How did family’s problem solve in order to survive? – E. Perry

One of the ways these poor lower classes families sought to survive was with the use of problem solving. Families banded together to find out how to provide food, shelter, and clothes on their backs.

During the Great Depression many people came up with creative ways to solve family problems. The first and foremost problem was housing. Many families upon losing their homes, to the bank, would move in with family members or rent rooms from neighbors who were having a tough time paying their own mortgages. When the money ran completely out they would live as squatters in communities of homemade shacks of cardboard and scrap called Hoovervilles. The next major problem was income. Many were part of the government run WPA - Works Progress Administration which paid modest wages. To make ends meet they would also take on additional cash labor in forms of laundry or day labor type work. These modest wages were used to pay rent, buy food meager portions of biscuits and bread. The final resort was begging. Many requested assistance from many different programs government and non government sponsored: Free Lunch Program from the school, Christmas Dinner at the Y.W.C.A, free shoes from local merchant on Christmas, cod liver oil from the nurse at the doctor’s office, the American Red Cross and Welfare Department, a bag of coal from a coal dealer.

Citations:
Stevens, Anne. "Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945: Begging". Library of Congress. 2/12/2010
.

Shahn, Ben. "Dwellers in Circleville's "Hooverville," central Ohio Call Number: LC-USF33-006580-M4". Library of Congress. 2/12/2010 (COLLID+fsa))>.