Chasing the Dream

Report: Rural Poverty in America is ‘An Emergency’

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The United States does not stack up favorably when compared to other nations with advanced economies when it comes to childhood poverty worldwide, according to a new report, which considered factors such as the lack of access to quality food, high adolescent birth rates and a child dropping out of school. Out of 175 nations, the U.S. ranks 36th – far behind Singapore, Slovenia, Norway, Sweden and Finland, which round out the top five — and just behind Bahrain and Belarus in the reportproduced by the advocacy group Save the Children. “We are just above Russia, Kuwait and Bosnia,” says president and CEO Carolyn Miles. “So I wouldn’t say that the United States is doing terribly well as far as childhoods.”

The report looks at so-called childhood enders or “events that rob children of their childhood and prevent them from reaching their full potential,” including things like displacement due to war, gender bias, child labor and child mortality. There are three childhood disruptors that account for why the U.S. ranking is relatively low, says Miles, “One was our infant mortality rate, which is by global standards, pretty high.

“The Hustle: Poverty In Motion”

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People who are poor move a lot – between homes, to get groceries and healthcare. It can be difficult to achieve upward mobility, leaving people feeling like they’re running in place. Click here to check out the stories.

Government
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Senate Tax Plan Incenses New York’s Anti-Poverty Advocates

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ALBANY (WSKG) – The Congressional Budget Office report released Sunday finds that the Senate tax overhaul bill harms the poorest Americans even more than originally thought.  The CBO finds that Americans making $30,000 or less would be worse off under the Senate tax plan by 2019. Those earning $40,000 or less would be net losers under the plan by 2021. And by 2027, U.S. residents who make $75,000 or lower would be worse off under the plan. That’s partly because of the provision to eliminate the federal insurance mandate, which the CBO said would lead to as many as 13 million Americans becoming uninsured and losing federal subsidies to help them buy insurance. The findings have incensed anti-poverty advocates in New York.

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Elmira Hopes State Funds Can Put Dent In Poverty

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Antanisha Garrett likes it in Elmira.   “Coming from a fast paced state like New Jersey, it’s really different,” she said. “You can really come here and get your life together.” Garrett has tried to do just that. She’s lived in the Southern Tier off-and-on for several years. But she’s now in Elmira full-time.

Education

Being Poor: Real Stories of Hope

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Connect: NY explores those programs and individuals who are making headway in the fight against poverty in New York State.  How they are changing the trajectory of people’s lives, what tools they use to accomplish their goals – and how their work benefits us all – on this important finale episode of our Connect: NY poverty series. We meet a supervisor and bakery employee who have experienced an entire overhaul in lifestyle since beginning their work with Greyston.   We bring you their stories and an inspiring look at what can happen when a company is willing to take a risk on those in society who are left behind. Joining host Susan Arbetter for a follow up panel discussion in studio are:

Roy Reehil – Oswego County Legislator
Michael Kink, Executive Director – Strong Economy for All Coalition
Diane Cooper-Currier, Executive Director, Oswego County Opportunities
Ruth Pelham – Founder, Music Mobile

Watch on WSKG TV Monday, June 19, 2017 at 9:00pm.

New York State

Being Poor: Meet ALICE, the Working Poor

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This episode is the fifth in the new six-part series “Being Poor in New York State.” WCNY director of public affairs, Susan Arbetter hosts this program where we explore what it looks like to live in New York State without enough food, clothing, housing, money or means.  Being poor often means a daily struggle to fight a system seemingly stacked against those on the margins of society, while also fighting against desperation and hopelessness. In this WCNY six-part “Connect: NY” series, viewers are exposed to the world of poverty in New York State and the choices and sacrifices both the urban and rural poor must make every day to survive. Who are the working poor?  If you are working one job or multiple jobs, is it still possible to fall short financially when it comes to affording the basic necessities of life? The United Way’s study of financial hardship, nicknamed “ALICE” referring to Asset Limited,Income Constrained, Employed individuals aims to answer these questions and provide a broader picture of financial insecurity than just state and federal poverty guidelines.

Education

Being Poor: Poverty on the Edge

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The Fulton/Oswego area is often covered in the news for their issues related to their struggling business and economic challenges.  But, why?  What is the story behind these once thriving communities with strong agricultural, industrial and power producing potential?  In this beautiful area, located in the northern, central area of the state, many struggle to find jobs where they can sustain a lifestyle above the poverty level.  Skilled employees travel hours to find part time work, and many others have fled the area altogether. Connect: NY spoke with the Mayor of Fulton, two Oswego County Councilmen, the historians for Oswego and Fulton as well as workforce development participants to understand the struggling economy in this once prosperous region. Panelists joining the show:

Karla DiGirolamo – NYS Community Action Executive Director 
Joseph Rotella, Oswego County Workforce Development Executive Director 
Lindy Glennon, Cortland County Community Action Executive Director
David Kay, Senior Extension Associate – Community and Regional Development Institute (CARDI), Department of Development Sociology Fellow, Atkinson Center for Sustainable Future Affiliate, Program on Infrastructure Policy
Ken Pokalsky, Vice President of Government Relations, NYS Business Council
Watch this new episode on Monday, April 17, 2017 at 9:00pm. 
Join us as we uncover compelling and unexpected stories throughout New York State and the history and systemic forces influencing current realities. Connect: NY is produced by WCNY (Syracuse, NY) and aired in partnership with WSKG.

Education

'Being Poor: Dope, but no Hope'

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The Connect: NY series explores statewide issues of critical importance with monthly, one-hour panel discussions. This episode, ‘Being Poor: Dope, but no Hope’, continues to focus on poverty by looking at those with drug addictions and continuous illegal drug usage and how their situations often spiral into a circumstance where they are living in poverty.  While much of New York State, and much of the nation has been dealing with an opiod crisis, young people in the Southern Tier face the additional burden of a stagnant economy.  Many attribute the staggering rise in opioid addiction and deaths to a lack of hope about the future. Panelists joining the show:

Dr. Indu Gupta, Onondaga County Health Director/co-chair of the Onondaga County Opioid Taskforce

Professor Dessa Bergen-Cico, Fellow of the American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders, Associate Professor Department of Public Health, Syracuse University

Alexis Pleus, Mother who lost her son to drug addiction/Founder of TruthPharm, Inc., a national advocacy 501c3 non-profit organization. Truth Pharm, based in Broome County, is working to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with substance use disorders, and advocating for policy change to improve treatment options

Stephanie Campbell, Acting Executive Director, Friends of Recovery – Albany, New York. Watch this new episode on Monday, March 27, 2017 at 9:00pm. 
Join us as we uncover compelling and unexpected stories throughout New York State and the history and systemic forces influencing current realities. Connect: NY is produced by WCNY (Syracuse, NY) and aired in partnership with WSKG.

Education

'Being Poor: Real Stories of Poverty in 2017'

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The Connect: NY series explores statewide issues of critical importance with monthly, one-hour panel discussions. This episode, ‘Being Poor: Real Stories of Poverty in 2017’, takes the viewer into the world of poverty to look at the choices both the urban and rural poor must make every single day. Watch this new episode on Monday, January 30, 2017 at 9:00pm. 
Join us as we uncover compelling and unexpected stories throughout New York State and the history and systemic forces influencing current realities. Connect: NY is produced by WCNY (Syracuse, NY) and aired in partnership with WSKG.