly Cleary books. If you’re raising money for a good cause and it’s not ridiculing the poor, that makes a difference. And it never hurts to pay tribute to hardships. Let us always be thankful and have gratitude in our hearts for the rough times our ancestors faced. I give thanks every day for my poor roots that instilled a deep sense of love and understanding in me and my siblings. Thanks for coming. Stay cool and hydrated.
I’ve not heard of Poverty Parties until now. Wow! Oh, Miss Linda, I have to tell you, Cade’s Quest was wonderful!!! I now NEED the other books!! And, yes, I did reviews on Goodreads and Bookbub. Amazon doesn’t let me, or I’d have done one there, too!!
Dear Trudy, I could hug you. Thank you for liking Cade’s book and for the review as well! You’re in luck, because I have all of the McIntyre series on sale until the 27th so grab them now while they’re this low. You’ve made my day.
Thank you for reading and liking my post. The things I find in history are just amazing and some things even find their way into my books. Much love and many blessings.
No, I’ve never heard of these poverty parties! How totally inappropriate! They should have been made to give the poor some of their rich clothes and go to the party! I’ve never like people making fun of others! I taught elementary school for 39 years and hated when others were treated bad. So sad!
Susan, it really saddens my heart to see it also. God commands us to be charitable and have compassion. I’m sure you saw many things when you were teaching. Kids today are a lot different from when I was growing up. I never saw ugliness until I graduated high school and it shocked me. We have an obligation to ourselves and others to show charity and love to the less fortunate. Have a great rest of your day and thank you so much for coming.
I’d never heard of these parties – such bad taste! Perhaps the depression helped change some of their minds as some of them lost their wealth.
Maybe, Karijean. A lot of rich folks did lose everything during the Depression. Including their lives. Yes, it was very, very bad taste to ridicule. But for the grace of God there goes I. Blessings and love, my dear.
I had never heard of these parties. As I read your post I had visions of the people who were undoubtedly serving them and waiting on tables while the wealthy guests ridiculed them, their family, friends, and neighbors. The strength of character it had to take to work at one of these parties knowing you needed the pay when you really didn’t want to be there. Having grown up where there were many elaborate summer homes for the New York City wealthy we saw the class differences start to disappear throughout the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Now there seems to be a resurgence of those who feel they are entitled to be treated like royalty.
Alice, that’s exactly right. I feel sorry for the poor people who had to work those parties. I’m sure it was difficult to say the least. I wish people would learn something. The class differences are widening again in today’s time and it makes me very sad that they’ve forgotten the teachings of the Bible, yet call themselves Christians. Try to stay cool and hydrated in this summer heat and thanks for coming.
I had never heard of poverty parties, but they dont sound very nice. Making fun of unfortunate people should never be acceptable .
Alicia, it’s great to see you and I agree. Ugliness should not be tolerated under any circumstances. Yet, it persisted all throughout history from as far back as Bible days. We should always strive to have kindness and compassion for the downtrodden. Thanks for coming to join the discussion.
I had never heard of poverty partys.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my post, Bridgette. You never know what tidbits you’ll find on P&P. 🙂
I’ve never heard of “Poverty Parties” but whoever did think of something so disrespectful and degrading and cruel ought to be ashamed of themselves. I would never make fun of someone who had less than I did, especially since my family and I know all about poverty and struggling to make ends meet. I hope these kinds of parties don’t exist anymore, and if they still do, they should be banned forever.
Melanie B, a lot of families were poor like mine. I’m sorry yours had such a struggle. Mine was not an exception by any means. A lot were in the same situation during and after the Depression. We did what we had to do to get through those incredibly hard times. I haven’t heard of any poverty parties in this day and time and I hope I never do. People can be so cruel and unfeeling toward others. But there are people today who don’t think a thing about quickly calling this behavior out when they see it. Take care and stay cool and hydrated.
I have not heard of it. I would not be a fan. It is not right to poke fun at anyone. God bless you.
Debra, anyone who if familiar with God’s teachings knows this is very wrong. I think evil gets in people’s hearts sometimes. Thank you so much for being here and adding to the conversation.
I have never heard of them. If they had them while I was growing up, I would have been one of the poor they made fun of.
