"Ah, the old classic 'We were poor because we had no money left after we spent it' trope." 

"I'm not arguing that the people with these conditions need to 'rub some dirt on it,' but rather healthcare and health literacy should be more accessible to all, so that more people can figure out if they have something going on that is making their life harder."

 "Every field trip since, every single student gets a free bagged lunch for field trips." 

"People having spare houses that sit vacant is absolutely bonkers to me."

"My teeth are now collapsing and my dentist asked why I didn't have braces when I was younger (which would have prevented this issue). I had to explain to him that not everyone had parents with the ability to pay for them (my dentist is in a wealthy area). I feel like he was shocked."

"It's interesting how wealth can cover up those problems. I dated a daughter of two millionaires, and the family did not talk about or deal with alcoholism or substance abuse because those family members always had a roof over their heads and their needs provided for. Her cousin even showed up high as a kite on painkillers one Christmas, but as long as he had on a dress shirt, no one cared." 

"I grew up in government-subsidized housing with food stamps. My mother had four kids (same dad) and no husband. I was very, very poor. I’m now in the top 10% of total net worth among people under 40. 

I pay a lot in taxes, and I hope some of it goes toward supporting the programs I used. Thanks to those who paid taxes before me. Let’s try to be better to each other."

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.