RURAL CHILDHOOD POVERTY

Rj Sangosti

The Denver Post

'I wasn't ready to be a mother when I had Michael. I was more interested in partying, but now it's all changed. My kids are my life, and I'm trying to make it better for them,' said Michelle Razey, 28. Michelle lives with her two kids, Michael Jennings Jr., 8, and Misti Razey, 3, at the home of her mother, Shirley Razey, 49, in Lamar, Colorado, in Prowers County, one of poorest counties in Colorado. Michelle admits that she is not the best mother and has made her fare share of mistakes in the past. The family lives off a welfare check, that is a little over $340 a month, which doesn't leave much left over for the kids. The welfare benefits will run out in five months, and Michelle is scared she won't have enough money to feed her kids. Michael Jennings Jr., 8, plays in a tree near his home in Lamar. Michael, who plays alone most of the time, said other kids at his school make fun of him because of his size.

Rj Sangosti, "RURAL CHILDHOOD POVERTY," in POYi Archive, Item #43637, http://archive.poy.org/index.php/items/show/43637 (accessed June 14, 2025).