Coping with the Economic Crisis:

Needs Grow As Economic Crisis Spreads

Photo: Thatcher Cook for Mercy Corps

How is the economic crisis affecting you?

Most of us are feeling it in some way. We're thinking harder about what we can afford and what we can do without. Routine purchases a few months ago now seem unnecessary or out of financial reach.

This tenor of uncertainty has spread all over the world, to millions of families that Mercy Corps serves. They worry about the same things we do: how to pay bills, put food on the table and take care of their children.

But, for families in places like Central African Republic and Indonesia, rising prices for things like food and fuel can be catastrophic. It's difficult for most of us to imagine: When we're asked to pay more at the grocery store, it's hard for us — but for those living on just $1 a day, it can be a matter of life and death.

To cope, many parents postpone their children's education just to keep their families fed. They put off health care needs to pay for basic utilities. They postpone dreams or stop saving money — because there's nothing extra to save. And some even choose which days of the week they eat — or who in the family can eat on a given day — because there's just not enough to go around.

From the forgotten corners of the world to right here at home, we're sharing solutions and keeping the flame of hope burning bright. Here are three stories about how Mercy Corps continues to respond and help:

• Sophie Gbellet, an African businesswoman, struggles to sell goods at the market and support her 13 children as the country's economy faces near-collapse.
• A Jakarta couple squeezes its family of six into a tiny dwelling, paying an exorbitant share of income just for water that's not 100-percent safe.
• As sales plummet and gas prices soar, a passionate Portland entrepreneur struggles to keep her dream alive with some help from Mercy Corps' microlending services.

Mercy Corps has stepped up its programs to help people cope with the economic crisis. We work directly with poor families to find solutions for their communities. We're helping them put food on the table, find jobs, protect their health and keep their kids in school through tough times.

But needs are growing as the crisis spreads: millions of people are sinking deeper into poverty. We can't ignore the tremendous impact this crisis is having on the world's poorest communities. We need to act now.

How can you help these families weather the economic crisis? Read their stories, then consider a gift to help make their lives a little easier. In times like these, an act of kindness is felt all the way around the world.