Be safe. Stay Strong.
July 9, 2020 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 9
RV travel tips in the summer of COVID SAVVYSENIOR
Dear Savvy But there are still risks Senior, – especially in public Can you write places like gas stations, a column on RV shared restrooms and travel for novices? picnic areas – so exercise My husband and I caution. If you’ve never have been cooped traveled by motor home up all spring and or RV, here are a few tips summer because of to consider. BY JIM MILLER the coronavirus and would like to take a trip using Renting an RV a rented RV but could use some To help you determine the tips and want to be safe. RV size and model you need Recently Retired for your trip, consider your budget, destination and the Dear Recently, number of travelers. If it’s Recreational-vehicle (or just you and your husband, RV) travel has become a very and you’re visiting several popular option among U.S. locations and driving lots retirees over the past few of miles you may want a decades and is probably one of smaller motor home with the safest and most convenient better fuel economy. But if ways to get away this summer. you’re taking other family Because it’s a small home members or friends, you on wheels, RV travel will may want a larger RV with allow you to distance yourself slide outs and more sleeping from crowds of people and areas. See GoRVing.com for a reduce your risk of COVID breakdown of all the different exposure that comes with other types of RVs available today. forms of travel, i.e. air/train To locate an RV rental travel, hotel/Airbnb lodging dealer near you visit and eating in restaurants.
CruiseAmerica.com, one of the largest RV rental companies in the world or search the Recreation Vehicle Rental Association at RVRA.org. Or use peer-to-peer RV rental sites like RVshare.com or Outdoorsy.com, which are usually a little cheaper. Rental costs will vary greatly depending on what you choose and how far you drive, ranging anywhere from $50 up to $500 per day. When renting a rig, be sure you get detailed instructions from the owner or rental company on how to use the RV’s systems, including the generator, air-conditioning, leveling, slide outs, electric and entertainment, as well as how to empty waste tanks and refill fresh water. You should also know that because of COVID-19, most RV rental companies are vigilant about cleaning and disinfecting their units. But if you want to be extra safe, the CDC offers tips at CDC.gov/ COVID19 – type “Cleaning
The why behind inequality Of the many narratives written about social justice, upward mobility, oppression, racism, and poverty, data reports outline that multigenerational poverty is largely Black. There is a distinct connection with the collapse of the nuclear family in the inner city and the struggle for equality. Without casting blame or judgement, demographic reports showcase the numbers. Seventy percent of Black children are born to single mothers. Those mothers are far more likely than married mothers to be poor. These moms, albeit hard working, are more likely to pass that poverty cycle on to their children. Many try to downplay single motherhood as a sign of the times and inescapable in the era of women empowerment and a libertine social culture. However, the research continues to show that most educated women wait to have children until they are married. Clearly, we are a two-family nation, separate and unequal—one thriving and intact, and the other struggling and separated from opportunity.
To understand why, we must explore the history of the 1960’s. In the nation there was a convergence of the women’s movement, the sexual revolution, Vietnam War protests, the assassination of a president, the civil rights movement and the expansion of a welfare program called Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) by President Johnson. To be able to access this “Great Society” welfare
program, there were basically three rules, 1. No job, 2. No savings, 3. No man in the home. Sadly, the people who needed assistance the most were minority families, those who truly were oppressed and did not have access to many of the things White people take for granted. In communities of color, married men were asked to leave the home. This graph clearly demonstrates what happened to the non-marital birth rate effecting our Black brothers and sisters the most.
and Disinfecting Your Home” in the search bar.
Trip Planning Tips
It’s always wise to map out your trip route and reserve your campgrounds in advance, especially now during the pandemic, because some campgrounds and RV parks, as well as local, state, and national public parks may be closed or operating with restrictions. A free tool that can help you plan your trip is Roadtrippers. com, which lets you plot out routes, calculate mileage and travel time, and will identify RV campgrounds, points of interest and restaurants along the way. You should also consider becoming a Good Sam Club member (GoodSam.com/club, $29/year), which provides access to its web-based trip planner, camping and fuel discounts, and a copy of the Good Sam Guide Series that features detailed information After 30 years of these policies that decimated the black family, the 1996 Welfare Reform and Social Responsibility Act was signed into law under the Clinton Administration, changing “Welfare as we know it” from AFDC to TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families). Welfare went from a Federalized program to a State Block Grant. The welfare dollars from the Federal Government is sent to Colorado and gets administered by 64 sets of county commissioners partnering with their county Health and Human Service Directors.
on more than 12,000 private RV parks and public campgrounds. Most RV parks rent spaces on a nightly or weekly basis with rates typically ranging from $30 to $50 per night, however some in city and country parks may be $10 or even free. RV parks can also range from rustic facilities with limited or no utility hookups, as are more often found in state and national parks, to luxury resorts with amenities that rival fine hotels. For first-time RV renters, staying at a fully loaded RV park or campground with full hookups, a dump station, and staff on site is highly recommended. Look at Kampgrounds of America (KOA.com) or ReserveAmerica.com to browse the accommodations. And for more safe travel tips this summer, visit Coronavirus.gov – click on “specific resources for travelers.”
The four purposes of TANF are:
• Assisting needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes • Reducing the dependency of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage • Preventing non-marital pregnancies • Encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Unfortunately, the purposes of TANF are not being accomplished. Mostly the money is being spent on job training. In fact, in Colorado TANF is called ColoradoWorks. It is time to make every effort to teach the next generation of young people, especially those who are currently struggling in the poverty cycle. Let us work together teach highneed youth the skills to develop healthy relationships, effective communication skills including conflict resolution, financial literacy, job readiness and career advancement skills, and how to stay out the poverty cycle by following the success sequence, 1. Graduate 2. Get a job, 3. Marry, and then have children. This is one way, in a complex eco-system, to increase equality for all. joneen@myrelationshipcenter. org; www.myrelationshipcenter. org.
