18 months after a storm, people in Missouri are still looking for a home

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, FEMA is hard at work providing temporary housing for people who lost their homes in the storm. The last big storm that FEMA provided this service for was a tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri in 2001. Eighteen months after that storm, many are still living in the FEMA mobile homes. They remain for a variety of reasons, not earning enough for an apartment, unable to find work after the storm, or simply never getting a chance. Their time in the free housing is about to run out, FEMA will begin charging rent to those people in June.

From Reuters Alert Net, writer Kevin Murphy introduces us to some of the people still using the housing. 

Edwards, who does debris cleanup for the nearby city of Duquesne, Missouri, said she is unable to find rental property because she has seven children. "I have good credit, I have never fallen behind in payments but no one will give me a chance," she said.

Leslie Armitage said she and her husband planned to move out this fall but recently learned that state assistance they expected in paying first and last month's rent is unavailable because of his income. She feels cramped in their two-bedroom home with two dogs. "I can't wait to get out, seriously," she said.

James Williamson, who works two part-time jobs as a cook at fast-food restaurants, said residents of the FEMA units face a stigma.

"There are a lot of stereotypes about FEMA trailer people - no cars, free rent, free this, free that, people not working," said Williamson, who planned to move out as he pursues his GED and better jobs. "I'm a guy who believes in moving forward."

Jason Calvin, whose lost his job as a cable TV account manager because of the tornado, said health issues and not being able to afford a car have hurt his chances of finding work. He is upset that FEMA will soon be seeking rent.

"I think that is totally asinine and ridiculous," Calvin said. "If we could afford $757 a month, we wouldn't need low-income housing."

Williamson and some other residents, do not fault FEMA.

"I'm in total agreement with them charging rent," said Williamson. "With the other price-gouging that went on after the tornado, I don't see how people can complain about what they have out here."

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/fema-still-provides-free-housing-in-joplin-18-months-after-tornado

Help youths 'one block at a time'

from St Louis Today

By Steve Giegerich
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/03/2008

St. Louis — The nationally recognized educator and activist credited with a renaissance that has bettered the lives of thousands of children in Harlem suggested Wednesday that the improvements can be repeated in St. Louis.

The educator, Geoffrey Canada, said resolving the social ills plaguing impoverished St. Louis neighborhoods and schools would require a united effort by social service agencies, the city government, the school district, nonprofits, colleges and universities and, most critically, the private sector.

Canada, the president and executive director of the Harlem Children's Zone, was in downtown St. Louis Wednesday to address the annual conference of Parents as Teachers, the Maryland Heights-based national group that advocates for young children and families.

He said sparing children from poverty was a block-by-block endeavor.

"That's what we did," Canada said in an interview prior to his speech. "We started with one block, and nobody believed we would make a difference. Then we moved to a second block and then a third and fourth block. ..."

The organization now provides comprehensive social and educational services to the residents, most of them disadvantaged children, on 98 blocks in central Harlem.

Community leaders experience living in poverty

By Deanna Wheeler

ELDON, Mo. — The Locke family sits huddled together near the door discussing their next move. They have to buy groceries this week, but the refrigerator is still broken and needs to be repaired first.

Where is the money going to come from? Their 15-year-old daughter is out of school this week and can pick up extra hours at her after-school job.

The whistle sounds from across the room where the poverty simulation is being held. Dad jumps up and races to the bank to cash his paycheck. Daughter runs across the room to make it to work on time so she's not fired.

Mom and Grandpa are left behind wondering if they should sell one of their cars to help pay bills. The electricity is due and in danger of being disconnected. It's another $50 to reconnect if that happens.

Then a man walks by and hands them a bright orange eviction notice. It's devastating news for the struggling Locke family. The family paid its mortgage last week but didn't get a receipt.

Without any proof the family paid, there's nothing he can do, he says. He tells them to take it up with the mortgage company, knocking over chairs as he does. He's just doing his job.

The family winds up in the homeless shelter while trying to get a copy of the receipt.

The mortgage company won't give it to them even though she saw the canceled check sitting right there on the table, Mom said, sitting on a folding chair at the homeless shelter.

Frustrating is the best emotion to describe what the family is going through. And this situation is only pretend.

Grandpa, Dad, Mom and daughter are really Connie Kirkweg and Tracey Rayhart, professionals with family services; Bill Depew, a deputy with the Miller County Sheriff's Department; and Tena Riley, a district administrator for probation and parole.

Presented by the Missouri Ozarks Community Action Agency, the poverty simulation was a glimpse into the lives of low-income families.

Days were broken down into 15-minute increments. Resource officers and volunteers played the roles of mortgage firms, bankers, pawn dealers, police officers and school teachers. The list of actors goes on.

Social Services caseworker No. 1 tells the fictional Rita Rogers to hurry up, others are waiting to be helped. Rogers is 20 years old and a full-time student with a baby. She has no job and lives with her father, who receives food stamps but not enough for both. She's just looking for a little bit of help, maybe day care vouchers so she wouldn't have to take her 1-year-old baby with her to class. It's her third time back filling out the same paperwork, standing in the same lines.

"I skipped school last week to wait in line," she said, holding a plastic baby doll. "This whole process would drive someone crazy."