Me as well, Rhonda. There’s no shame in being poor. They used to put people like us in debtor’s prison and I’d surely be there. Thanks for voicing your thoughts.
oh my goodness. these were true “snobs”. I have never heard of these parties either. As the one lady said, they should have been parties to either raise money for the poor, or to go out and help the poor somehow. I would never want to be apart of those “poverty parties”. I would be one of the rebellious ones who helped the poor. like Jesus says, we are to help and protect the poor and orphaned.
I agree, Lori. Back in my day, I was taught to always treat everyone with kindness and respect and to help them instead of kicking them in the teeth and ridiculing. Thank you so much for adding to the conversation.
I’ve never heard of them. That’s so sad, especially since they were making fun of those less fortunate instead of doing what they could to help those people.
Winnie, you are so right. My heart is really heavy today with such disappointment that I’m still continuing to see. Thanks so much for coming.
Jeepers – I have never heard of a poverty party. How degrading! Times have been/are tough for people. I can’t imagine raising a family in a tent. You must have vivid memories of how hard it was to be poor. And just look at you now! I bet you will never forget what it means to have very little. Thank you for sharing.
Dearest Kathy, I’m always so happy to see your name pop up. It’s amazing that all of us kids went on to find success. An older sister became a painter on canvas, another sister found success in business, two of us are writers, and our brother ran a successful realty company in Houston. None of us ever forgot where we came from and cherished our roots. My mother instilled so much pride in us. She used to say that we might be poor but we could rise above it. And we did. No, I’ll never forget my roots because they made me what I am and instilled wonderful values. Blessings and love, dear friend. 🙂 🙂
I have never heard a poverty party. That is so sad that they would do that to poor people. Things are really bad for everyone right now so I can’t believe that the rich would do that to people back then.
Quilt Lady, it’s always so nice to see your name pop up! I agree. This same thing is eating away at our society even now. And that the color of a person’s skin makes them a target. I’m so sad and yes a little angry.
Never heard of these before but they sound awful. I think these society people are so cruel.
Cherie J, thanks for coming. I agree. We have to do better than this!! We have to or nothing will change. Have a blessed day.
I heard a bit about these parties, but it was a long time ago. It was all very insensitive and crude. If done as a fundraiser, minus the sarcasm and stereotyping, with funds raised going to help those who were needy, it wouldn’t have been so bad. Those very wealthy individuals had no idea how difficult life is for those with few resources. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to have changed much today. We were far from well to do growing up, but were always taught to help others as much as we could. When you think of the resources the very wealthy have and how much good they could do, it is both sad and disgusting that they don’t make more of a constructive effort. Not with giveaways but by creating opportunities for those people to help themselves. (OK, off my soapbox now.)
We have had groups of high school and college students here spend nights on the street in cardboard boxes like so many of the homeless do. At times, meals like those served at shelters are served. These are not done in a mocking way. It is specifically done to raise awareness of the homeless problem and often funds are raised by the participants for homeless services. It also serves as a very good lesson to the kids who participate who have seldom been in a position where they didn’t have a comfortable home.
I picked up your books. I am so far behind on getting the series that come out from the fillies. I am even further behind in finding time to read what I do have. After reading Cheryl’s post yesterday and referring to The Heart of a Texas Cowboy, I want to find it and read it again. I really enjoyed all the books and series relating to the Legend men. The care and stay cool. (Our heat pump died Friday and it will be this coming Friday before the repairman can get here. Typical. 90+ and high humidity.)
I stand right beside you, Pat. Nothing can be gained or changed by keeping silent. Evil has reared its ugly head and my heart is heavy.
It’s very hot here…over 100 today and for the next 7 days. Probably for the foreseeable future until maybe the end of September when hopefully we’ll stop baking. I’m praying fall will come early! Thank you so much for liking our books. Don’t apologize for getting behind life gets in the way of reading and for me too. I’m really far behind as well. But there’s no expiration date on books! YAY! 🙂 🙂 Love you, lady!
I have never heard of poverty parties How awful!! Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
Thank you so much for coming, JCP. I’m glad I could shine a light on one piece of history that seems to be repeating itself. Stay cool and hydrated in this heat that’s gripping us.
I had not heard of the poverty parties before! How conscending!
Never heard of these kind of parties sound like severe bullying that was meant to be demeaning, a put down and make sure that person didn’t reach their goal they were striving for HOW TERRIBLE!!!!
