Blog Action Day is an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. [Their] aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.

What: Poverty
When: October 15, 2008

This year’s Blog Action Day focuses on global poverty, but I am a firm believer in helping those at home first.

Poverty in the USA

From Wikipedia: …the most common measure of poverty is the “

poverty line” set by the U.S. government, which recognizes poverty as lacking those goods and services commonly taken for granted by members of mainstream society.[1] The official poverty threshold is adjusted for inflation using the consumer price index. Poverty in the United States is cyclical in nature with roughly 12% to 16% living below the federal poverty line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% falling below the poverty line at some time within a 10 year time span.[2] Most, 58.5%, of all Americans will spend at least one year beneath the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75.[3]

Today, there are 304,961,313 people in the United States. That means 121,984,525.20 will at one point be living below the poverty line once in ten years (let’s assume this includes children and/or their parents). And 178,402,368 people will be poor at least once in their adult life.As marketers and bloggers, we are fortunate to have the best and latest computers, phones and gadgets, access to the Internet—and a voice. When Blog Action Day has come and gone what can we do to continue helping and making a difference?

Here are a just a few ways:

• Computers with Causes
• Teaming for Technology
• Make-A-Wish
• Komputers 4 R Kids
• Dress for Success
• The Grameen Foundation
• The National Cristina Foundation

By helping out, just a little bit, we could just make a difference in someone else’s life and maybe, just maybe, give them a voice.

For now, I only ask you to consider joining me and 2,770 other sites and 3,967,559 readers! (as of August 24, 2008). Thank you!Do you know of any other ways to help? Let’s be sure to share them.

[Hat tip: Conversation Agent. Give Valeria’s blog a visit, she has a wonderful Blog Action Day video!]