She then heard there's nothing social services can offer and the caseworker calls for the next person waiting.

Kris Harwood, the woman who played Rogers, said she got the runaround.

"I'm not blaming the services because I'm sure they're doing everything they can, but I realize why people feel jaded and angry after all this," she said. "They reach out for help and get pointed to one person who points back to the first and the whole time I'm still not getting the help I need."

That "ah-hah! moment" is exactly what MOCA is looking for in every participant's eyes, organizers said. It's designed to help people become more sensitive to the feelings and needs of low-income families and individuals.

By Week Four, Big Dave's Pawn Shop was lined with cameras, rings and microwaves people had sold for cash. The shop also had armed itself with water guns after being robbed. As it ran low on money, the pawn shop was low-balling customers, offering $30 for a ring valued at $100.

People were taking it so they could buy groceries or pay bills that week.

There were hardly any kids in school. The corner that served as the elementary through high school had few supplies, one teacher and one teacher's aid who sat at the desk and colored.

The jail was packed, as was the homeless shelter. Drugs also became prevalent. Someone would buy and turn around and sell the drugs at a higher price. Anything for money became the name of the game.

"I always knew that it was stressful, but I never knew it was this stressful," Riley said. "I can see why some turn to alcohol or drugs. It's to escape, but it's also to keep going."

She said she often sees people on parole having trouble paying their bills and maintaining a set standard of living.

"We tell them they may have to get a second job to make all the ends meet, but working two jobs, I see now how some may resort to taking something to stay awake and stay going," she said. "In the end, they aren't going to succeed if their lives are stressful like that."

Depew said he often comes into contact with people who need a little extra help.

"I've always suspected the shuffling, I just didn't know it was that bad," he said.

Family services workers Kirkweg and Rayhart said they see the impact of poverty every day on families.

"In our jobs, fortunately, we do see people trying to pull themselves out of their situation," Rayhart said. "But, unfortunately, we also see people who are trying to take advantage of the system. There's nobody like that here."

Kirkweg said: "This just shows the frustration. Everybody is running around trying to pull themselves out of the situation and nobody is getting very far. We're stuck in the homeless shelter because we don't have a receipt to prove we paid. We never thought of asking for a receipt."

MOCA director of community services Pat Thieman said the poverty simulation is designed to be difficult, but not so hard people give up and head out the door.

A woman now working for MOCA went through the simulation and finished with bills paid and kids in school.

It just wasn't extraordinary luck, Thieman said. In real life, the woman and her five children lived several years in poverty. Even though she dug herself out, she still remembered the lessons she learned. The simulation was a refresher for her.

Group aims to help lift people out of poverty

from Columbia Daily Tribune

By T.J. GREANEY of the Tribune’s staff

A new group is bringing together people with vastly different life experiences in what it hopes will be an innovative approach to fighting poverty in Columbia.

"The war on poverty is not working, and it’s been going on since the ’60s," said Adam Tipton, community services supervisor at the Boone County Family Resource Center. "This is something new."

Tipton and eight others met last night around desks in a classroom at the Boone County Family Resources Center on Wilkes Boulevard. They’re attempting to form the first local branch of Circles, a national anti-poverty movement that is showing promising results in towns across the Midwest.

Circles works on the simple principle that it takes a village to bring a family out of poverty. The program, which originated in Ames, Iowa, recognizes that the "circle" of people living in poverty is vastly different than the networks surrounding middle-class people. "A lot of times in our society, it’s who you know that matters," Tipton said. "And knowing some people might help you get the job you want or just building friendships, period, helps."

Circles attempts to pair poor families with a small network of people from the community who will take an intensive interest in helping them succeed. These "allies" are, according to supporters, average people willing to reach across economic and racial lines to make themselves available when the car breaks down, when the babysitter cancels at the last minute or when tax forms need to be filled out.

All in all, a network of as many as five people will surround the family for an average of 18 months, meeting weekly. The results in other places have been heartening. In Ames, 58 families that enrolled in the program left welfare and saw their income increase by 30 percent. In Itasca County, Minn., 70 percent of families participating left welfare, and family incomes increased by $725 per month, according to material provided by the organization.

But the program does not work without dedicated backers, and Circles is just beginning to attract them.

Steve Harris, a hulking man who wears a bowler hat cocked to the front, says he knows poverty and its consequences. He grew up poor and spent 18 years in prison before his release in 2005.

"I’ve seen both sides of the poverty issue," he said. After he was released, he lived on the streets and bathed in Stephens Lake Park before he got a helping hand from some generous people in Columbia. He believes Circles could offer others the same kind of assistance.

"There’s people that haven’t been locked up that do what they’re supposed to and still have issues," Harris said, "people who are struggling to maintain a household, and it’s not working. This would help them and guide them. People could show them how to do the household management and the budget. This is a big asset for them."

Steve Tatlow of the Boone County Community Partnership said the idea for Circles outreach was particularly apparent to him after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. About 200 people who were uprooted and relocated to Columbia were in need of all sorts of assistance. "Communities, churches, organizations - they all stepped up and said, ‘We’d like to sponsor a person or a family.’ And in many cases what that was, was a circle that wrapped around a family," Tatlow said. "Those people" in a circle "were the most quickly re-acclimated, and most quickly resettled."

