Agencies Target Reduced Poverty Level

from Leesburg Today

The county's human services agencies, the Loudoun Department of Family Services and the Town of Leesburg have an ambitious goal: to cut the county's poverty rate in half over the next decade.

To that end, they will join the Loudoun County Community Action Advisory Board, the Social Services Board and the Loudoun Human Services Network in mounting a poverty symposium from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24 at the Ida Lee Recreation Center.

"We are the second wealthiest county in the country," said Susan Jane Stack in a recent interview. But Loudoun still has a poverty rate of 2.9 percent, while the national rate currently is 2.3 percent.

To be below the poverty rate means earning $20,000 or less, but the rate needed to be self-sufficient in Virginia has been estimated to be between $58,000 and $61,000.

That $20,000 figure is out of date and only a technicality in reality, according to Stack, because it does not include consideration of an individual having to choose between basic necessities including child care, food, housing and health care.

"We want to introduce what it's like to live in poverty in a very wealth county to our population," she said.

Stack is a long-time member of the social services community and is community resource director for the county's Department of Family Services. Stack, DFS Director Bob Chirles and program manager Karen Velez, who coordinates the annual Holiday Coalition food and gifts program, are the main organizers of the Oct. 24 symposium.

The five organizations sponsoring the symposium are in agreement that the images of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the poor and elderly have re-sensitized Americans to the plight of those living in poverty.

Despite Loudoun's affluence, "the fact that approximately 3 percent of our community lives at the poverty level is of particular concern," Chirles said in a statement, pointing out that means at "least 7,800 people" in the county live at an income of $20,000 for a family of four.

The event will have some heavy hitters as speakers. They include lead speaker Peter Edelman, associate dean of the Georgetown Law Center, known as a powerful and compelling speaker on social issues; Camille Cormier of Wider Opportunities for Women; and Jodie Levin Epstein, assistant director of the Center for Law and Social Policy.

Edelman and Levin will address the topic of immigration from a statistical point of view. Immigration, particularly the impacts of illegal immigrations, is a controversial and popular topic during this political season and will undoubtedly loom large during the symposium.

County statistics show that 9.7 percent of Loudoun's population is Hispanic, and of that figure, 47.8 percent are said to be legal citizens. The other 52 percent aren't necessarily non-citizens, but it is not known how many might have legal residency status.

Supporters of immigrants during recent discussions have noted they do pay taxes, and they spend the money they earn in the county.

In the afternoon session, Stack said participants will break into small issue groups to explore ways to achieve the goal of cutting poverty in half in Loudoun. Each group will be tasked to define what needs to be done to provide adequate access for individuals.

Categories include: adequate health care for individuals, including oral and mental health and disability issues; educational opportunities, including post secondary education; employment and economic issues, including wages, benefits, international trade, globalization, environmental and energy issues; food and nutrition; housing and economic development, including homelessness issues; political advocacy; and social and cultural integration.

"We want to come up with project and program ideas that are measurable," Stack said. Organizers want to find out "where are the holes and what can we do to enhance opportunities," she said.

After the symposium is over and the comments are compiled, Stack said the plan is to set up a steering committee which will look at the goals and necessary steps to achieve them.

She noted that the county has a long tradition of experience and some success in the human services field, both in the governmental and private sectors.

"If we can't do it, nobody can," Stack said, adding that DFS "prides itself on being able to help people in poverty."

More than 300 invitations have been sent out and Stack and Velez hope to fill the house.

Registration for the symposium is required by end of day Oct. 17. Those wishing to attend should contact Velez at 703-771-5718 or e-mail her at Karen.Velez@loudoun.gov.