National Conference on Ending Poverty

Here's the full press release:

Montgomery Councilmembers Focus on
Poverty Issues at National Conference
More Than 1,500 Expected in Washington, D.C., for Conference Hosted by A Wider Circle on Saturday, March 28

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 26, 2015—Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal, Council Vice President Nancy Floreen and Councilmembers Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich, Tom Hucker, Nancy Navarro and Craig Rice will join national and regional leaders on Saturday, March 28, at the Washington Convention Center to connect with those living in poverty and non-profit service providers to share innovative approaches to ending poverty. The National Conference on Ending Poverty, which is a day-long regional event hosted by Silver Spring-based non-profit A Wider Circle, is expected to draw more than 1,500 participants.

The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. the Washington Convention Center, which is located at 801 Mount Vernon Place NW in downtown Washington.

Montgomery Councilmembers will participate in a panel discussion at the conference entitled “How Our Political Leaders Will Propel the Movement to End Poverty,” which is scheduled in two parts (from 11:20 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. and from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.) The panels will be held in Room 151A.
 The Washington metropolitan region has a high standard of living, in comparison to other areas around the nation. The Montgomery County self-sufficiency standard, which is a measure of the income required to meet basic needs without public or private assistance, is nearly $83,000 annually for a household with two adults and one preschooler. According to Non-profit Montgomery, the number of County residents living below the Federal Poverty Level increased from 4.8 percent in 2006 to 6.7 percent in 2011. The number of children and youth under 18 living in poverty grew from 5.5 to 8.8 percent over the same period.

Montgomery Councilmembers have been working with non-profit organizations and service providers to develop strategies and provide funding to assist the County’s neediest residents.
“As Council President and chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, I know how important it is for residents to access essential safety net services,” said Council President Leventhal. “That’s why the work that A Wider Circle does is so pivotal. It is on the front lines in the battle against poverty, and it is up to all of us to make sure it has the tools to win that fight.”

“Montgomery County ranks toward the top of the list of counties with the highest median incomes, and we take pride in being the economic engine of Maryland,” said Council Vice President Floreen. “Yet we have pockets of poverty that are not easily seen. Families of working poor and people whose circumstances have taken dramatic turns for the worse due to the economic conditions of the past few years make up an increasing portion of our community. We owe it to them to do better. That’s why I’m looking forward to working with our terrific non-profits to expand our capacity to help those who are living in poverty now and to prevent others from slipping into poverty in the future.”

Since poverty indicators are often first observed in the classroom, County officials use Montgomery County Public School’s data as a barometer for measuring community need. Currently, more than 34 percent of public school students qualify for free and reduced price school meals. The income eligibility for this program is less than $44,123 annually for a family of four.

“It is important that we look at all the aspects associated with poverty including education, job training, and housing and figure out how we can join forces through public private partnerships and other collaborations to truly make a difference in our communities,” said Councilmember Rice, who chairs the Council’s Education Committee. “This conference is an excellent opportunity to come together to talk about how to end poverty in Montgomery County.”

“Non-profit organizations like A Wider Circle do incredible work helping those in need, which reinforces the fabric of our society,” said Councilmember Navarro, who is a former member of the Montgomery County Board of Education. “We do work on the Council every day to help those in need—from increasing access to health care to making affordable housing a priority. However, it is a strong and robust economic development strategy that leaves no area of the County behind that truly allows us to invest in our social and educational infrastructure.”

"Ending poverty must be at the top of every agenda,” said Councilmember Berliner. “All tools in the tool box must be used and more added. Proven strategies focused on early childhood education, universal pre-kindergarten, workforce training, adult ESOL classes, affordable housing and food security are all essential in the fight against poverty. Our great non-profits, like A Wider Circle, are leading the way, and we are so very grateful to be its partner in this fight.”

Many working on poverty and income inequality recognize that policy changes are necessary at all levels of government to promote social change.

