A Fair Chance?

We all know poverty is hard enough on adults, but what about the kids?

A new study published in the journal Pediatrics April 12 indicates that the causes and conditions of poverty can slow a child’s development. Older research did not take factors like limited access to food and inconsistent home heating into account when studying the effects of poverty on children.

The study involved more than 7,000 children aged 4 months to 3 years who were brought to urban primary-care clinics or hospital emergency departments for care. Overall, these children were less likely to have normal growth, health and development -- or "wellness" -- if their scores were higher on an index that evaluated hardships. The discrepancy remained even after the researchers took into account factors that might throw off their findings.

It seems to me children in poverty do not get an equal shot at life. They don’t just end up behind; they start out behind. This data only underscores the fact that low-income children are fighting an upward battle when compared to their more affluent peers.
Still, we must tell ourselves the remedies are accessible. We can make sure that every kid in our communities has access to warm, stable housing, education, nutritious food and a safe environment. That’s where programs like Head Start come in, to level the playing field. No child should be left behind in this great land of opportunity.

Do your grandparents live in poverty?

What does retirement look like to you? Are you relaxing on a beach in Florida? Maybe playing golf everyday?

Unfortunately for many older Americans this leisurely lifestyle is far from reality. Due to the recession and other factors, many retirees live day-to-day on limited means. This generation worked hard for their retirement, but now are faced with a harsh reality of living in poverty.

Despite the Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security programs, millions of senior citizens are forced to live "on the edge." They have little money to provide for food, utilities, medical care or other basic needs.

However, according to the Federal Poverty Guidelines, these people are not considered to be “poor.” They are not able to qualify for federal government assistance because "they make too much money."

Why is this the case? The federal government is still using a formula from the 1960s that does not include housing costs and ever-rising medical expenses. Premiums for Medicare insurance alone have increased considerably in the last few years.

This reality might hit close to home if you have grandparents on fixed incomes. So what can you do to help the situation? You can start by lobbying your representatives to urge changes in income guidelines for assistance programs. And of course, you can support organizations like CANI that helps people at a variety of income levels (from the poorest of the poor on up to those who are very near, but not quite at, economic self-sufficiency). I know I don’t want my grandma to have to scrape by to live. Do you?

Stand Up For Yourself and Be Counted!

If you haven’t done so already, it’s the perfect time to complete your Census form.

It’s just a questionnaire, what’s the big deal, you ask?

Well it is a big deal, in fact a HUGE deal.

The United States Census 2010 is important to CANI (and all Community Action Agencies) for a variety of reasons. First, it is this official count that is used as the key variable in a wide array of funding decisions for federal tax revenue. In fact, they tell me that $400 BILLION dollars worth of funding decisions are at least in part determined with Census data.

But there's more. In our efforts to engage the community and address the issues of poverty and economic stability, we need to be able to paint an accurate picture of our community. Where's the growth? What are the trends? What does our community look like? The Census helps to frame the picture and then CANI and other organizations add context.

Lastly, the Census puts people to work who might not otherwise be employed. In other words, they're hiring a LOT of people. Most of these will be temporary jobs but they pay pretty well, are very flexible, and might help create a cleaner, more impressive work history for someone to take with them to their next interview.

So what are you waiting for? Complete the application now!