Dave Whelan, the Columbia group manager for Commerce Bank, also is betting on Circles. The son of a carpenter and the youngest of 13 children, he said he knows how tough it is to break out of the poverty cycle.

"When you’re in these situations, they don’t have the resources that you and I do," he said. "If you break down in the middle of the night on the highway, you can call a friend or a co-worker to come help you. These people don’t necessarily have those resources," said Whelan, who recalls that joining the military was his way of forming a new circle and earning money to go to college. "They don’t always have the networking abilities. They don’t have the same luxuries."

Poverty has bigger effect than school spending on test scores

from the Southeast Missourian

By Lindy Bavolek ~ Southeast Missourian

Student performance has much more to do with whether the students live in poverty than how much the district spends on them, recent data from the state shows.

Cape Girardeau schools spent nearly $2,000 more per pupil than Jackson did, $8,242 versus $6,264, while Jackson students scored about 15 percentage points higher on state tests, on average, during the 2006-2007 school year.

Likewise, the Leopold School District ranked as one of the lowest-spending districts in 13 Southeast Missouri districts at $6,247, yet academically scored the highest.

This is because students' poverty and a school's programming must be taken into account, said Dr. Julie Ray, an assistant professor of elementary, early and special education at Southeast Missouri State University.

While Cape Girardeau spends the most out of 13 Southeastern Missouri districts, is also has one of the highest percentages of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, 50.9 percent. Only 28.6 percent of Jackson students and 20.8 percent of Leopold students qualify, the two lowest percentages among the 13 districts.

Per-pupil spending is primarily based on operating costs, while excluding debt payments.

Ray said research has shown that there is a direct correlation between poverty level and a student's preparedness for school. While low-income families have to focus on survival needs, wealthier families have an easier time providing resources and experiences for their children.

"It is misleading to say everybody can spend the same amount of money and get the same results. Wealthier districts tend to be able to do a better job because kids are coming with the experience of having books read to them or being taken places. Districts that serve lower-income families have to spend more to make up for those differences," Ray said.

In Cape Girardeau, that includes funding an Alternative Education Center, a Career and Technology Center and a preschool program, all services that drive up costs but help students, administrators said.

Another reason Cape Girardeau's cost may be higher is because of its size, said Deena Ring, director of special services for Cape Girardeau.

"When you have 4,000 children, you are going to see a broader range of needs," she said.

Superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson said Jackson keeps its costs low by keeping staff costs down.

"We are probably lighter staffed than a lot of districts, and we might have larger class sizes. ... Sometimes you don't have a choice. You have the money available, and you have to work within those parameters," he said.

Jackson has an average teacher-student ratio of 1-to-21, while Cape Girardeau's is 1-to-18 and Leopold's is 1-to-13.

Jackson, however, does have the highest average teacher salary.

The state determines its funding to districts based on how much high-performing districts spend per pupil. In 2005, when the funding formula was last reworked, legislators decided it takes just over $6,000 a year to adequately educate a child.

State Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, said districts of all sizes were considered in calculating the figure. Federal money to schools is based on poverty levels.

The average per-pupil expenditure cost is $8,687 in Missouri. All 13 Southeast Missouri districts spend under the state average.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

2007 People Against Poverty Campaign offers help in a season of need

from the St Louis American

By Roscoe Crenshaw

This year marks the 19th consecutive year that Community Women Against Hardship (CWAH) has partnered with the St. Louis American for its annual project to assist under-served families in the St. Louis area.

In the current climate of mortgage crises, rampant crime, overseas warfare, widespread illness, inadequate health care, benefit cuts and homelessness, the poor suffer the most devastating effects. Now is the time for those of us who have more to make a donation that will brighten some families’ holidays.

If you would care to donate, please contact CWAH at (314) 289-7523. Checks should be made out to “Community Women Against Hardship.” The CWAH Family Support Center is located at 3963 West Belle Place, St. Louis, MO 63108.

#1. Ms. W. has always worked but recently stopped temporarily due to medical problems. In addition to her five children, she is also caring for her sister’s child. Her sole financial aid comes from family and friends, and in the past two months she has received two shut-off notices for her all-electric apartment. Clearly, she is without Christmas gift funds. Her wish list includes warm clothing, shoes, linen for beds (full-size and queen), kitchen table and chairs, end tables, pots, dishes and food.

#2. Ms. E. is a single mother of a seven year-old with asthma, diabetes and ADHD whose only income is welfare. Living with her mother, she is in remission from brain cancer - a condition that has left her unable to read and only able to write on a first-grade level. Hence, she is unable to obtain a job. She is in need of a blouse, ladies’ pants and boys’ pants, shoes, underwear and a coat. Her wish list includes a storybook, toys, games, perfume and a WalMart or Payless gift card.

