Luxury Item

I recently delivered some children's clothes to a grandmother who is trying to raise several of her grandchildren.  In addition to the clothes, I brought her a sack of bathroom supplies.  When Abuela (grandmother in Spanish) saw the packet of toilet paper, she exclaimed, "Oh, thank you so much!  I had to ask my neighbor if I could borrow a roll because I didn't have the money to buy any."

Have you ever considered what you would do if you found yourself on disability AND had to raise your grandchildren? Food stamps, Medicare, and Medicaid doesn't pay for luxury items such as toilet paper, tooth paste or shampoo.  In addition to dealing with the fear and worry for her grandchildren and for her children, Abuela also has to think about where she will find the money to provide the "luxuries" of toiletry items. 

When I met Abuela and several other grandparents at a support group for grandparents raising grandchildren, I was introduced to people who lovingly brought their grandchildren into their homes rather than allow them to go into the foster care system.  With the reality of raising grandchildren came the realization that they would not receive financial or emotional assistance from Child Protective Services (CPS) that foster parents get.  Often trying to stretch income to provide for additional bodies is more than the grandparents can handle.  They make decisions based on what is an absolute necessity and what becomes a luxury item.

What kind of country are we living in when toilet paper becomes a luxury item?   How does one of the most prosperous countries in the world allow people to go without basic items of living?  I know that there are many people in the world who believe that public assistance is a failure, and perhaps it is.  But I cannot believe that people who live in the United States should have to do without something as basic as toilet paper.