Innocent: Confession of a Welfare Mother Essay -- welfere, poverty, lif

Innocent: Confessions of a welfare mother is a memoir that defies the stigma that comes along with welfare and poverty. It outlines the trials and tribulations of a single Caucasian mother and her ability to maintain her family. Forced to make pivotal decisions and keep the best interest of her family in mind, she must take welfare handouts to get through her financial struggles. This memoir is a way to highlight the obstacles it takes to keep a stable household and get by at the worst times in a single mothers life. At a time of racism and despair, this single mother was able to find a place to call home and give her family a comfortable life. Barbara Morrison, an educated woman who grew up in a nuclear family home, their home included â€Å"[her] parents and children living in one household† (Moore& Asay, 2013). They lived in Roland Park in Baltimore Maryland. Living the â€Å"Average† lifestyle in her parents’ home she felt as if she were an outsider. Morrison decided to go to Western Maryland and pursue her collegiate education. She could not take the racism that went on in 1970 and decided to uproot her life for the better. Worcester, Massachusetts is where Morrison’s life would further take its course, she finally felt at home in this city. Morrison met her closest friend Jill who would also be an important benefactor in Barbra’s life; the first thing that she explained to Morrison was â€Å"The vast majority of people on welfare were white and lived in rural areas, not inner cities† (Morrison,2011).Morrison did not understand this until she was faced with the reality of pove rty. In order to survive she needed to bring in resources, which are â€Å"anything identified to meet an existing or future need† (Moore& Asay, 2013).In Morrison’s case ... ...o get Welfare assistance was a smart decision, but while on welfare she could have been in search for a better job. She didn’t want to take any time away from her children, but it may have been necessary in order to give them an even better life. Morrison did not weigh in the fact that she could have lived even more comfortably, having a well-paying job. When deciding to get welfare, another alternative could have been to teach in a place where her sons could also attend. Morrison was a good care provider for her children, but if she would have altered her ultimate plan slightly, it could have changed her life in a tremendous way. Works Cited Morrison , B. (2011). Innocent: Confession of a Welfare Mother . (1st ed.). Baltimore,MD: Apprentice House Moore, T. J,. & Asay, A. M. (2013). Family Resource Management. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications inc.