#3. Ms. T. is a single parent in her early 40s with seven children and two grandchildren. She has always been generous to the less fortunate and has volunteered to several non-profit organizations in the past. She has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer and has had foot surgery and now requires more foot surgery. Being wheelchair-bound and making monthly doctor visits, she has lost everything and had to file for bankruptcy. Due to insufficient funds, she was without gas last winter, and this year her low food supply required her to rely upon food pantries. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

#4. Ms. H. is the mother of four children who was victimized by false charges at her work site that have been proven unfounded. Even though she has been completely vindicated, there are obstacles to her gaining employment. Having recently completed training as a medical technician, she must now secure a lawyer and provide documentation to expunge the false negative information from her record. Meanwhile, the family has no gas and has been subsisting on a very limited income. The Christmas wish list includes food, warm children’s clothing, cleaning supplies, linens, two heaters, a Barbie Doll, a truck, a drawing pad and pencils, Christian reading books, DVDs and a coat.

#5. Ms. M. is a struggling parent, worker and student (studying X-ray technology) who is caring for her twin girls and her mother. She has no car for transportation and no insurance or money for her daughter’s eye exam and glasses and very little for food and utility bills. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

#6. Ms. M. has a son who needs food, clothes and other basics so that he can stay focused in school. Although she is employed, the bills are overwhelming. She would like pants, shirts and a computer.

#7. Ms. B. is an 18 year-old mother of a two-year-old daughter living on temporary government assistance and food stamps. Her wish list includes clothing and toys (Dora the Explorer and Winnie the Pooh).

Of course, all of these unfortunate though worthy candidates will be profoundly grateful for your expressions of generosity during this season of giving. Please contact CWAH at (314) 289-7523.

African writer has temporary home at MU

from the Columbia Tribune

Novelist uses past to advocate change.

By ABRAHAM MAHSHIE of the Tribune’s staff

With a pistol pointed at his chest by the security minister of his tiny West African country, Donato Ndongo-Bidyogo had to decide whether losing his life for being a journalist was the best way to help the people of Equatorial Guinea, who remain impoverished despite tremendous oil and gas resources.

"Donato," as he is called by those who know him, secretly fled Equatorial Guinea with a single suitcase, first to neighboring Gabon. When he heard that Guinea expatriates were being kidnapped and transferred in sacks back to prison by security officials, he escaped to Spain in 1994 to write and teach. For the past three years, he has been the University of Missouri- Columbia writer-in-residence at the Afro-Romance Institute, a part of the romance languages department.

"He doesn’t get the recognition he deserves," said Michael Ugarte, an MU professor of Spanish who was instrumental in bringing him to Missouri after the African studies program where he was teaching in Spain was eliminated. "He’s a gold mine of information on the entire continent of Africa."

Ugarte solicited funds from a range of departments, including romance languages, journalism, minority affairs and arts and science, to hire Donato for one semester in 2005. The writer’s presence in the classroom was so powerful and influential to graduate students and faculty that he has been re-hired each year since then.

"We say he invented what is now ‘Guinean literature,’ " said Cecilia Saenz-Roby, a doctoral candidate in Spanish, who was in his first class.

Donato, 56, published the first anthology of literature from Equatorial Guinea, a Spanish colony until it gained independence in 1968. Dictators have governed the land since then. The latest is Teodoro Obiang, who took power in 1979 and holds the reins of a country the size of Maryland with a population of 500,000.

In addition to publishing the anthology, Donato has written critically acclaimed novels in Spanish based on the African colonial experience. Yesterday, the romance languages department celebrated two milestones: the publication in Spain of Donato’s most recent work, "The Subway," and the English translation by Ugarte of Donato’s 1987 novel "Shadows of Your Black Memory."

"The Subway" is a novel about a young Cameroon man’s plight to realize the "European Dream" by escaping destitution in his home country. But he faces discrimination and loss of identity in Europe as an illegal worker, a theme that parallels the plight of many Mexicans and other Hispanics who seek the American Dream.

"A citizen who raises his voice to say he cannot even live in the 21st century is imprisoned, tortured and, many times, is killed," said Donato, speaking in Spanish. "This combination of poverty - induced poverty - because, I insist, there is not a single poor African country. It is induced by dictators. This is the combination that obliges us to leave our countries in search of liberty and prosperity elsewhere."

Equatorial Guinea’s per capita gross domestic product is more than $50,000 - higher than that of the United States - but its people live on less than $3 a day as the nation’s wealth resides with the ruler. Nonetheless, the United States imports some of the 400,000 barrels of oil a day that Equatorial Guinea produces. The profits from this oil windfall are banked in Washington, D.C., Donato said, under the names of Obiang and his family. Donato says this example is not unique to his country; it is the plight of most African countries.

"What can someone like me do - someone who has no power but that of the written word?" he asked. "I describe the reality, and I want this reality to be analyzed, studied by society to see if there can be a seed that can bring about a change in our lives, in our mentalities."

Donato also is entwined in the refugee struggle. His wife and two young children have been denied visas to visit him in this country for the past three years, though he visits them every summer and winter break.

Donato can obtain Spanish citizenship for himself and his family, but he said he would consider himself a "traitor" to his identity and ideals if he did that. Instead, he remains persona non grata in Equatorial Guinea and an African refugee in Spain, a kind of limbo like that experienced by characters in his novels.

In the home state of Mark Twain and T.S. Elliott, Donato said, he hopes to complete the third part of a trilogy during his teaching years at MU. With the translation of "Shadows," he opens the second part of the trilogy to an English-speaking audience for the first time.

