Melissa Fonseca has worked at a pharmacy chain for 16 years, but still barely makes enough to cover her bills. Meanwhile, the lifelong Humboldt Park resident sees her neighborhood being transformed by a wave of wealthy new residents who have been afforded the advantages that always seemed out of her reach. Will Melissa ever be able to get ahead? A reunion with her estranged mom might hold the answers she’s been looking for.

Poverty is exacerbated by environmental conditions that beget individual and family consequences and by stressors that make it very difficult to break the cycle of poverty. However, we see a glimmer of hope through the strength demonstrated against nearly insurmountable odds by each person in the film. We will reflect on the experiences of poverty from their points of view and think of ways to undo the societal and economic forces that generate such inequities. We will also discuss what community resources can be leveraged to bring lasting solutions for our Chicago neighbors to leave behind the life of poverty and start reaching for the American Dream that we all are promised in this country.