"The persistence of poverty in America is the result of conscious policy decisions that can be changed, if we have the political will to do so,” said Councilmember Elrich. “How we approach wages, access to health care, education and housing creates or eliminates poverty."

"It is not right and it is not just that so many working families are raising their children in poverty,” said Councilmember Hucker. “In Maryland and in Montgomery County, we do not need to tolerate persistent poverty alongside great wealth. We can do better. From working to raise the minimum wage, expanding access to high quality pre-kindergarten, investing in our infrastructure to create good paying jobs, training the next generation of workers for the jobs of tomorrow and making the workplace more family friendly through paid sick leave and equal pay for women—these are things we can do today to fight poverty in our communities."

“Urgency is the reason for this conference,” said Mark Bergel, executive director of A Wider Circle. “There are so many great programs and leaders doing wonderful work to address the unacceptable conditions that many of our neighbors endure. None of us can do it alone; we must engage together and with urgency.”

For more information about the conference, visit A Wider Circle’s web site http://awidercircle.org/org or contact Samantha Gloss at 301-608-3504.

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Local Non-profit Leader Named Washingtonian of the Year

Less than a year after being named a CNN Hero, A Wider Circle founder Mark Bergel has been named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine—one of nine leaders selected for their good works and generous contributions to the Washington area. Founded in 2001, A Wider Circle aims to end poverty one individual and one family at a time through the provision of furniture and household items, job preparedness training, life skills workshops, and long-term support. The Silver Spring-based non-profit provides beds and other furniture for the homes of more than 4,000 families a year with the average income of those families being $12,000 per year, including all forms of assistance. You may remember Mark and A Wider Circle from the award-winning documentary The Unseen Montgomery, which highlighted the hidden poverty in Montgomery County.

Kids In Need Distributors Provides Weekend Food

Do you know about this relatively new non-profit organization whose primary focus is to end childhood hunger here in Montgomery County? Kids In Need Distributors provides children who are on the federal Free And Reduced Meal Program with nutritious foods on the weekends, when FARM is not available. Every six weeks, KIND volunteers meet at the store, pick up six weeks worth of food for participating schools and deliver the food to the schools. The schools then arrange to pack the individual bags and give them discretely to the kids every Friday to take home. In just two years, the program has grown from feeding 35 kids in one school to approximately 900 kids in 15 schools. The program is 100 percent volunteer based, with no paid positions at all, so all of donations go directly to the purchase of food for the kids. Stay tuned for an upcoming summer food program, too.

Local Nonprofit Leader Named CNN Hero

Congratulations to Mark Bergel from A Wider Circle for being named a 2014 CNN Hero! More than 10,000 individuals from around the world were nominated this year, so for A Wider Circle's work to be honored in this way is absolutely incredible--and well deserved. You may remember Mark and A Wider Circle from the award-winning documentary The Unseen Montgomery, which highlighted the hidden poverty in Montgomery County.

The CNN piece will air several times over the next few days on various CNN networks. You can also watch the video and read the article online.

Holiday Giving

Montgomery County is known for its affluence, so it is easy to forget that we have many residents who do not have enough money to pay for even their basic needs, let alone the extra expenses associated with the holidays. To learn more about poverty in Montgomery County, take a look at the award-winning program, The Unseen Montgomery, produced by our very own County Cable Montgomery.

In addition to highlighting the hidden poverty in the county, the show identifies nonprofits that provide help to those in need, including Manna, which serves as our local food bank; A Wider Circle, which collects used furniture and household items for those in need; and Interfaith Works, which offers a whole host of programs for our most vulnerable residents.

If you can afford to pick up extra canned or other non-perishable foods, or if you have clothing or furniture you can donate, your gift certainly can go to good use right here in our community. And of course, our nonprofits are also happy to accept money. If you aren’t sure which nonprofit to support, check out Neighbors in Need Montgomery, an umbrella charity campaign that supports many local organizations and enjoys a dollar for dollar match from a generous family.

