Life in poverty

I grew up poor. And by American standards, well, poor ain't very poor.
So let's back up, and explain it.
Sometime in the late 80s, I was born in Iowa's third largest city.
The first house I lived in cost $50.00 US.
We ate fish, and grew a lot of our own food.
We were poor, but, we were happy.
I remember my dad, God rest his soul, playing with us.
(My dad would be around a full decade older than my mom).
He was such a sweet man! And while he was a sinner like all of us (see Romans 3:23, but, also remember that it's referencing Psalm 15), his Lutheran upbringing STUCK.
I remember, quite particularly, that he ALWAYS made us say grace before meals.
He was a good dad!
He was also very hard working. He was a diesel mechanic for Ditch Witch. (The History and Overview of Ditch Witch Company).
That sounds like it would make a lot of money, but, at the time, it didn't. At that time, I think we were more "working class" than poor.
After he died though (on 16 April 1997, which, coincidentally, is my cousin Cody's birthday, Cody is one of my cousins' on my mom's side, I think it was his tenth birthday), we did have some financial hardship.
We actually had it before then, what with him being sick. And if you're curious, he died of medical practice, but had ALS. (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
And there was charity there, too. You want the government to do all the charity? Good luck! (And, before anyone asks, no, I am not a libertarian, though, I used to be, and before that, I was a socialist, I've pretty much always been pro-life, though. Abortion is murder).
But, I remember, the town we lived in, in Illinois. A ton of people came to help put in a wheelchair ramp for him.
Because charity is a thing that people used to actually do.
But, there are many people that think that somehow, poverty is a curse from God.
I think material wealth can be a blessing. But it seems to be the poor who have God's favour in The Bible.
Let's look at some verses, shall we?
Psalm 34:6, "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles."
"Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool." (Proverbs 19:1)
"Give alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye be envious, neither turn thy face from any poor, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee". (Tobit 4:7)
Psalm 9:18, "For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever".
Proverbs 14:21: "He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is".
Do note, I am not saying that material wealth can't be a blessing. If gained and used properly, I think it can be a blessing.
Obviously, charities need money to function.
And we've had great charity.
After my dad died, around Christmas, some people left money anonymously for us.
I've been randomly given $500 US after Mass during Christmas season (during the Octave, NOT advent).
Those people, I think, along with the poor, will be called "great" in the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Matthew 5:2-12, Luke 6:20-26)