Poverty, how to solve a problem?

I'm sure all of us have been in touch with poverty, either seeing someone else being affected by it or being directly affected by it. It broke my heart when I realized that some (alot) of families couldn't buy fireworks this year. The 4th of July celebrates our independence, its the land of the free and the home of the brave. Yet, how can our people be brave when our freedom is enslaved by the snares of poverty?