The Great Depression affected people of all races and income levels. It seemed that no one was immune to the emotional and economic consequences of the economic downturn. Lives were turned upside down and many did not know how to cope. With the financial collapse, children lost their college funds and families lost their homes. Families had to find shelter by any means possible. Communities were erected in almost every state and consisted of shelters made of boxes and iron sheets; these communities were known as “Hoovervilles” (Leuchtenburg, p. 251). Others sought refuge in caves, underground passages and under bridges (Leuchtenburg, p. 252). Many people's savings were lost before anyone could understand what was happening. Many businesses also felt the impact of the Depression, as funding dried up and they closed their doors (Kennedy, p. 163). Iron and steel production slowed to levels never before seen (Kennedy, p. 163). Sectors like construction and automobiles were hit hard, along with the companies that supplied them (Kennedy, p. 163). Farmers in rural America have been displaced by drought and falling crop prices. Things were so difficult that the only alternative was to pack up their belongings and move to other states in search of work (FDR and the Depression video). Both men and women suffered from unemployment and reduced wages (Kennedy, p. 163). The average demographic of those receiving humanitarian aid was white men in their 30s, generally unskilled and uneducated (Kennedy, p. 166). For many, job loss lasted two years or more, leading to emotional stress and loss of self-respect (Kennedy, p. 166). They felt that their wives and children no longer worshiped them as they once did, because they were losing their place as providers and paper to the people of color and did not hate them. You know as well as I do that a lot of white people hate colored people, so I couldn't ask just anyone like a white girl would…” (“Letters: Requests for Money”). The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 was the New Deal for the Indian nation. The new policy was intended to alleviate the injustices Indians suffered at the hands of the government. It aimed to end the practice of forcing Indians to assimilate into Western society (erasing their Indian identity and culture), as well as forcing them to live on reservations too small to support them (Kennedy, p.379). Human suffering has penetrated all sectors of society and affected the lives of millions of people, directly or indirectly. The depression got worse and lasted longer than anyone could have predicted..