TV Show on Poverty Wins National Award

The Unseen Montgomery, a television program highlighting the hidden poverty in Montgomery County, has been named the winner of a Savvy Award by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association.

The Unseen Montgomery won first prize in the national contest in the category of TV and Video—One-Time Special Programming (for jurisdictions with population: 100,000 and up). We came up with the idea for the show because we wanted to portray a side of the County that is often overlooked: residents who did not appear to need the help of available services, but through circumstances, could not financially keep up with their individual and family needs.

The show was produced and hosted by Susan Kenedy of County Cable Montgomery. The videographer was Mike Springirth. The show was edited by Loren Olson and was coordinated by Delphine Harriston.

Montgomery County is known for its prosperity, so it is easy to forget that we have many residents who do not have enough money to pay for even their basic needs. Some of those living in poverty lost their jobs in the recession while others find themselves trapped in low-wage jobs that don’t pay enough to cover the rent. These families live right here, and they need help—but they are not always easy to identify. Susan Kenedy and her outstanding team did a great job of looking past the affluence and giving us a chance to see a growing part of life right here in Montgomery County. The Unseen Montgomery tells a very important story in a way that’s meaningful and thought-provoking. The team at CCM definitely deserves this award.

The independent judging panel said of the show: “A great way to focus on the issue. The video helped to cast a light on the new poor in our country. An interesting topic that kept the judging team engaged.”

In addition to airing on CCM, the show has been viewed more than a thousand times on various Internet outlets. See it on YouTube.

Community Ministries Celebrates 45 Years of Service

Congratulations to Community Ministries of Rockville on their 45th anniversary. CMR improves the quality of life for the most vulnerable of Montgomery County residents by providing basic services including housing, healthcare, homecare, education and assistance. Over their 45 years, CMR has served nearly 60,000 residents. That’s roughly equivalent to the entire population of Rockville. I was proud to congratulate them on a job well done with a County Council Proclamation today.

Learn more about poverty in Montgomery County.

TV Special on Poverty in Montgomery County

Montgomery County ranks among counties with the highest median incomes. We take pride in being the economic engine of Maryland. Our schools make the lists of the best in the nation, Yet we have pockets of poverty that are not easily seen. Families of working poor and people whose circumstances have taken dramatic turns for the worse due to the economic conditions of the past few years make up an increasing portion of our community.

We have people in this county who have lost significant jobs and have been unable to find other employment. We have people who work two jobs, and when they add up their paychecks, they still do not have enough to pay their basic bills. These families live right here, and they need help—but they are not always easy to identify.

That’s why I asked County Cable Montgomery to help shine a light on the hidden poverty within our county. We often only get a chance to see the affluence in Montgomery County, and this television program, The Unseen Montgomery, gives us a chance to see a growing part of life here.

The Unseen Montgomery, a 30-minute show terrifically produced and hosted by Susan Kenedy, points out that, on average, it requires a family income of $73,000 for a family of four to provide for all of its living essentials. But it also states that, over the past five years, Montgomery County has seen a 52 percent increase in the number of people receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) and that more than 5,600 families a month receive food from the Manna Food Center, a nonprofit that acts as the local food bank.

The first broadcast of The Unseen Montgomery will be at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. It will replay that day at 8 p.m. The next scheduled rebroadcast will be at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 9. It will be rebroadcast at various future times that have yet to be determined. CCM is broadcast as Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN and Channel 30 on Verizon. You can also see the broadcast via streaming on the County Web site or on YouTube.

The show identifies nonprofits that provide help to those in need, including Manna; A Wider Circle, which collects used furniture and household items for those in need; and the Food Recover Network, which collects unused food from restaurants and venue concession operators for nonprofit organizations that redistribute it to those in need. Also featured are the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, a structured program that seeks to get people free of assistance, and Arleeta’s Pantry at the Woodside Methodist Church in Silver Spring.

