Who survived the Great Depression and how did they do so?

If you are asking about human beings surviving the
Depression, the majority of people did literally survive.  That is, there were not very
many people who actually died because of the Great Depression.  In general, people
survived by "tightening their belts" and making do with less than they had before. 
There are many examples of people planting gardens to get more food or substituting
cheaper ingredients into foods to save money.  Women moved more towards making things
for their families instead of buying them.  These sorts of austerity measures helped
families survive.

Of course, the government programs of the
New Deal helped as well.  These programs provided work for many, many people.  By doing
so, these programs gave them money and a sense of hope and helped them to survive the
Depression.