Poor Kids (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

“They got money for wars but can’t feed the poor” - 2Pac

Respect to that kid mowing lawns and giving money to his mom

I grew up poor in the 1990s in South Carolina. Had no internet and we went to the library a lot. I started checking out math books at sixteen because math was a hobby that didn't cost any money. I am now a math professor.

i grew up with roger and brittany. Roger was my only friend for a long time. we played every morning during the summer. I saw this documentary in highschool after he had moved away from my neighborhood. it was shocking to see him on this. roger passed away a few years ago in a car accident. i miss him very much, he was always a wonderful, kind, jokester.

This documentary should be shown at EVERY SCHOOL! So every child appreciates their family’s and never ever pick of kids with less then them.

That little girl crying over her dog in mismatched sandals. God my kid doesn’t realize how lucky she is most days this just breaks my heart. That was my life growing up

i am a 32 year old grown man. This video has me breaking down like a little baby. I truly wish the best for all these kids and wish one day i have the money to make a dent in this horrific problem in this world.

Update: Around 2018 “Roger Smith died after skidding across an icy bridge and crashing into a tree near the family’s home in East Moline. He was 19.”

Love how that little girl says “you might get poor in a couple months — you never know”. People need to take heed.

The maturity of these children is unbelievable. I wish them happiness and hope everyone is ok.

I am now eternally grateful for everything that my wife and I have.

I grew up poor and as a 29 year old man even though I improved my situation, my parents have only gotten worse

"People don't realize what they have until it's gone." Hits hard

"People don't realize what they have until it's gone". Couldn't agree more.

I hope we get an update on these kiddos in a few years. They deserve all that this life has to offer.

Watching this as an adult is really hard. I grew up in poverty with the electric and water constantly getting shut off, fridge aways empty, never had clothes that fit and just had to push through whatever happened whether it was a broken bone or an extreme allergic reaction you just crossed your fingers and hoped you didn't die. Homelessness was always on the table and my dad didn't hesitate to remind us of that every minute of every day to keep us from ever hoping or wanting for anything as kids. The parents put a lot of responsibility on us as kids to fend for ourselves and childhood among my siblings was pretty much driven by Darwinism. I distinctly remember going outside everyday and trying to find food in whatever form I could get my hands on. Word to the wise there's a variety of fuax clover that puts out banana shaped seed pods, the leaves and pods taste good and go well with wild strawberries. I've seen people eat dandelions but they're bitter and always made me sick. I know now that there are better ways to prepare them, and some people have allergies to dandelions. I remember collecting cans and bottles, raking leaves and shoveling driveways in the winter, and when I got older and had to start taking care of my nephews I started bringing home backpacks with canned goods and rice from the schools backpack program. It was so embarrassing to have to apply to the program as a 14 year old and tell them just how much I needed it... They didn't believe me at first because usually it's gaurdians who apply for the program and for some reason they thought I was trying to take advantage of the system? Meanwhile my family is starving at home and I've taken over our financial planning, couponing and grocery shopping to make sure every penny stretched as far as I could get it. I started working at 15 and a good portion of my income went to supplementing the food budget and helping to pay rent so we wouldn't get evicted (that backfired since my parents became dependent on that income, be careful out there if you're in a similar situation, never disclose your earnings and dont get direct deposit if tou can help it.) That was the first time in my life that anyone at home had enough to get by without getting sick or going hungry for days at a time. Still, the little ones were always hungry and always got more food and drinks than anyone else in the house and I quickly had to become food police to make sure they got what they needed to grow properly without adults taking more than their fair share. The hardest thing about poverty isn't being too poor to have luxuries, it's the mental and emotional strain put on the family, especially the kids who have to grow up fast and learn hard lessons to survive. Poverty isn't living, it's surviving. I don't think enough people understand that or have any idea what that's like. When you see a child in dirty ill-fitting clothing, don't assume they weren't raised right, or they're trashy, or their parents should miraculously be better and pull money out of thin air to provide for them, just know that they're struggling and they're living a much harder life than most people could ever understand. If you see a struggling family in public, don't shy away or judge them. They're doing the best they can.

Let’s be honest, how many of us are one layoff, one job loss away from being in these people’s position? This documentary really put things in perspective for me to be grateful for what I have instead of complaining all the time because there are people out there that would love to be in the position I’m in.

Shame on whoever cheated those poor kids out of 3 cents a can.

Props to the fathers that stayed with the families. They are the true heroes. As a single man who didn't have a father while growing up & was raised poor as well, these are the men I look up too. And hope to be, one day. 🙏🏼❤️

The scene where they had to take their dog to the shelter almost made me cry. The look on that poor dog's face when they put her in the kennel. She must have felt so abandoned.