Day Four of the SNAP Challenge: Hungry

It’s day four of the SNAP the Silence Challenge, and I confess to being a bit hungry, feeling the need to eat the moment I get home in the evening. I miss the feeling of being full as well as variety in my diet. I’m really hoping that my coffee allotment will hold out until the end of the challenge, especially since I already spent the dollar I saved for an emergency on extra chicken.

While I feel that my supplies are fairly meager, I recognize that I might not even have this much if I had not been able to shop in bulk (and use my Costco membership), or if I had not been able to shop at multiple locations—luxuries that many SNAP recipients likely do not enjoy.

What $25 Bought Me

As expected, fresh veggies topped the list in terms of price, followed closely by chicken. Here’s what my $25 SNAP the Silence Challenge budget got me:

Kale/veggie salad
Bananas
Chicken thighs
Instant oatmeal
Yogurt
Carrots
Broccoli
Rice
Apples
Coffee and milk (I am using what I have but charging myself for the portion)

I have $1 left in case of emergency. Thank you to everyone who gave me advice on what to buy and where to buy it. I did some of my shopping Costco and some at this morning's kick-off at Giant.

Making my Shopping List

I'll be joining some of my Council colleagues and nonprofit providers at the Giant on Hungerford Drive on Monday morning at 9:00 to shop for the SNAP the Silence Challenge, so stop by and say hello. Even better, join us in the challenge.

I've been working on my shopping list, trying to make sure I get enough fruits and (especially) vegetables, as recommended by my oncologist, but I'm already finding it tough on just $25. Here are some resources on how to extend a food budget:

http://www.harvesters.org/_FileLibrary/FileImage/FoodStampChallengeRecipes.pdf
http://www.foodstamped.com/learn-up/recipes
http://fightingpovertywithfaith.com/f2/food-stamp-challenge/category/nutritious-recipes/
http://www.delish.com/food/recalls-reviews/one-in-seven-americans-on-food-stamps-stretch-your-dollar-at-the-grocery

SNAP the Silence Challenge

Will you join me in the SNAP the Silence Challenge led by Councilmember Valerie Ervin? I, along with many other elected officials and County residents, will experience what it is like to live on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formally known as the Food Stamp Program. That’s just five dollars per day.

I understand that putting food on the table is just one of the many challenges faced by low-income working families, but I think that living on a SNAP budget will give me a different perspective and level of understanding about the struggles faced by those whose wages are too low to lift them out of poverty. Please join me February 4-8.

Here are the challenge guidelines:

~ Spend only a total of $5 per day for all food and beverage during the challenge week.

~ Count in your total spending all food purchased and eaten during the challenge week, including fast food and dining out.

~ Only eat food that you purchase for the project. Do not eat food that you already own (this does not include spices and condiments).

~ Avoid accepting free food from friends, family or at work, including at receptions, parties or other events where food is served.

~ Keep track of receipts on food spending and take note of your experiences throughout the week.

Poverty Statistics in the County

Interfaith Works Executive Director Becky Wagner recently addressed the organization’s corporate sponsors and discussed some startling statistics. Interfaith Works, formerly Community Ministries, offers a wide range of services to meet the needs of the poor in Montgomery County. Given this perspective, I consider Becky to be an expert on the subject of poverty in the county. Here are some of the statistics she shared:

• Food stamps requests increased 34% to 15,700
• Medicaid recipients increased by 17% to 35,900
• MANNA gave groceries to 35,400 households, a 43% increase over last year
• Interfaith's clothing centers clients shopping trips have increase by 48% (more than half of the 6,000 households are new to the Center)
• Holiday baskets were provided to 14,600 families, a 20% increase
• 17,000 households are on the waiting list for section 8 vouchers (an average 300 are available every year)
• Our 70 bed women's shelter is full; more than 50% are first time homeless
• We are seeing utility bills three times higher than historically
• We received 4,500 calls for assistance and information, a 48% increase
• 43,000 children in Montgomery County qualify for and receive breakfast and lunch at school (during the recent blizzards, these students went without this food benefit for 9 days)