Area mayors meet to discuss poverty-fighting strategies

from the Marshall Democrat News

By KATHY FAIRCHILD/Staff writer

In an effort to provide a starting point for united city action to boost the health and vitality of local communities, the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency (MVCAA) and Mayor Connie Latimer hosted a "Mayor's Summit" in Marshall on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

City officials from communities in Carroll, Chariton, Lafayette, Saline, Ray, Pettis and Johnson counties were invited to attend the summit, a day of discussion and brainstorming to set the stage for a more in-depth summit in April 2008.

Among the issues discussed were affordable health and dental care, the availability of housing and childcare and after-school care.

Marshall Mayor Connie Latimer admits the problem of poverty in mid-Missouri is not a small one and that it will take time to solve the problems.

But, she said, "Even if it isn't going to happen tomorrow, we must start today."

Tentatively titled "Poverty to Prosperity," the April summit aims to gather teams of representatives in the education, business, economic development, health and social service fields from as many cities as possible to work together to give communities the tools they need to address their communities' needs.

The seven-county area covered by MVCAA includes more than 190,000 residents in more than 75 cities and towns in mid-Missouri.

Keeping Track of Poverty Levels in School

from KFVS

By: CJ Cassidy

It's not just your child who brings home a report card every year. Did you know schools get one too?

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education keeps track of students who come from low income families through the free and reduced cost lunch programs.

School leaders say those numbers help them figure out how many students might need extra help or attention in and out of school.


We asked for a sneak peek of the latest report card from DESE that comes out in December, and the findings might surprise you.

These days everything is high tech; so it's no surprise even students at the elementary level punch in a digital code when they pick up their lunch trays.

Those codes don't just track account balances, they also help school leaders figure out who qualifies for free and reduced lunches...and who comes from low income families.

"Just because a student's on a free and reduced lunch doesn't mean that's a low performing student," said Cape Girardeau Public Schools Superintendent Dave Scala.

Those numbers give school leaders an idea of what parents can and can't do for their kids at home.

"Maybe they can't afford to take children to do enrichment activities. That's why we try to provide mentoring programs after school tutoring, even pre-school programs," he said.

The latest figures show more than half of Cape's student body come from low income families, while neighboring Jackson only has 28.6%.

In Scott County, Kelso has more than 17% of low income students, but Scott City shows more than 40%.

Dave Scala said cities with more diverse populations are likely to show higher numbers of low income students, but educators make sure students in all schools have equal footing.

So how do parents feel about the state keeping track of how much money they have?

"If that's what it took to make a positive impact, they've gotta do what they gotta do," one mom said.

"I think it's good to monitor and keep track to make sure children get what they need," another mom added.

Information on students who get free and reduced lunches is kept strictly confidential.

They qualify based on federal poverty guidelines.

Those new report cards come out December 1st.

Strangers Ask for Help for Mother, Son in Poverty

from KFVS

By: Crystal Britt

MARBLE HILL, Mo. - Some of us go through tough times. Jobs are lost. Doctors bills pile up, many bounce back.

June Werchow of Marble Hill never recovered. Now, she's living in unbearable conditions you won't believe it.

She never asked for help, but thanks to a group of strangers her days of poverty may soon be over.

"Even when I grew up on welfare, it was better than this," June Werchow said.

She has no running water and little to no space. June Werchow's property in rural Marble Hill looks more like a junkyard than home sweet home.

June and her son Fred used to live in a run down trailer, but it literally started falling in around them. Now, June lives in a tiny camper. Her son Fred lives next door in his camper.

"This is where I spend like 90% of my time," Fred said.

In June's living space there's a tiny kitchen and no shower.

"The toilet doesn't flush. You have to pour water down it to get it to flush and he doesn't have one at all," June said.

They do have a well. A hose sends clean water to June's camper until cold weather arrives. Then, they'll revert to hauling it by the jug.

Things weren't always this bad. June said she worked as a medical secretary, then as a school bus driver and other odd jobs. That's before she got breast cancer, diabetes and had triple bypass surgery. Her son is also disabled.

"Just not making enough money to do the things we need," June said.

Ironically a highly contagious, drug-resistant staph infection ended up being June's blessing in disguise. She came to Immediate Health Care in Cape Girardeau this summer for treatment. That's where June met Dr. Robb Hicks and his staff.

"We initially treated her like any other patient," Dr. Hicks said. But that was before they found out..."She just lives in abject poverty."

So, they're holding a benefit in June's honor this weekend.

"I feel God brings people to us sometimes and asks that we help," Hicks said.

"It means a lot. I mean I don't know how we'd survive the winter without it," June said.

June says she owes her life to her son.

"We're all we've got. My three brothers are gone, his daddy. It's just us," she said.

That gives them both a reason to go on, hoping each day for something better.

2nd annual Poverty Walk takes its first steps Sept. 17

from The Marshall Democrat News

By KATHY FAIRCHILD

"Because it is right, because it is wise, and because . . . it is possible to conquer poverty."

Ann Graff, executive director of Missouri Valley Community Action Agency, kicked off the 2nd Annual Poverty Walk on Monday, Sept. 17, at the Saline County Courthouse with Lyndon B. Johnson's words from his speech to Congress introducing the Economic Opportunity of 1964.

Graff said, "This way of life (in poverty) does not have to be permanent. When people combine their energies in a single purpose of breaking the cycle of poverty for good, we can begin to transform lives."