Crystal, it was demeaning and cruel at the highest level. But sadly, the poor and also people of color have always gotten the short end of the stick. Look at Jim Crow and the South. This whole culture of trying to keep people down and “in their place” was so wrong. But shame on us for letting it still continue today. Thanks for your comment. Have a beautiful day.
Linda, I have never heard of a Poverty Party–that is appalling! Sadly, I don’t think we’ve come very far from that in today’s society all these years later. Our governor here in OK just made a statement that people who are on the SNAP program should be ashamed. Isn’t that awful? Thankfully, he’s served his two terms and can’t run again, but oh my gosh…that kind of thinking is heartbreaking to me. Great post–I learned something new today! Love ya, my Filly sis!
Cheryl, it’s happening down here in Texas as well and unfortunately we have no term limits. I just hate this mindset!! Who are we to judge? That’s not our place. Our job is to show kindness and respect and try to help instead of giving the poor and people of color a kick in the teeth! I tell you, I’m pretty riled up as I see this same thing happening today to me and what I’ve encountered. I’m angry and heartbroken. I love you too, Miss Filly Sister! And yes even for an Okie! Ha! 🙂
I have not heard of the poverty parties, but think it was an awful idea. Having grown-up wearing hand-me downs and working on my family‘s farm I appreciate hard work and learning to do without. Not one of the better events in America’s past. Hopefully we can learn from the mistakes made in the past and not repeat them.
Louise, most of us have experienced poverty at one time or another. I’ve been homeless three times in my life and it was no laughing matter. I hated that feeling of not having a roof over my head and my roots yanked up from the ground. But what’s sad is I’m still encountering this kind of rudeness and cruelty even now. People don’t learn. Sorry for such a depressing subject but it’s one I felt drawn to post. Thank you for coming. Stay cool and hydrated.
What a great blog post, Linda. No, I’d never heard of this. We also grew up poor. I once found my mom, who was great and honestly never seemed worried about money much, crying…possibly the only time I ever saw her cry outside a high school graduation or wedding. I asked her what was wrong and she said she’d written a letter to her mother and we didn’t have a stamp to send it. Stamps cost five cents.
Yep, poor for a fact.
Mary, yes we’ve both experienced times of not having enough. I’m so sorry about your mom not having the 5 cents to mail her letter. This is where we came from and I’m not ashamed of it because it made me a better person with great morals and character and I wouldn’t trade those hard times for anything. But we don’t have to tolerate rudeness and cruelty from people in this day and age. Thank you for your comment, Filly Sister. Much love.
I never have. How rude! Thanks for the chance to win a prize.
Thank you for joining the conversation, Vickie. Thank you for reading my post.
Hi Linda, I’ve never hear of a Poverty Party, either. What society does & doesn’t do….mostly shame the people who are poor. Like Cheryl P. said, seems the same today with the rich always rubbing it in.
But, they will reap what they sow. Everyone, has to answer for their actions.
Dearest Lois, thank you for adding your thoughts. Yes, I do firmly believe that you reap what you sow and it seems things like this always comes back to bite them. The Depression happened shortly after this and the wealthy ended up losing everything they had. Very sad. I love you, lady. I have a Christmas book coming on Sept. 1st.
I was not aware of this going on
Teresa, thank you for popping over and reading my post. Hopefully this shined a light on what is happening today. People should not feel shame and be discriminated against for circumstances beyond their control. I hope you have a blessed day.
First thing I have never heard of a Poverty party. Personally I can’t wrote what I really think when i read about this, it’s not exactly proper what i was thinking. So I just say that this the most disturbing and frankly completely disgusting behavior. I rather be a little poorer than be a rich snob with no morals. Making fun of people is just wrong and they should realize how lucky they are not to be poor with nothing like people they’re making fun of.
Had never heard of them, but grew up in a poorer part of Colorado, so not surprised.
Wow, Linda what a great post! I have never heard of poverty parties before. Sheesh, the wealthy had no shame.
I have not heard of this before.
I have never heard of a “Poverty Party” and can’t imagine how the people must have felt.
I could see this being a fun way to raise funds for fighting poverty. Except not with the intention to ridicule. I think a lot of people would be able to relate from how it was when they were growing up in my area.