All of us, being college students especially, know what it is like to be broke. After paying for tuition, books, meal plans, and other random things that we find ourselves needing to survive a semester, money becomes something so rare that even we try to save it when it wanders back into our possession.
What’s even harder to believe is that there are people who live penny to penny every day of their lives. Poverty has become a major issue across the world and even right here at home. There are families who struggle to feed their children, pay for transportation to and from work, and even find jobs. As these strains become worse, many impoverished people turn to other ways to find a better outcome. Sadly, this can mean gang involvement, crime, or even excruciating work conditions that affect their health and time management. These can lead to other strains, including losing their children to foster care or being evicted from their home. Poverty can also affect those who move here from other countries seeking a better life. This can be due to language barriers, educational credits that don’t transfer into the United States, or no more funds to support their transition.
Lancaster County has begun to take the necessary steps to help those who are affected by the strains and symptoms of poverty. With many non-profits and church groups in the area, it is not uncommon to hear about or see work being done to help those who need it. Even Millersville University students contribute to some of these organizations, including the United Way of Lancaster and our local chapter of Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Poverty statistics in our county are truly surprising, especially in the downtown area. Overall, Lancaster City’s poverty rate is at about 30 percent. In the south side of Lancaster City, that number jumps to almost 40 percent, which is comparable to the poverty rate of Detroit, Michigan where they have lost thousands of jobs as industries move overseas.
The Mayor of Lancaster, Rick Gray, proposed a Commission to Combat Poverty in order to design a way to help those affected by these conditions and make this area a better place for all to live. The commission itself is to design a plan that goes beyond temporarily fixing poverty in our area but works towards the goal of eliminating it as Lancaster moves into the future. The commission’s chair, Dan Jurman, who is also the CEO of the Community Action Program hopes to do just that.
Mr. Jurman grew up in an impoverished family and can relate directly to those he wishes to help. Growing up in Central Pennsylvania also makes him familiar with the areas beyond just the city that are often affected by poverty. Jurman also worked in Tampa, Florida where he also helped to combat this issue, including hunger, homelessness, and access to health care facilities. Currently, Mr. Jurman’s work at the Community Action Program has provided jobs, training, healthcare, child care, and more to impoverished citizens of Lancaster County.
The Commission to Combat Poverty is current collecting data and hosting hearings and expert panels to help increase awareness of their work and encourage others to help. They are also going directly into affected neighborhoods to hear from those who need the help the most. At Many of the hearings, they offer food and childcare for all who attend, as these are both needed and highly appreciated by those living in impoverished cicumstances. Mr. Jurman feels that the best way to create a plan people will believe in comes directly from those who will need it.
Millersville University public relations students have been working closely to help the commission further their research of citizens in their area. The students have conducted surveys and will propose plans to help the commission further their work and communication among those in the community, whether they be an impoverished citizen or a business looking to help in their efforts. Their presentations were conducted during finals week as their final project in a public relations research course. The Millersville University Communication and Theatre Department works hard to expose their students to working with clients before they graduate. This course, as well as the public relations campaigns course, do this for communication majors with an option in public relations. Dr. Thomas Boyle and Dr. Jennifer Wood find both courses extremely important to the success of their students and the continued success of their program’s graduates.
To learn more about Lancaster’s Commission to Combat Poverty, you can visit their website, http://combatpovertylancaster.org/ or like them on Facebook.