"The total cost of poverty in our nation is roughly $500 billion dollars a year, with 38 million people living in poverty, 1.7 million in Missouri alone," Graff said. That includes increased health care expenses, the increased cost of crime and the reduction in productivity and economic output.

Joining Graff, Marshall Mayor Connie Latimer pointed out that often people living in poverty must choose between purchasing medicines they need and food. "In this day and age it's just not right," she said. "Poverty is here, it's ugly, we don't like it, but we can fix it," by working together in common purpose.

State representative Joe Aull, who, with his wife, joined the walkers for seven miles this morning, said he appreciated seeing the younger people at the event. "Our economy in the state is not what it should be," he said, "but we are working on legislation to provide incentives to businesses for providing health insurance to their employees," a statement which drew applause from the crowd. Aull said he appreciated the willingness of all those taking part in the event today because "you're not just talking the talk, you're walking the walk."

Saline County Commissioner Becky Plattner said the time for treating poverty as a "hush-hush" issue has passed. "Public awareness," she added, "is needed to stamp out poverty."

Bill Orendorf, president of the Marshall Chamber of Commerce, and Bill Nichols, community leadership coordinator for MVCAA, presented donated cars to three members of Circles of Support -- Marie and Curtis Wagoner, who received a 1981 Chevy Citation, and Sherri Calamar, who received a 1990 Cadillac.

The Marshall High School marching band was on hand to open the program with "The Star-Spangled Banner," along with youngsters from the Head Start program, who entertained the audience with "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider," "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," and "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed."

The walk continues through Friday, Sept. 21. For more information on MVCAA and the Poverty Walk, visit www.mvcaa.net.

Speaker shares how she escaped poverty

from The Southeast Missourian

By Jennifer Freeze ~ Southeast Missourian

Presentation meant to show what poverty is really like.

At 25, Donna Beegle found herself with two children, no husband, little education and living in poverty.

On Thursday, Beegle, who now has a doctorate, shared how she escaped poverty during a presentation at the Show Me Center to more than 100 partners with the East Missouri Action Agency. EMAA helps low-income families in eight counties, including Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger.

Beegle was born the child of uneducated migrant farm laborers. Her family constantly struggled with poverty.

"I come from generations of being homeless and being hungry, and no one in my family has an education higher than the eighth grade," she said.

Beegle's early school experiences were stressful -- she never had the right clothing, shoes or lunch. By the age of 15, Beegle had dropped out of school, was married and worked in a foam rubber factory.

Ten years later, Beegle was divorced with two children and homeless. She worked long hours for little pay, and it was never enough to pay both the rent and the utilities.

"I knew something had to change, even if I did not know how or what to do," she said.

Beegle learned of a pilot program connected to a community college that aimed to help single women gain education or skills to earn a living. She received her GED and eventually went to college.

Today, Beegle travels the country speaking publicly about her experience living in poverty and teaches social workers, educators and health officials how to work with families that come from backgrounds like hers.

"As advocates, we need to know what it feels like for those living in poverty," she said. "We have to break the isolation between those in poverty and those not in poverty." Beegle said it's important to educate the middle and upper class about what poverty is really like. The media doesn't portray an accurate picture of poverty, she said.

"When you ask someone why people are living in poverty, they might say it's because these people aren't working or they use drugs," she said. "Actually, two-thirds of the people living in poverty work one or more jobs."

Because many educators never lived in poverty, Beegle said, they don't "understand its root causes and effect on children." But poverty should not be an excuse for poor academic performances, she said.

"We have to go through our systems and find out how these people are falling through the cracks," she said. "We have to figure out why they are struggling to get out of poverty."

MSU announces plans for scholarships for students below poverty level

from The News Leader Springfield

Students who are at or below the poverty level will have their tuition and fees paid for through a program announced today by Missouri State University.

Beginning this fall, first-time freshmen and associate-degreed transfer students who are at or below the poverty level will receive a Missouri State Promise Scholarship.

This award will pay the difference between the cost of tuition and required fees and any grant or gift aid the student might have received, such as a Pell Grant and scholarships.

In addition, the university will provide recipients up to $800 annually for books.

What it means is that students who are at or below the poverty level will not pay a cent nor take out any loans for tuition, fees and books for their education at MSU — four years for incoming freshmen and two years for transfer students.

First-time freshmen who are Missouri residents are eligible for the scholarship, as are transfer students from Missouri community colleges who are Missouri residents and have an earned associate degree.

To qualify, students must be from families that are at or below the poverty level as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Students must meet the selective admissions requirements on the Springfield Campus and meet the financial aid priority application deadline of March 31.

Incoming freshmen will be eligible to receive the scholarship for four years, provided they continue to meet academic and financial aid requirements. Transfer students will be eligible to receive the scholarship for two years, provided they meet the academic and financial aid requirements.

Details about the program (detailed policy statement, frequently asked questions, etc.) will be on the university’s Web site by Feb. 1. The program is expected to be presented to the Board of Governors for final approval in March.

R-5 classified staff hears presentation regarding poverty

from The Neosho Daily News

By Todd G. Higdon

The day before the Neosho students headed back to school, more than 225 Neosho School District classified employees attended a workshop helping employees to better understand poverty.

