Charlie Fields, 79
Abingdon, Va.
Though he collects Social Security and an Army pension, Charlie Fields is still poor.
Fields, who worked most of his life hauling coal, spends his days caring for his wife, who was disabled by a stroke. But even if she were healthy, the couple couldn't afford to do much. His meager monthly income, combined with $50 she receives in food stamps, doesn't go far, even in rural Virginia.
Heating alone can cost up to $400 a month in the winter, and groceries and the mortgage cost more than $700 every month. If something breaks, he tries to fix it himself.
"Each month, when I get my check, by the last week of the month, it gets pretty close," said Fields. "We can't go anywhere. You can't even get a hamburger and a milkshake for less than $12 to $15 around here."
NEXT: 'God provides for our family'
