According to the United Nations, 10% of the world's population lives at or below $1.90 a day. This translates to roughly 780 million people at risk of early death, not including the millions of others who live on a slightly higher amount. Although such numbers seem intimidating, the solution to extreme poverty remains at the world's reach, even if it lies within controversial steps. Promoting the development of such steps is a global responsibility.

Poverty also goes beyond just income. Poverty comes in many faces: it's characterized by hunger, lack of access to education and social services, malnutrition, and even discrimination and ostracism. It's a monster that requires universal tackling. It is mainly concentrated on two regions: Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, but this does not mean that it can't extend its jaws to other places. 

This is why it's our responsibility to collectively face and end poverty. This is why I've personally committed to the proper nourishment of our community. And I'm not referring to just-food sustenance—although I have made that possible through the regular weekly food distributions in Passaic, which are accessible to all and enough to feed a full family—but also to access. I've made multiple resources available to Passaic families, ranging from housing affordability to business startup programs. These resources have made it possible for justice to become the leading combatant of poverty, and so far, it's working. Passaic residents can live up to their constitutional right of pursuing life, liberty, and happiness.