Classified employees include transportation, buildings/grounds, custodians, nurses, technology, food service and secretaries.

For the first two hours, Missouri State Teachers Association's Field Service Coordinator Deana Layton presented a PowerPoint presentation on “A Framework for Understanding Poverty.”

“This is a workshop about economic diversity, not racial or cultural diversity,” Layton said.

According to Neosho R-5 School District Asst. Superintendent for Business and Finance Charles Brazeale, the main purpose of the workshop “was to allow our classified staff to go through the same strategies that our certified staff has gone through.”

During the presentation, there were certain guiding principles outlined. Some of the guidelines included: We can better educate all children, particularly children from poverty; people are our most important resource, regardless of race or culture; and we must “give back” to children in poverty through our efforts in lobbying, foundation development and educational giving.

And there are certain key points to remember. Those key points include: Poverty is relative, poverty occurs in all races and in all countries and to move from poverty to middle class or middle class to wealth, an individual must give up relationships for achievement (at least for some period of time).

Layton related a lot of her information to Ruby Payne.

“Payne grew up in a middle class family and her husband grew up in a poverty class (family),” noted Layton.

Along with the key points to remember, Layton also stated that “schools and businesses operate from middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class.”

Layton told the group that when she was a sixth grade teacher in the Branson School District, there was a student who was excellent on all of his tests, but when it came time to have his practice work turned in, he did not do it.

“After asking him about it, he told me that he couldn't do his homework because the car could only be turned on at certain times and he couldn't get the homework done,” said Layton.

Layton went on to explain that the family had recently moved to the area and were living in their car, and that the parents were looking for employment.

To help with the child's homework situation, Layton spoke to the parents and asked if their son could stay after school, get his homework done and she would take him back to the campsite. They agreed.

“It's that relationship that gives people belief that they can do better,” Layton said.

As the presentation pointed out on the topic of what can a teacher do to build relationships, points included to call on everyone in the classroom equally, ask questions to students who require more thought, listen and be courteous to students.

Brazeale noted “We want our support (classified) staff to be role models as well. We have seen plenty of times that our support staff has become an important part in the life of students. They can have an impact on their lives, such as bus driver with students or secretary or food service worker that the student see everyday.”

Along with the support staff, the elementary and secondary certified employees were given a second course in the Payne ideas. The staff went through the training back in August.

“I was very impressed with the Neosho School District staff,” stated Layton.

The school district has 600 employees and 4,300 students.

A look at those in need: Part 3/'Circles' gives local family a chance to improve lives

from The Marshall Democrat News

By Eric Crump

Editor's note: This is the last of three stories about those in need in Saline County.

A little more than a year ago, the Ridge family of Marshall was like many who live in poverty. They worked hard but were spinning their wheels.

Michelle and Shawn Ridge lived paycheck to paycheck. They tried to pay their bills but often came up short. They lived in public housing. They didn't own a car. They finally had to get food stamps to feed their four children.

When they enrolled their youngest child in the Headstart program, they met Cherry Merchant of the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency's Circles of Support program. And things began to change.

Now, Michelle Ridge has a better job. She has plans to continue her education. They are renting a house and are thinking about purchasing a home. She and Shawn are becoming politically more aware and active.

"A year has totally changed us," Michelle Ridge said. She gives credit to Merchant for encouraging them to take the steps necessary to turn their lives in a new direction.

"She taught us how to knock barriers down," she said.

And she gives credit to Saline County Circles, a new anti-poverty program sponsored by MVCAA that helps people in poverty by including them in a network of relationships and emphasizes reciprocity, with participants who receive help expected to contribute to the community in return.

"We were kind of leery at first. We thought we would be judged. It was shocking that it didn't happen," she said. "They said, 'We're so proud of you.' It's good to know somebody cares. It gives us the support we need to know we aren't alone."

The whole family participates in the program, Ridge said, attending weekly community meetings and meeting regularly with their allies -- volunteers who serve as mentors as the family works to improve their lives -- one of whom is Chuck Hird of Marshall.

The benefits of the program include some good practical education, according to Ridge. The weekly meetings include guest speakers who provide information on a number of survival skills, like managing household finances and navigating government bureaucracies.

"We didn't know how to save, didn't know how to get a credit report," Ridge said. And they had never established clear goals. "You can't save money unless you have a goal."

But the biggest change that has happened during their participation in Circles is a change of attitude, she said.

Growing self-esteem has enabled Michelle Ridge to begin speaking in public about her experiences. She addressed a rally on the courthouse square in Marshall at the conclusion of the Poverty Walk last summer, something she never dreamed she would be able to do.

And Shawn Ridge voted for the first time in November and is becoming interested in politics and policy, she said.

The main issue Michelle Ridge hopes to address is one that prevents many people from successfully escaping poverty in spite of various programs intended to help them do so.

She calls it the "cliff effect," and her family has had first-hand experience with it.

What happens, she said, is that as families begin to improve the financial situations they often reach thresholds in assistance programs and can be suddenly cut off from assistance before they are fully self-sufficient.

The result in too many cases, she said, is that families find themselves ensnared by government assistance, unable to get enough financial momentum to break free.

Ridge discovered the effect when her income improved enough that her family very nearly lost their food stamp allotment before she made enough money to compensate.

Ridge said she wrote to U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) about the issue and got a reply from him, and that experience has encouraged her to continue lobbying for change to the system.

Merchant said Ridge's experience exemplifies one of the main goals of the circles program.

"Circles teaches people to be advocates for themselves," Merchant said.

Contact Eric Crump at

marshallfaith@socket.net

A look at those in need: Part 2/Allies help people cope with their problems

from The Marshall Democrat News

By Eric Crump

Editor's note: This is the second of three stories about those in need in Saline County.

One of the basic tenets of the circles of support approach to fighting poverty is that lack of money is only part of the problem for those in poverty and having more money is only part of the solution. Social isolation is common to those who struggle to make it financially, according to Saline County Circles officials.

"We want to look at the whole picture," said Bill Nichols, project coordinator, at the first community meeting in July. "The circles approach is that one thing we need is lots of supportive relationships."

That's where allies come in.

Allies are volunteers from the community who have experience and connections they can share with participants who are trying to turn their lives around.

Each participating family ideally has three allies, one to help with economic literacy, one to help with community networking and one to help with education needs and job searches.

But basically allies just provide whatever knowledge and skills they have, serving as mentors in whatever way the families most need, according to Chuck Hird, one of the early volunteers with Saline County Circles.

"We just meet and talk about what their interests are, what their dreams are and how to achieve them," he said.

The family he's working with, Michelle and Shawn Ridge and their children of Marshall, have come a long way in a relatively short time, he said.

The Ridge family and others involved in the program are showing good initiative in joining the project, he said.

"It takes a lot of effort on their part just to be involved," he said. But their efforts are paying off, and the results give them more hope, which may be the biggest blessing the program bestows, according to Hird.

"I think that's the key to the whole thing. It's giving them a new attitude. Maybe their dreams are achievable," he said. "When you have no hope, nothing's going to happen."

The benefits are not a one-way street, either, he said. Allies can learn a great deal from the families they work with, getting a better sense of the challenges many people in the community face that may not be visible otherwise.

And the whole community benefits when more people emerge from poverty, he said.

He still has some concerns about the young program, which was announced in April and by July had begun full operation. But the goals and the approach seem sound, he said, and things are off to a good start.

The program still needs more allies. Anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact Nichols at Missouri Valley Community Action Agency at (660) 886-7476.

Contact Eric Crump at

marshallfaith@socket.net

A look at those in need: Part 1/The goal: End poverty in Saline County/Organization provides 'circles of support' to those who need help

from Marshall Democrat News

By Eric Crump/Staff writer

Editor's note: This is the first of three stories about those in need in Saline County.

The goal is ambitious: End poverty in Saline County.

The approach is simple: Provide those in poverty with a circle of support that will help them achieve their dreams.

In April, the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency hosted the launch of a new anti-poverty project, one designed to disrupt the conditions that keep people mired in poverty.

Saline County Circles gets its name from the "circles of support" concept promoted in the U.S. by the Move the Mountain Leadership Center. According to the center's Web site, Saline County Circles is one of three established circles projects in Missouri, with a fourth in the beginning stages. There are 44 established and emerging sites nationwide.

MVCAA's Community Leadership Coordinator Bill Nichols explained the idea during the first community meeting in July, noting that one thing that often distinguishes people who are living in poverty is the fact that they aren't well integrated into the community. The circles program seeks to remedy that.

"We need to work together as a community," Nichols said. "What we're doing is building a new community here."

The program invites people who are living in poverty -- which includes not just people without jobs but people with low-paying jobs who struggle and sometimes fail to make ends meet every month -- to take the initiative to escape the situations that prevent them from succeeding.

Those people are matched with several allies, members of the community who are more successful and can provide useful advice, help make connections and provide moral support as the participants seek to break the cycle of poverty.

There are two key requirements for participants, according to Nichols. They have to want to improve their lives and they have to be willing to reciprocate, to begin giving back to the community even as they are working to turn things around for themselves.

"There are a lot of services out there," he said. "But this approach is, you're getting something from the community so you give back to the community."

The program also seeks to maintain continuity by including weekly meetings as opportunities to provide participants with general information about the practical aspects of getting and staying out of poverty, helping them improve basic skills like managing a household budget, learning how to apply for home and auto loans, how to interact with government agencies and more.

State Rep. Joe Aull (D-Marshall) has been a guest speaker for the project, talking to the group about state government, and he said he's very impressed with the way things are going so far and is especially impressed with the participants who have come forward.

"It impresses me that these people are doing something to help themselves," he said. "They lean on each other. Nobody has all the answers, but they talk things through."

Marshall Mayor Connie Latimer is one of a number of community leaders who has been involved in the project since it began, serving on the planning committee that helped give the program its current shape. She, too, said she appreciates the emphasis on responsibility.

"It's not just a hand-out type of program," she said. "It gives people the tools they need. You can give people money to get out of debt but if you don't teach them how to stay out of debt you're soon back to square one."

Since July the group of participants and allies has slowly grown, according to Nichols. Organizers hope the early participants will help spread the word about the program and that the new year will see interest in it increase.

"It's making a difference for those who have sought it out," Latimer said.